50 Mocks

by section214 on Jun 19, 2008 5:33 PM PDT in NBA Draft

At this time next week, we will be adding a player to our roster. While we continue with our draft board, I thought that I would take a look around and see what others see for us. The following is the result of compiling 50 mock drafts.

There is a small but talented group that just isn't going to drop to us according to these 50 mockers. They are Rose, Beasley, Mayo, Bayless, Gordon, and B.Lopez. I raised an eyebrow or two to see all 50 mockers select Lopez prior to #12, while guys like Westbrook, Augustin, Alexander, Randolph, Love and Gallinari all fell to us at least times each.

So who's left for us? Well, if you like Joe Alexander you'll love the rule of the mob -

Joe Alexander, 11 times
D.J. Augustin, 7 times
Anthony Randolph, 6 times
Darrell Arthur, 6 times
Russell Westbrook, 5 times
DeAndre Jordan, 4 times
Kevin Love, 3 times
Danilo Gallinari, 3 times
Donte Greene, 2 times
Marreese Speights, 1 time
Roy Hibbert, 1 time
Kosta Koufos, 1 time

That's 12 potential new Kings. According to this learned group of prognosticators, we have a 24% chance of landing a PG, a 44% chance of drafting a big, a 32% chance of drafting a SF, and a 0% chance of selecting a SG. There is a 64% chance that we will get a player that we have in our own top 10.

And while this is all conjecture, the majority "wisdom" last year had us selecting Spencer Hawes. Who knows?

No, really. Who knows?

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Comments

I'd be extremely happy with

4 of the top 5 and if GP thinks Arthur is the guy we need I’d be ok with him as well. And the other guys on the list are all ok. Thanks for the research S214.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Jun 19, 2008 5:44 PM PDT reply actions

Interesting options

Really Like- Augustin, Randolph, Westbrook and Love. Randolph would be phenomenal at 12.

Arthur would kill me. He has “backup” written all over him. Danilo signablity scares me, and Donte Greene has some talent along with a low basketball IQ.

by Bitey on Jun 19, 2008 5:52 PM PDT reply actions

Arthur

I was noodling on this the other day – Arthur and Alexander have a lot of similarities. They are both very athletic, good finishers, and perhaps a little smaller than you would like your power forward to be. They are different in that Alexander sees himself as a wing player while Arthur does see himself as a PF. Arthur is a better shooter and shot blocker, while Alexander is probably more versatile. I could see Arthur as an NBA PF, but he’s going to need to bulk up quite a bit.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jun 19, 2008 5:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Joe Alexander is right...

he’s an NBA 3. Alexander fairly strong and has good height and length, but his game is predicated on quickness, athletic ability and that sweet jump shot. He’s a very promising small forward who can take it to the rim on occasion

Darrell Arthur on the other hand is mistaken. The kid is (maybe) 215 pounds soaking wet. Hell, Gilbert Arenas weighs THAT much!

At Kansas Arthur managed to work the ball inside via his athleticism, but he’s skinny and lacks strength and muscle mass. In short he is not an NBA 4; he never will be; and any team that thinks he is, and bets on Arthur bulking up enough to bang inside with the likes of Nowitzki, Bosh, Boozer, Dwight Howard, David West, etc; etc; is gonna be sorely disappointed.

"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)

by Mucho Moss on Jun 20, 2008 12:17 AM PDT up reply actions

Alexander's knock

is that he isnt a good finisher and doesnt get to the rim. Hes the athlete who jumps 3 feet on his jumper but cant get to the hole.

"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"

by richmond02 on Jun 20, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Hmmm

I disagree with you about Arthur. I’d like to know why you see “backup” written all over him?

I watched more than my fair share of Kansas games this year and I gotta say that I said to myself more than a few times, “Kings need a guy like that!.”

Maybe you guys saw something in Mikki Moore (especially on the offensive end) that I didnt see last year. IF we took Arthur, I wouldnt be surprised at all if he is our starting PF before the all-star break. I think he and Hawes could develope nicely together.

Neither Westbrook nor Love will be there at 12..and it looks like DJ won’t get by the Pacers.. Randolph v Arthur would be a toss-up IMO, but Arthur is more NBA-ready right now!

by Hoops916 on Jun 19, 2008 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Arthur

One of his most scary attributes is the fact that he is a blackhole- lacks the fundamental ability to pass the ball (one of the worst TO/A ratio in college basketball) but also lacks the skills to score consistently and effectively to make up for his touch the ball and shoot approach. Just watching him in college, it made me cringe when he would touch the ball and try to overpower his way to the hoop (double-teamed) while ignoring his open teammates. In a fast-paced 5-person game, this doesn’t work. If he had the size, outside shot/scoring ability and bulk to make up for this problem, I might have accepted it and moved on.

