It wasn’t NBA caliber. But host Donté Greene and company put on a show that entertained the fans in attendance at the Goon Squad Classic. His Black Team toppled the Purple Team, 167-164 in overtime at the UC Davis Pavilion. Greene’s team featured Jimmer Fredette, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes. Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Hassan Whiteside and Matt Barnes played together on the Purple Team.
James Ham will have his own take on the game in a post later today. For now, I’ll share a few notes about Sunday night’s charity exhibition.
Several players who were slated to play didn’t show. Not surprising considering that’s been a common theme in many of these lockout contests. After the game, Donté explained to me why some of guys didn’t make it. “Jonny (Flynn) decided to participate in the game in Houston – John Lucas’ game. Kevin Martin, I think went on an overseas tour. And Kevin Durant had a family emergency he had to take care of, so it was last minute and he couldn’t come out.” Donté added that he’s hoping to get those guys for perhaps another exhibition game in the future and appreciated the ones who did come out.
John Wall made an appearance, but didn’t play. I had overheard some chatter about his groin giving him some issues, forcing him to sit out the contest. Donté told me that that Wall was indeed injured because he had been playing overseas and that the Washington Wizards guard wanted to “rest his body”.
Questions arose on Friday about Evans’ weight when Jonathan Givony of Draft Express tweeted that Evans appeared to be at least 20 pounds bigger. From what I saw, he looked bulkier, heavier with less defined muscle tone. But overweight? I can’t say exactly. We’d need a check of his body fat to make a fair assessment.
Tyreke’s jumper had no issues though. In fact, he and Fredette traded back-to-back 40-foot threes during an exciting in-game exchange.
The most impressive player physically was Hassan Whiteside. He’s clearly added upper-body muscle this offseason. He told me before the game that he’s actually been in Sacramento during most of the lockout. He displayed extraordinary athleticism when he finished a slam by sticking his arm into the basket. It was reminiscent of Vince Carter’s final jam from the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest.
Best part of the halftime show was when a little rookie hazing took place and Fredette and Thomas were forced into an entertaining dance-off. Watch below to see who won. (H/T to Blake Ellington with the video.)
There were no stats being kept during the game. But fortunately, Ben Taylor of KDVS Radio in Davis logged some numbers. Evans was the leading scorer in the game with 54 points and connected on 10 three-pointers. Cousins and Thompson both scored at least 40. And Fredette dropped 32 34, connected on eight three-pointers. The final scoring numbers for the game’s all notable players are below.
No head count on attendance was given. I’d estimate that maybe 3,500-4,000 people attended the game. The Pavilion was about two-thirds full.
Pending Donté Greene’s signature, a charity basketball game for Sacramento is a go.
Appearing on the Carmichael Dave Show this afternoon, the Sacramento Kings forward said the Goon Squad Classic is scheduled for Sunday, November 20th at the UC Davis Pavilion, with tip-off planned for 6:30 PM PST. Tickets are expected to go on sale Thursday, November 10th.
Greene said he was waiting on the recent negotiations between both sides to finish before signing a contract with the university. But with NBA owners and players unable to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, the game is an all but certainty.
The Kings forward also added some new names to the list of participants. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant will compete and play on Greene’s team. Former Kings guard Kevin Martin, now with the Houston Rockets, has committed to the game, too. Chandler Parsons, also with the Rockets, has confirmed to play as well. Greene said he’s still working to convince Sacramento-native Matt Barnes along with teammate-to-be Jimmer Fredette to participate.
“I did talk to his manager, his assistant,” Greene said of Fredette. “And he said that he really wants to come out and play for the fans and get a chance to hang out with some of his teammates and what not. But he has a busy schedule. He’s a busy guy, so we’re just trying to get a yes from him.”
Greene also confirmed the participation of DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans,Hassan Whiteside, Darnell Jackson, Jason Thompson, Isaiah Thomas, Jonny Flynn and John Wall.
