Official 2008 Draft Night Thread...the future is now.

[SacKingZZZ]

Well more importantly he is a 3/4 hybrid that is a full 6'10"+ with immense shotblocking ability. He really isn't all that different physically from a guy like Chris Bosh. But man, 197 pounds is SKINNY for a near 7 footer!!! At worst he is an AK47 type skill wise. That ain't bad at all.

[SacKingZZZ]

The Mario Chalmers thing is quite strange, Ford also says that Arthur is a "Jamison clone". Uh! I think not!!!! Still the more I think about it, I really like Chalmers and don't know if I would be all that disappointed if we chose him even as high as 12. Still, not my first choice by any stretch.

[Ballings7]

I love Chalmers, but I'd be quite surprised if we took him at 12. That seems too high.

Don't see that happening.

Arthur or Randolph? Randolph is intriguing for sure, but has significant questionability - definitely Arthur.

[deNIEd]

The Mario Chalmers thing is quite strange, Ford also says that Arthur is a "Jamison clone". Uh! I think not!!!! Still the more I think about it, I really like Chalmers and don't know if I would be all that disappointed if we chose him even as high as 12. Still, not my first choice by any stretch.

See, this statement confuses me.

Like I've said before.

Gordon, Westbrook, Lopez, Augustin, Alexander, Gallinari, Randolph

One of those players will be available, simply by math.

And

Arthur, Hibbert, Greene, Speights, McGee, Jordan, will all most likely be available.

There is no reason for us to draft a player that isn't our first choice (with moderate assumptions of course, meaning, Rose being the 1st choice doesn't really count, etc.)

[SacKingZZZ]

Hibbert has a second trip to Sac planned. There is some very big truth to our interest, I wouldn't be surprised at all at this point if we select him. But....I would think Petrie is thinking about getting another pick instead, maybe even trading down if need be. Hibbert even doubts he'll go as high as 12:

Even Hibbert himself doesn't seem to believe he'll be a lottery pick — which is why the second trip to Sacramento admittedly has him a bit baffled.

"Maybe (the Kings) can't find anybody else to work out against some of the (other) guys they're looking at," he joked

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,51 ... 90,00.html

[KF10]

Hibbert has a second trip to Sac planned. There is some very big truth to our interest, I wouldn't be surprised at all at this point if we select him. But....I would think Petrie is thinking about getting another pick instead, maybe even trading down if need be. Hibbert even doubts he'll go as high as 12:

Even Hibbert himself doesn't seem to believe he'll be a lottery pick — which is why the second trip to Sacramento admittedly has him a bit baffled.

"Maybe (the Kings) can't find anybody else to work out against some of the (other) guys they're looking at," he joked

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,51 ... 90,00.html

All hands points to Arthur at this point IMO but I have a feeling that Petrie will pick an UNEXPECTED player. I don't know but I have a feeling. Like a player that shouldn't be picked that high. But knowing our situation, Arthur would be ideal.

Yeah, I think Hibbert is THAT unexpected player that we will pick if Petrie still showed interest in him.

[Ballings7]

Hibbert shouldn't be our #12 pick.

I still dig the guy's game a lot individually, but being the guy next to Hawes doesn't work. Unless Petrie and Theus have a plan to tweak that where there's more mobility in the starting line-up at some point(s).

Offense is going to be there.

We'd be very big, effective rebounding but the question is how much, and we'll be at a disadvantage like, every night defensively, which involves a lot of movement more than less movement. Obviously, defending right around the basket would be notable because of the size. But because of the former, Hibbert/Hawes is too flawed of a front-court to go with, because of the various motions involved in defense, and the lack of mobility from Hibbert and Hawes.

Our transition defense would not be close to respectable.

Our front-court overall agility would be pretty poor for the short and long-term, even if Shelden comes back lighter (which he should). Brad/Hawes/Hibbert/Shelden/Moore... c'mon now...

And I don't believe, at all, in trading away the #12 pick, nor do I think that will actually happen. Especially if it'd result in drafting Hibbert or Speights.... sheesh.

[KF10]

Agreed Ballings. I do like Hibbert but he is not ideal for Hawes in terms of general compatibility. We would have good/great post presence but we would get torched in th full court. i.e. giving up easy points opportunities and etc...

If Petrie selects Hibbert, he better has a plan that makes this team ideal to their shortcomings and maximizing their strengths. But again, "In Petrie I Trust".

[Ballings7]

We would have good/great post presence but we would get torched in th full court. i.e. giving up easy points opportunities and etc...

Not only that, but defending off the dribble in the half-court, defending the pick and roll (which involves getting back to the big man), and probably being too spotty in rotating to help in various ways on drive attempts initiating around the outside of the key.