He also seemed like a constant underachiever and simply mailed-it-in w/ many games. Many lack of heart? Perhaps that will change when he reaches the level he thinks he deserves to be at.

by Bitey on Jun 19, 2008 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions

The NBA has a way of fixing that problem...

coaches just stop running plays for you. I would prefer a guy with a little bit of a chucker streak in him than a passive big who waits for the ball. When you starve a blackhole, they either die or go an take the ball from someone and make their own offense. The Kings almost drafted Al Thorton last year and that guy is a mad chucker so I think Arthur’s shot selection might be something the Kings are looking for.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Jun 19, 2008 9:36 PM PDT up reply actions

NBA-ready

A player being

more NBA-ready right now!

doesn’t mean he’s a better pick.

"Rapport? You mean like, 'You run as fast as you can, and I'll throw it as far as I can'?"
-Jeff Kemp, 49ers quarterback, when asked about his rapport with wide receiver Jerry Rice

by Exhibit G on Jun 20, 2008 9:47 AM PDT up reply actions

Add on

Sorry, meant to have more in my initial response. Specifically, look at decisions like Dwight Howard vs Emeka Okafor. Okafor was much more NBA-ready at the time of the draft, but Howard was clearly a smart choice by Orlando. At the same time, drafting purely on potential isn’t the best way to go either. The examples of teams getting burned drafting based on potential are endless (see Seattle Supersonics; Centers).

I’m talking myself is circles here. I guess it really boils down to me not being sold on Arthur. But I’ve been wrong before (see Hawes, Spencer).

"Rapport? You mean like, 'You run as fast as you can, and I'll throw it as far as I can'?"
-Jeff Kemp, 49ers quarterback, when asked about his rapport with wide receiver Jerry Rice

by Exhibit G on Jun 20, 2008 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions

Arthur's like Dalton from Roadhouse

We thought he’d be…bigger.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jun 20, 2008 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes,

I just paraphrased from the movie “Roadhouse.” I will now go stand in the corner for five minutes.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Jun 20, 2008 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Too small?

I’m sure this has been brought up, but am I the only one anyone worried that Darrell Arthur is 6’7 1/2?

List of successful NBA Power Forwards under 6’ 8 />Elton Brand

by Carl on Jun 19, 2008 6:20 PM PDT reply actions

Too small

Hey isn’t Beasley around 6’7” to 6’8” (I know he has greater standing reach and wingspan then Arthur)? Darrell Arthur is 6-7½ w/o shoes, 6-8½ IN SHOES ( I don’t think you play barefoot), weight 216lbs, wingspan 6-10¾, standing reach 8-11, body fat 7.3

by deepnu666 on Jun 19, 2008 6:47 PM PDT reply actions

it's not just that Beasley is taller than Arthur...

it’s also that he’s about 20 pounds heavier and much, much stronger. Michael Beasley is a freakin’ bull when he gets near the paint. When it comes to the “power” part of the phrase “power forward”, Beasley’s got it covered.

By contrast, Darrell Arthur is skinny (even for a college player) and relies on finesse. IMO, he’s just not a three, deepnu.

"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)

by Mucho Moss on Jun 20, 2008 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions

I’d take any of the top 7 if there and be happy with it. So that hopefully speaks well for our situation…at least in my eyes.

by coachtheus on Jun 19, 2008 7:31 PM PDT reply actions

Arthur

His height isn’t much of a concern for me, his standing reach (which is decent for an NBA PF) and athleticism should make up for it.

What I don’t understand, though, is why we wouldn’t take Speights before him. Speights is by far the better rebounder and has ideal height and weight for a NBA PF. Don’t forget that he was also much more productive statistically than Arthur was, as well.

And any criticism you can make of Speights-low basketball IQ, too passive, inconsistent, etc.-can be made against Arthur as well.

by dmj on Jun 19, 2008 8:03 PM PDT reply actions

If I didn't misunderstand your point,

welcome to Sacramento, Joe Alexander.

I promise not to bitch as much as last year.

If I’m wrong, I’m sure Section will be around shortly to gently nudge me back on track.

The scab is off, the wound bleeds again.
-lietothegirls

by KK on Jun 19, 2008 9:29 PM PDT reply actions

I would love one franchise PG with 7+ assists in Sacramento more than any of those PF in the list but we all know that only Augustin and Westbrook are worthwhile. I just can’t see teams as the Clippers and Pacers not getting a PG unless they already have come to a trade agreement.

Let’s see this more realistically.

These are the teams that 100% won’t draft Augustin and Westbrook simply because of draft position: Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Minnesota.

These are the teams that can draft those two but they won’t because of need: Bobcats, Nets.
- Bobcats have Felton, Boykins.
- Nets have Harris, Marcus Williams (ah Douby… :( )

These are the teams with a small probability of drafting a PG: Knicks, Bucks.
-The Knicks already have Mountainous Marbury and Nate Robiinson and already have many things in their mind about their final roster (Curry, Randolph, Marbury potential trades).
-The Bucks have Mo Will and the surprising Sessions (plus Ivey). There have been some rumours going on about a Mo Will trade but I don’t think they’ll land a PG on draft day.