(Updated at 9:11 pm PST following latest labor news)
Looks like lockout basketball in Sacramento coming closer to becoming a reality. Kings forward Donté Greene appeared on the Carmichael Dave Show and said the Goon Squad Classic is rounding into form.
Who’s playing?
He’s received commitments from Washington Wizards point guard John Wall and Houston Rockets point guard Jonny Flynn along with fellow Kings teammates Jason Thompson, Hassan Whiteside, Tyreke Evans, Darnell Jackson and DeMarcus Cousins. Greene also has Twitter commitments from new rookie Isaiah Thomas and J.J. Hickson. The Kings forward is working on wooing Kevin Durant , Rudy Gay and soon-to-be rookie-sensation Jimmer Fredette to play as well.
The UC Davis Pavilion, which seats 8,000 at full capacity, will host the game, which according to Greene will be Sunday, November 20th. No time is set yet, however expect the contest to played in the evening. UC Davis Women’s Basketball has a home game earlier in the day against Wichita State.
Sponsorships?
According to Greene, Nike, which has backed many of the exhibition games played during the lockout, will sponsor the contest.
Social Media played a major role to keep the Kings in Sacramento for at least one more year. And now, it’s playing a vital role to bring basketball back to California’s capital during the NBA Lockout.
Kings forward Donté Greene is organizing a charity exhibition game for the Sacramento region, thanks in large part to Twitter. A Sacramento Kings fan tweeted the idea yesterday to Greene, who took the message to heart and put the thought into action.
Speaking to KHTK Radio in Sacramento this afternoon, Greene said he’s already reached out to a number of NBA players who are interested in playing in the game dubbed the Goon Squad Classic. Greene said Kings teammates DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside, Jason Thompson and rookie Isaiah Thomas have expressed their desire to play. The Kings forward also said that Washington Wizards point guard John Wall has interest as well.
“We’re definitely going to go out there and play,” Greene said in a phone interview on the Carmichael Dave Show. “It won’t be no nonchalant game. I’ma tell guys let’s come out and put on a show. Give the fans something to look forward to.”
New Kings big man J.J. Hickson announced on Twitter last evening that he would play, too. Greene has also extended invitations to DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers, Jonny Flynn of the Houston Rockets, Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings teammates Tyreke Evans and Jimmer Fredette.
“I don’t think he wants the upper- decker so he might want to show up to the game,” Greene said jokingly of a rookie hazing ritual Fredette could face if he doesn’t play.
Planning is still in the early stages, so a venue is still up in the air. With the ongoing labor strife between players and owners, Power Balance Pavilion is off limits. Greene said the Pavilion on the campus of UC Davis, which seats 8,000 at maximum capacity, is his preferred option.
“Right now there’s nothing set in stone,” Greene said. “Everything is (a) blueprint. UC Davis isn’t even set. That’s just a site I would like to host it at. But we’re still in talks with them.”
Greene would like to host the game the weekend before Thanksgiving, just a few days before the NBA season is scheduled to start if a new labor deal is reached in time. He’s hoping to get tickets on sale by November 1st.
Charities for the game are still being determined. However, the Kings forward said he would like some of the proceeds to go towards breast cancer awareness.
“That’s my charity (because) my mom had breast cancer,” he said. “That would be one of the charities that I’m definitely going to donate to is breast cancer.”
Sponsorship for the game is also being explored. Greene sent an open invitation to local Sacramento businesses to get involved. But he also said he will reach out to Nike, which has been sponsoring many of the exhibitions that have been played during the lockout.
“Nike sponsors most of the games and of course I’ll call Nike try to get them to sponsor this game,” Greene said. “Basketball never stops – that’s the slogan.”
Four home games at Power Balance Pavilion were lost after the NBA cancelled the first two weeks of the regular season yesterday. But Kings fans might have basketball to cheer for if Donté Greene has his way.
