Officially Waived: The Kai Jones Thread

[Liver_Pooty]

This may be short sited, but if we don't at least view him as the backup big this year, I would be open to moving him for a future pick.

For example, if we draft a center and use MLE on a center and Kai is an afterthought then I would be fine trading him.

I think he's more of a 4 than 5 anyway. Can play either.

[amcoolio]

Kai is a 4/5 Giannis hybrid. No sense trading him until we know what we have.

[JMAC3]

Kai is a 4/5 Giannis hybrid. No sense trading him until we know what we have.

What power forward plays like Kai in todays NBA?

Watch his highlights a few posts back, he is playing as a rim running 5. If we tried to play him at the 4 we would have no spacing.

Please never compare Kai to Giannis again, that is so far from ever happening lol.

[Liver_Pooty]

Kai is a 4/5 Giannis hybrid. No sense trading him until we know what we have.

What power forward plays like Kai in todays NBA?

Watch his highlights a few posts back, he is playing as a rim running 5. If we tried to play him at the 4 we would have no spacing.

Please never compare Kai to Giannis again, that is so far from ever happening lol.

He can play the 4. I dont see him being specifically a center. He played next to Sims at Texas occasionally. His shot is improving.

That being said I think he'll be mostly at the 5

[JMAC3]

Kai is a 4/5 Giannis hybrid. No sense trading him until we know what we have.

What power forward plays like Kai in todays NBA?

Watch his highlights a few posts back, he is playing as a rim running 5. If we tried to play him at the 4 we would have no spacing.

Please never compare Kai to Giannis again, that is so far from ever happening lol.

He can play the 4. I dont see him being specifically a center. He played next to Sims at Texas occasionally. His shot is improving.

That being said I think he'll be mostly at the 5

I think it would be better for us to just build the team with him in mind to play Center, no point wasting time trying to play him at 4 like Hornets tried to do over and over again with Zeller, Biz and Kaminsky. Who all should of been playing Center from the get go.

[BigSlam]

Kai is a 4/5 Giannis hybrid. No sense trading him until we know what we have.

What power forward plays like Kai in todays NBA?

Watch his highlights a few posts back, he is playing as a rim running 5. If we tried to play him at the 4 we would have no spacing.

Please never compare Kai to Giannis again, that is so far from ever happening lol.

He can play the 4. I dont see him being specifically a center. He played next to Sims at Texas occasionally. His shot is improving.

That being said I think he'll be mostly at the 5

With this lateral quickness and recovery ability it might be a waste to play him at the 5 primarily.

At the 4 he can guard mobile 4’s out to the 3pt line.

On offence he’s a rim runner and makes his living in the dunkers spot, but he also has shown a nice outside shooting game as well.

I agree with you, his impact at the 4 would be awesome in both directions.

[amcoolio]

Kai is a 4/5 Giannis hybrid. No sense trading him until we know what we have.

What power forward plays like Kai in todays NBA?

Watch his highlights a few posts back, he is playing as a rim running 5. If we tried to play him at the 4 we would have no spacing.

Please never compare Kai to Giannis again, that is so far from ever happening lol.

Kai may not be Giannis, but he's definitely trying to emulate him, so its a valid comparison. Extremely poor man's Giannis (right now)

Giannis plays both the 4 and 5 depending on matchup. Nobody would call Giannis a center like Jokic or Embiid or Ayton

[JDR720]

I don't think there is much of a difference between centers and PF's these days. The best centers and the best PF's are largely interchangeable. Except for the defensive specialist centers like Gobert or Williams.

Kai's skillset isn't that of a defensive specialist. He'll be an offensive focused PF/C. If he can improve his shot and dribble he can play play SF at times too. He is very athletic.

[JMAC3]

I don't think there is much of a difference between centers and PF's these days. The best centers and the best PF's are largely interchangeable. Except for the defensive specialist centers like Gobert or Williams.

Kai's skillset isn't that of a defensive specialist. He'll be an offensive focused PF/C. If he can improve his shot and dribble he can play play SF at times too. He is very athletic.

Why stop there? Hell if he can play the 3, maybe he can play the 2 as well.

[yosemiteben]

We get it, you think he can only play the 5.

[JMAC3]

We get it, you think he can only play the 5.

Just trying to be realistic. He has played over 6 mins in an NBA game 1 time, don't think we need to be pretending he is all of sudden ready to play a position he has never played let alone start trying to make comparisons to the best player in the league and a guy who is a unicorn.

I don't want to be the fan base trying to sell Malachi Flynn as the next Damian Lillard or Mitchell Robinson as prime Dwight Howard.

[Diop]

I’m hoping he can get some back up minutes at the 4/5. He’s putting in the work

[yosemiteben]

We get it, you think he can only play the 5.

Just trying to be realistic. He has played over 6 mins in an NBA game 1 time, don't think we need to be pretending he is all of sudden ready to play a position he has never played let alone start trying to make comparisons to the best player in the league and a guy who is a unicorn.

I don't want to be the fan base trying to sell Malachi Flynn as the next Damian Lillard or Mitchell Robinson as prime Dwight Howard.

People are going to think whatever they think regardless of how many times you repeat your opinion.

Kai is unknown - he is super young and literally no one knows what he is or can be. I get you want to pump the brakes, but again we all know your opinion now.

[Liver_Pooty]

https://youtube.com/shorts/vXJjvxWE0qo?feature=share

Kai working on his dribbling. Couldn't get the video to pop up on here.

[Hornet Mania]

I’m hoping he can get some back up minutes at the 4/5. He’s putting in the work

That's what makes me most excited. The physical tools are intriguing, but by all accounts the work ethic is just as impressive. If there is potential to be found Kai and the training staff will find it with that type of effort.

[LofJ]

If you watch his game tape it's obvious that Kai has the skills to play the 4 full-time. He's a true 4/5 hybrid, and imo the best talent on the roster after LaMelo.

[JDR720]

I like that he is in the gym instead of going on a vacation or something.

He definitely has a good work ethic, hopefully he can put it all together.

[fatlever]

Read on Twitter

?t=KLCk4O-oqmnYVprdmCe6jQ&s=19

Bit of a funky release, but if he can keep it going in, whatever. But as we all know with this franchise, practice threes mean nothing. Need to start seeing this in summer league and preseason before I get excited.

Sent from my SM-G973U using RealGM Forums mobile app

[Liver_Pooty]

Read on Twitter

?t=KLCk4O-oqmnYVprdmCe6jQ&s=19

Bit of a funky release, but if he can keep it going in, whatever. But as we all know with this franchise, practice threes mean nothing. Need to start seeing this in summer league and preseason before I get excited.

Sent from my SM-G973U using RealGM Forums mobile app

Yeah, I'll never forget a video of Zeller looking like prime Dirk in a Kings pre-draft workout.

And he of course went onto make maybe 10 threes for his career.

[amcoolio]

Thats a quick release, much quicker than I remember

Just needs to calm down a bit in a real NBA game, was Darnold jittery in summer league last year