Now these two teams are most likely to draft a PG: Clippers and Pacers.
-Unless the Clippers have already agreed to trade Maggette for Calderon or Ford or (I’ve been hearing that for months)(or Udrih :P ), it would be totally incomprehensible not to draft a PG.
-I haven’t heard a PG-trade rumour for the Pacers and I don’t think any team would risk to take Tinsley. There’s a chance that JO will get traded but who knows what they’ll get in return. And a JO trade is not likely to happen on draft day. Big trades usually take time. So.. there goes our 2nd PG.

Now about the rest of the prospects…

Kevin Love and Gallinari will be gone. Love’s stock has gone up and he believes that he won’t fall under 6. He’s been doing some great workouts, I can see Memphis taking him.. The Italian will go to the Nets or Knicks. As simple as that. Lopez will also be gone by the time we draft and I’m glad about that. Probable destination: Bobcats.

This is the list of the players that I believe won’t be available for us:
Rose, Beasley, Mayo, Bayless, Love, Gordon, Lopez, Gallinari, Westbrook, Augustin. There go 10 picks.

We’re left with:

- Anthony Randolph
- Joe Alexander
- Darrell Arthur
- DeAndre Jordan
- Donte Greene
- Marreese Speights

If no miracles happen and Westbrook/Augustin are taken, my pick is: Anthony Randolph.. I don’t trust any of the rest..

by ZenBaller on Jun 19, 2008 9:52 PM PDT reply actions

of that group...

I’d be cool with (in order):

Randolph
Alexander

then waaaaayy down the list:

Speights

as for the other guys… is that deal with the Bulls for Joakim still a possibility?

"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)

by Mucho Moss on Jun 20, 2008 12:23 AM PDT up reply actions

In fact,

according to Draft Express Alexis Ajinca has been extremely impressive in workouts and could be rocketing up the charts by as many as 10 draft slots, which would be right in the Kings’ range.

http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/Jonathan-Givony/

I think I’d rather see the Kings roll the dice on Ajinca than either Speights or Arthur.

Ajinca is really intriguing; he has some of the sky-high potential scouts see in DeAndre Jordan in terms of athleticism and size (Ajinca has a 7’7 wingspan!). But in his favor, the French player has already delivered on some of that promise, developing a nice outside jump shot and a hook shot in International play, and is seemingly more tough, more focused, court-smart, and overall more motivated to get to the next level.

He’s been bulking up and in a year or so (he only just turned 20) Ajinca could be a seriously promising NBA power forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlcfmCclMtk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj1bHmIXtBQ

"When the going gets Weird, the Weird turn professional."
(Hunter Thompson)

by Mucho Moss on Jun 20, 2008 1:12 AM PDT reply actions

ajinca over arthur

i like ajinca, who, you’re right, has been playing pro ball and may well be more nba ready than a lot of other players with upside.

i’m not at all sold on arthur. the same draft express article says that arthur looks “out of shape” and appears not to be trying in workouts. that is a HUGE red flag. draft position directly correlates to dollars paid. if arthur can’t get himself motivated for the draft, then taking him at #12 is a risk. (on the flip side, when guys like this fall, sometimes the light bulb goes off.)

one other thing in favor of ajinca: the wolves think kevin love is a better prospect.
http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_9617436

Beware certitude.

by Reges on Jun 20, 2008 7:19 AM PDT up reply actions

Like your thinking

Ajinca seems a better pick the more I read about him.

Arthur really seems to have work ethic issues along with terrible passing ability, very average/below average scoring in college.

by Bitey on Jun 20, 2008 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions

Ajinca

He looks pretty smooth, and it looks like he has a nice mid-range to long-range catch and shoot game.

Did he work out for the Kings?

by coolcatreportdotcom on Jun 20, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions

I believe the Kings were present at the big Golden State workout last weekend, and Ajinca was there.

by Tom Ziller on Jun 20, 2008 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Fantastic work. This must have taken a ton of time.

The big thing for me this year: I don’t think I’d be disappointed with any of these names. Last year, I was nervous about Hawes. But I’m less nervous about my least favorite of these (Arthur, Greene).

by Tom Ziller on Jun 20, 2008 7:20 AM PDT reply actions

Arthur

Yep. That’s what we need. A too skinny PF with questionable hands or an athletic SF. Oh wait . . .

"Being loquacious and being right aren't necessarily always the same."
GP, the man, the myth, the legend, puts the smackdown on Reggie

by SavageBeast on Jun 20, 2008 8:07 AM PDT reply actions

Ajinca

Can either he or Hawes play PF? (maybe Hawes?) If not – I don’t know…. I do think we need to go athletic & big. I just don’t see any of the PGs falling to us that have a real chance. I like a couple of the 2nd rounders though. My favs would still be Randolph, Alexander. Ajinca is getting more exciting as I rad about him – I’m just not sure what we’d DO with him. I also think we should still try to make that TJ Ford/Salmons deal.

eternal skeptical optimist

by lietothegirls on Jun 20, 2008 10:48 AM PDT reply actions