Earlier today, Kings fans tweeted at the Sacramento Kings forward about putting together a charity exhibition game in the Capital region. He took their message to heart and it appears Greene has plans in the works to host a game the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Among the players who’ve declared their interest? Wizards point guard John Wall along with Greene’s fellow teammates Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins. New King J.J. Hickson also says he’d like to play. Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Rockets point guard Jonny Flynn, Lakers forward and Sacramento native Matt Barnes, teammates Tyreke Evans and Hassan Whiteside were also extended Twitter invites by the Kings forward.
Sacramento has proven before that a simple tweet can spark a major idea. So the possibility of a barnstorming exhibition featuring your favorite Sacramento Kings isn’t out of the question. But with PBP off-limits due to the lockout, where would they play?
So here we are, the 2009 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings haven’t had a pick this high since 1991 and the whole Billy Ownes debacle that eventually led to the Mitch Richmond era, which begat the Chris Webber golden age of Kings basketball.
So now with the fourth pick, the Kings have to decide not only if need is the biggest… well… need for this roster or if they should go after the best player available regardless of position OR if they should trade the pick for a veteran presence, much like the Wizards just pulled off. Not to be some drama queen about the whole situation but this is pretty much a turning point in the organization’s tightrope walk between obscurity and mediocrity or a path back to the playoffs. It’s not a completely dire straits situation where it’s make or break but if the Kings draft Jonny Flynn or Tyreke Evans with Ricky Rubio on the board, these guys have to not only be Rookie of the Year candidates but they have to show the potential to be All-Stars and franchise leaders. There’s no guarantee that Rubio will be a star but he’ll bring in national exposure that brings the franchise to the forefront of the NBA conversation again.
A Rubio selection means Wednesday night games on ESPN, Thursday night games on TNT, and maybe even a Sunday afternoon or two on ABC. It means potentially having a point guard that guys want to come play with. It means drawing the attention of the entire basketball world and not just the occasional onlooker from inside our own state. It means embodying the idea of putting team first with a pass-first point guard. It means the potential express progression of Hawes and JT with a point guard that can feed them perfectly in the post, on pick and rolls, and pick and pops.
But what if he’s not there? What if Minnesota moves up to grab him or the Thunder decide to piss off Russell Westbrook? What if the options are Tyreke Evans, Jonny Flynn, or Stephen Curry?
Are those acceptable “consolation” prizes? The hearts of Kings fans were broken when they didn’t land a Top 3 pick. But landing a player with the fourth pick who doesn’t pan out would be much worse. It would be like breaking the will of a wild horse. Sure they can ramp up whenever they want to and stretch the old legs in a majestic gallop but there’s a part of them where trust in the way of life they used to know is completely gone. If Kings fans had to suffer through the sudden end of their title contention during the Rick Adelman era, only to endure through Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus, and a 17-win season that seemed completely foreign to a city that had tasted sweet success and become addicted to it and have to settle for a busted fourth pick, that could very easily bring down the future ceiling of enthusiasm for this team’s eventual resurgence.
And at the same time, the Kings could hit a jackpot. No one thought that Jason Williams or Peja Stojakovic or Kevin Martin would turn out as well as they did. Tyreke Evans could turn out to be an unstoppable force that is capable of obliterating the immovable object. Jonny Flynn could become the next Tim Hardaway without the homophobia. Stephen Curry could be Gilbert Arenas 2.0 and an unstoppable 25 points per game force that gives the Kings a certain swagger of invincibility. And that’s the beauty of today.
The NBA Draft Day is my favorite sporting day of the year. To me, it’s better than the first day/weekend of March Madness. It’s better than any All-Star game. It’s better than the Superbowl and it’s better than opening night in the NBA. It isn’t like the NFL Draft that drones on and on for two days. There are certainties about the NBA Draft that we’ve all come to know and love. We know there are going to be a multitude of trades that bring about new hope to a franchise. We know that the Knicks fans are going to boo whomever they select that isn’t a small combo guard from Davidson. We know that Blake Griffin is about to be cursed and Chris Wallace is too scared to pull the trigger on a deal that nets them two draft picks instead of one because he’s afraid of being wrong. We know that the Clippers are trying to pass Zach Randolph around like the yellow Starburst that nobody wants to eat.
