Acceptance: Dealing with the Kings NBA Draft Noise

I don’t know who the Sacramento Kings will pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. I don’t think any reporters know either. Honestly I’m not sure the Kings know who they’re picking yet. And that’s fine. These decisions are often made a few days before, once teams have had time to gather all possible information, discuss every possibility ad nauseum, and finally make their decision.

I know who I want the Kings to pick. I’m still firmly in the Luka Doncic camp. We know the Kings are considering Luka along with Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III.

I want the Kings to take Doncic, and I’ll be thrilled if he’s the choice. But I’m done worrying about the choice. With just a few days left, there’s nothing left to do but wait and see.

If the Kings choose Porter or Bagley, I’ll have a moment of disappointment. But I’ll immediately be hoping to be proven wrong. I’m wrong about draft prospects all the time. So are NBA teams. The draft is a huge guessing game. Teams try to make their guess based on as much information as possible, but no matter which player is chosen we’ll then shift our eyes to watching and seeing how the pick works out.

No matter which player the Kings choose, they’ll be adding talent to a roster than needs more talent. I can talk myself into Michael Porter Jr. His health is a big and risky assumption, but if he’s healthy he’s a potential superstar. A number one scoring and shooting option on a team that needs it. A physical profile custom-made for the modern NBA. He needs to get better at defense, but most rookies do. I can talk myself into him pretty quickly.

I can also talk myself into Bagley. An explosive athlete with an incredible motor. A guy who rebounds like the ball is his falling child. A guy who dunks like the rim owes him money. He would be fun as hell to root for. And just like Porter, I can look past his defensive issues and hope he improves. He certainly has the work ethic and the physical abilities to be a good defender.

I won’t need to talk myself into Doncic. The most accomplished European prospect ever, a man who isn’t working out because he’s busy winning championships and accolades in the second best league in the world. His passing would be a joy, his passion and fire a welcome addition on the wing.

My arguments for or against these players are within the context of the number two pick. Ultimately that’s how the Kings should be evaluated as well. But any of them should raise the talent level of the team, and that’s worth getting excited about.

We’ll have plenty of time to evaluate whether or not the Kings made the right pick. For now, I’m just ready to find out who I’ll be talking myself into. Bring on the draft.