The NBA Draft brings about a new energy to every fan in the NBA. Whether it’s a nervous energy or an excited energy or an energy of wanting to throw up into your division championship wall pennant, there’s still an energy and electricity in the air. When David Stern sidles up to the podium, everyone waits with bated breath. He could be announcing a trade, the next great pick for your franchise or the next pick for your team that you get rail against for the decade and say, “I told you so.”
So here’s my expert analysis and predictions for the day based on everything I’ve heard and read (that sounded like I’m a lot more connected than I actually am):
- The Kings will take Ricky Rubio if he’s available. There’s nothing that has been mentioned to me about this; it’s just a feeling. Well, in the words of Boston, it’s more than a feeling. It’s an understanding that I feel like I have with the basketball world. The most likely reason for the comments to leak out about Tyreke Evans being the guy no matter what seems to be posturing in my opinion. It’s the only way to avoid having to trade up to get Rubio.
– With that said, I think the Thunder take Rubio and either make Russell Westbrook like it or deal Ricky for some much-needed assets.
– I think the Kings will take Tyreke Evans if they can move the 23rd and 31st picks to get into the middle of the first round. Otherwise, I think the pick will be Stephen Curry. Personally, I think Jonny Flynn should be the guy but there’s something really intriguing about Curry as a point guard in the same backcourt as Kevin Martin. If they can add a veteran backup point guard via free agency to complement Curry, then they’ve created a very nice guard rotation.
Whether you have a pit in your stomach right now or butterflies, just remember that anything can happen on draft day. Kings fans and fans all across the NBA should be excited about the possibilities.
There are definitely worse things than having Geoff Petrie deciding the future of your franchise. Right, Clippers fans?
On Sunday, I went to the Kings practice facility to check out the second big point guard workout of the month for the Kings as they figure out which direction to go with the 4th, 23rd, and 31st picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft.
This workout consisted of Tyreke Evans of Memphis (Top 10 projection), Stephen Curry of Davidson (Top 10 projection), Jonny Flynn of Syracuse (Lottery projection), Nick Calathes of Florida (First round projection), Patrick Mills of St. Mary’s (First round projection), and Toney Douglas of Florida State (Late first round, early second round projection).
From the 20 minutes of action that the media was allowed to see, I took something away with each of the six players. All of them stood out at different times. Jonny Flynn’s quickness with the ball is something that YouTube videos, ESPN broadcasts, and the written (typed) word cannot properly describe or show. It’s something you have to see in person. Tyreke Evans was easily the biggest player on the court and when he wanted to, he was the most imposing figure. Toney Douglas’ confidence was definitely displayed and he never seemed intimidated to go against much bigger names than his. Patrick Mills could probably wake up out of a coma and knock down his first three-point attempt. Nick Calathes is much more athletic than I assumed and could definitely be a Steve Blake type of player with a better outside shot. And Stephen Curry seems to be better than advertised with his defense and ball-handling ability.
Coming away from this workout and judging the Kings’ situation by this display of six guards, I’d say that their best bet in the draft if Ricky Rubio can’t be had is probably Stephen Curry or Jonny Flynn.
Here are two videos with a lot of what I saw from the workouts followed by my observations of each of the six players:
- I don’t think you can draft Tyreke Evans if you’re the Kings because he doesn’t seem like the type of point guard that could feed off of Kevin Martin. Evans seems like someone who has to dominate the ball and live with some bad shots as he finds a rhythm. That doesn’t mean that he will be a bad player by any means but his skill set and talents would be wasted on the Kings and Paul Westphal’s philosophy.
- Jonny Flynn’s defense was average and his ball-handling was superb. He never tried to do too much on the floor, which showed me a lot in the fact that he still played the game the right way with the pressure of a higher draft position and millions of dollars potentially on the line in this workout. It’s an attitude on the court that could go a long way in giving the Kings confidence in a decision of grabbing him with the fourth pick when most draft boards slot him a few picks lower. But that’s the same type of situation that happened with Jason Thompson last year. Everyone on draft night thought Petrie had lost his mind. Those same people claim to have always loved that pick after they watched JT with the Kings this year.
- As for Stephen Curry, he’s a lot better point guard than I ever thought I’d give him credit for. Before this workout, I thought he was a glorified, better version of Eddie House. But after watching him in person Sunday, going against other top point guard talent in this draft, I’ve done a complete 180 on him (or a 360 as Jason Kidd once described it). He’s not just competent in dribbling the ball, he very efficient and effective with his movements. He can get by defenders and create space for his jumper. His defense was also very noticeable and not in the Mike Bibby way. He was adequate guarding the much bigger Evans at times and held his own against Flynn as well. His jumper is so effortless that it makes you hate him for it. I could definitely see the Kings grabbing him with the fourth pick or trading down to still select him if someone like Minnesota wants to move up to grab Evans.
- As for Patty Mills, he’s extremely quick and another effortless shooter that incites envy. His defense was good enough but you’ll never expect him to stop somebody consistently in the NBA. He’s probably no more than a backup point guard or a starter on a bad team but he could definitely be a valuable piece in this league. He’s somewhere between D.J. Augustin and Daniel Gibson. He isn’t as physical as Augustin in driving to the basket but he’s a much better basketball player than Gibson with pretty much the same outside shooting ability.
- Nick Calathes is someone who could be a steal on draft night. He probably isn’t going in the Top 20 and may even be selected towards the end of the first round because of his deal to play overseas. But anyone who retains his draft rights on Thursday will get a really solid point guard. He can see over his defender because of his height and he doesn’t make many mistakes with the ball while dribbling. He makes some rushed passes but that can be eradicated with some more seasoning (like overseas seasoning). He’s a good shooter from outside but a weak finisher inside. I don’t think it would be out of the question for the Kings to take him and stash him in Europe with the 23rd pick if they don’t want to add all three of their picks this summer to next year’s payroll.
- As for Toney Douglas, I’m really impressed with him and think he’ll be a steal at the end of the first round. If he drops into the second round, then he’s this year’s Mario Chalmers in terms of second round gems. He’s a competent shooter and a staunch defender. He can stay in front of his man and create space on his jumper. He’s athletic enough to make up for his lack of ideal height. He can probably defend a fair number of shooting guards and give point guards fits. If he’s available at 31, the Kings need to select him. He’s the type of role player that teams will crave.
I think everyone can agree that the biggest need for the Kings this off-season is at the point guard position. Sure there are some questions with the team’s small forward position since Andres Nocioni might be better served as a reserve and Donte Greene not being ready as of now to be named the starter. But with Beno Udrih’s regression from his promising 2007-2008 season campaign to his dreadful and frustrating 2008-2009 season, the glaring hole at the team quarterback position has been ominous.
They have a fascinating makeup for the team already as the rebuilding process chugs along. They have their own version of young big men that the Chicago Bulls attempted long ago (back when Tim Floyd wasn’t a complete embarrassment and they were relying heavily on two young, inexperienced big men) except these guys are a little more seasoned and have a lot better chance at realizing their potential due to great basketball skill sets. They also have a pure scorer from all over the floor with Kevin Martin and some nice pieces to come off the bench on the wings. But the direction on the court has been lacking since Mike Bibby was here and interested. So assuming that the Kings are going to try to find their next great point guard with the fourth pick in this draft, let’s review the players in play and try to figure out who has the best standing.
1. Ricky Rubio
Strengths: Passing, Vision, System Defense, Penetration, Basketball IQ, Length, Veteran approach to the game despite youth. Weaknesses: Outside Shooting, Getting off his shot in a quick manner, Sometimes tries to do too much, Strength, Slow first step.
Ricky is still the most intriguing prospect at the point guard position in this draft and if he can fall to Sacramento at #4, then there shouldn’t be much hesitation for Geoff Petrie in selecting him. He definitely has questions about his game, validity of international experience translating to the NBA, and whether or not the hype is legit. Brandon Jennings’ dismissive view towards Ricky’s ability, whether he meant it or not, had to bring up red flags throughout the league. But you can’t really forget or discount his play during the Olympics. Sure, Patty Mills played incredible against the U.S. and other teams during the Beijing Games and it isn’t shooting him up the draft boards but that doesn’t mean it should be the same for Ricky.
His attitude and demeanor on the court told a lot of people (including myself) everything we needed to know. He was fearless, confident, and not going to back down to the best point guards in the world. He held his own, made more good plays than mistakes and even seemed to be favored often over fellow countryman, Jose Calderon. It was kind of a contrast to what we’ve heard from his play in the international leagues in which he’s inconsistent. That creates the question of how much can we trust in coaches who manage player rotations like international Don Nelsons? Did Ricky deserve to sit all of those games and play inconsistent minutes? Was it an attempt to keep himself in doubt and the threat of a tough buyout more looming than it should be? Will he be able to come over a play this year?
Unfortunately, we won’t know the answers to those questions until he gets selected June 25th. And we probably will have to suffer through an inconsistent and tentative summer league season before we get real answers. But if the Kings can grab him with the fourth pick, Geoff Petrie will have put the rebuilding process ahead of the game.
NBA Comparison: Andre Miller without the postgame and a little more speed. Immediate Impact: Instant energy throughout the fanbase will be the byproduct of drafting Ricky Rubio. He’s the player that the fans want and something this franchise could really use to put them back in the national spotlight (see: Jason Williams, circa 1998).
2. Brandon Jennings
Strengths: Extremely fast end-to-end, Great explosiveness, Great at playing passing lanes, Good court vision, Good play-maker, Good range on the jumpshot. Weaknesses: Natural fadeaway on his jumper, Small for an NBA point guard, Forces the spectacular, Very streaky.
So what do we do with this Brandon Jennings situation? Apparently, he came into the point guard workout with Jonny Flynn and Jrue Holiday and raised hell. A lot of people came away impressed with Flynn but more came away thinking that Jennings was the toast of the outing. Then he follows that up with a post-workout interview in which he basically discredits everything that Ricky Rubio has been lauded for and says that he’s all hype. He tried to take it back on his Twitter account but once it’s out there, that’s all anyone is going to think about. Some people see that as competitiveness and some see it as arrogant, cocky bravado.
When Jennings played overseas this past season, he didn’t dazzle anybody with numbers but he didn’t completely wet the bed either. He never shot the three well (20.7% in Italian League, 26.8% in Euroleague). He shot really well from the field for such a young, foreign player with 47.9% in the Italian League and 45.7% in the Euroleague. His assist to turnover ratio wasn’t great this past year but he was such a work in progress in so many facets of his game and life that he seemed to handle the pressure and inconsistency of knowing when he’ll play about as well as any teenager could.
There’s no questioning that he has the raw skill set and athleticism to become a really good point guard in the league but will he let his attitude of dismissing his competition overtake his work ethic? That’s what teams have to figure out.
NBA Comparison: Nick Van Exel Immediate Impact: I’d be shocked if he made a difference right away. But as his rookie season progresses, you’ll see him make great strides.
3. Jrue Holiday
Strengths: Size (he’s the biggest point guard in the draft), Quick first move, Great defensive mindset and fundamentals, Great decision-maker, Rebounds extremely well, Solid passer. Weaknesses: Not a good shooter off the dribble, Not a real good shooter period, Not a great dribbler, Could end up being a defensive-minded shooting guard more than a point.
Sometimes, your first impression ends up being your favorite. And that’s the situation we could have with the Sacramento Kings. Jrue Holiday was their first major workout for the top guard prospects and the Kings front office and scouting department came away very impressed with his attitude and skill set. The first thing you notice with him is his extremely long wingspan. He looks like Stretch Armstrong with his arms extended and his body low into a defensive stance. At 6’4”, it almost feels like he’s still taller/longer than you when he’s digging in defensively. He’s a natural born leader in a way that GMs desperately want out of a young point guard.
But there are plenty of drawbacks with Jrue too. He was rarely a point guard in high school. He often played the shooting guard position and helped adopt a dangerous backcourt with two point guard mentalities. Even in the workouts by himself, Holiday was inconsistent with his jumper. It was a fairly rough sight to see as he made moves off the dribble and pulled up for a jump shot and his set shooting was above average but nothing that’s going to make you push aside someone like Dana Barros from your memory bank. And then there’s the fact that he doesn’t explode to the rim. He’s a bit of a slow jumper. He has the strength to finish off contact in the lane but if he’s too slow to get there in the first place, he could end up giving a lot of offensive fouls.
He’s not a bad pick by any means. The Kings loved him and are still highly considering him. There are some rumblings that they’ve floated out the idea of them drafting Jennings or Tyreke Evans to keep other teams uneasy when their final answer to David Stern’s question on draft night is certainly Jrue.
NBA Comparison: Rajon Rondo with out the explosive leaping. Immediate Impact: I think he’s a guy that will have a type of impact like Russell Westbrook. He probably needs two months to begin to put it together and by the end of the season, you don’t care if he’s a true point guard. You just want him on the court.
4. Jonny Flynn Strengths: One of the quickest guards in the draft, Great at getting into the lane, Has a variety of shots, Fantastic mid-range game, High volume scorer, Great leader and heart. Weaknesses: He’s really small, Has three-point range but takes some bad threes, Tries to do too much when his team gets down, Too many turnovers.
The first thing you notice about this guy is his heart. He has that certain Allen Iverson-level of killing himself to win that you just don’t see in many players. This guy is one of the few in the league that doesn’t have to learn how important winning is or how put out extra effort. He’s always 100% to the wall and ready to do whatever it takes to win. It’s something you can’t teach. It’s something that’s a little cliché. But it’s something that Flynn possesses.
Now, does he have his drawbacks? Of course. He wants to win so badly that he often puts too much onus on his shoulders and tries to cut deficits or win games by himself. He can make a lot of bad decisions and force some really tough shots while trying to will his team to win. It’s something that he has to learn the time and place for and not just try to do everything on his own. As the future point guard of an NBA team, trusting his teammates and trusting his system is an aspect of his game that he’ll have to improve. And his size with that mentality can make it even harder for him to succeed at times.
So for GMs and scouts alike, they have to decide where this kid fits in. Is he more D.J. Augustin or a 45% version of Allen Iverson? Will he be able to run a team or become another Eddie House? Does he have a high volume of shots to jack up or can he figure out his times to shoot? Personally, with the fourth pick in the draft, I don’t think you can have those questions with the guy you take (see: Dajuan Wagner).
NBA Comparison: T.J. Ford with a better outside shot. Immediate Impact: He’s the type of guy that can bring energy into an organization. With such a young team like the Kings, he could motivate them to win more early but end up burning himself out by February.
So what does this all mean? It means that the Kings have plenty of options for the point guard position. Clearly, the best-case scenario is Rubio passing through the first three picks and falling into Geoff Petrie’s lap like a small child with oodles of potential. They believe in Jrue Holiday but were impressed by an unexpected great showing when Jennings showed up Flynn and Holiday in a workout before taking “inadvertent” shots at Rubes. And with the other three point guards, they have the perfect position to move down in the draft, pick up an asset for the roster and still get one of their guys.
Much like Jim Carrey described the Information Superhighway in The Cable Guy, “the possibilities are endless!”
So here we are, the 2009 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings haven’t had a pick this high since 1991 and the whole Billy Ownes debacle that eventually led to the Mitch Richmond era, which begat the Chris Webber golden age of Kings basketball.