We just wouldn't have enough mobility up front to match-up defensively in general, not now, not ever. Changes would have to be made.

I don't think we should go too much or force ourselves to go too much with Ron at the 4, because we continue to be lacking big men that are reliable, fitting, and significant defensively. I'd really question, what the heck we are doing with our PF/C situation, because unless team people are just ignorant to what is relatively required defensively up front, there would have to be future adjustments, being only a matter of time for those. Offensively, I know what would we be doing, and that's fine, but there's another side of the floor.

Only way Hibbert will fit with us is if he's a back-up and somebody's moved (which I would definitely like a lot), or we adjust the line-up at times, and Hibbert doesn't finish the games (would have to see the specifics there).

I just don't see us drafting Hibbert at #12, or trading the pick and moving down to draft him (or Speights). Why not go with better scenarios that are available?

[SactownHrtBrks8]

Randolph won't work out for the Kings so stratch that bum even if he drops

[KF10]

We would have good/great post presence but we would get torched in th full court. i.e. giving up easy points opportunities and etc...

Not only that, but defending off the dribble in the half-court, defending the pick and roll (which involves getting back to the big man), and probably being too spotty in rotating to help in various ways on drive attempts initiating around the outside of the key.

We just wouldn't have enough mobility up front to match-up defensively in general, not now, not ever. Changes would have to be made.

I don't think we should go too much or force ourselves to go too much with Ron at the 4, because we continue to be lacking big men that are reliable, fitting, and significant defensively. I'd really question, what the heck we are doing with our PF/C situation, because unless team people are just ignorant to what is relatively required defensively up front, there would have to be future adjustments, being only a matter of time for those. Offensively, I know what would we be doing, and that's fine, but there's another side of the floor.

Only way Hibbert will fit with us is if he's a back-up and somebody's moved (which I would definitely like a lot), or we adjust the line-up at times, and Hibbert doesn't finish the games (would have to see the specifics there).

I just don't see us drafting Hibbert at #12, or trading the pick and moving down to draft him (or Speights). Why not go with better scenarios that are available?

Yeah, agreed Ballings. Their shortcomings are obvious. It will create such inbalance in the team's style of the aspect of general defense. We have to be a half court defensive-minded team to an extent that offense comes by a defense play. A block, steal, key turnover, and etc to initiate an effective offense. Playing smart basketball without significant defense limitations.

[VeeJay24]

Something is going on............I wouldn't be surprised if Petrie trades down. And how about this name Alexis Ajinca

I would like Randolph but up to this point he hasn't worked out for the Kings. Can't really see Petrie going there.

My ideal situation would be Gordon dropping all the way down to us. Then, Petrie making a deal to get back in the 1st to grab someone like Jason Thomas, Javale McGee, or Ajinca.

[pillwenney]

Well more importantly he is a 3/4 hybrid that is a full 6'10"+ with immense shotblocking ability. He really isn't all that different physically from a guy like Chris Bosh. But man, 197 pounds is SKINNY for a near 7 footer!!! At worst he is an AK47 type skill wise. That ain't bad at all.

I think body-wise, AK is the best comparison. And the thing about Bosh is that he'll still never be a solid post defender, and he was bigger coming into the league than Randolph is!

[Ballings7]

I like Ajinca and am intrigued by him, but we haven't seen him/worked him out.

And the thing about Bosh is that he'll still never be a solid post defender, and he was bigger coming into the league than Randolph is!

Good point.

-Darrell Arthur is back on the road, fresh off hiring Dallas-based agent Jerry Hicks. Arthur may or may not have had a hamstring or back injury depending on whom you ask, and seems to be back in contention for picks 12-18. He had a terrific workout in Indiana, but does not appear to be in the picture there unless both D.J. Augustin and Russell Westbrook are off the board, which is a possibility. Arthur will be in the Green Room on draft night.

-Anthony Randolph has strangely decided to work out for a number of teams that seemingly have little chance at drafting him (Portland, Indiana) while refusing to visit teams that very well could—such as Sacramento. Randolph’s workouts continue to underwhelm many onlookers, to the point that it has clearly affected his confidence. On the positive side, his dislocated shoulder does not appear to be a short-term or long-term issue, according to teams that have studied his physical in-depth.

I didn't know if we'll draft Randolph before (his questions, other players, and quite possibly going earlier)... now? I doubt it.

-Walter Sharpe may be a surprising name called on draft night, after conducting strong workouts with teams like Cleveland, Denver, New Jersey, Washington and Charlotte, and showing surprisingly well there. Sharpe, a very highly touted member of the 2004 high school class, only played in 12 games this season before being ruled academically ineligible at UAB. He was later diagnosed with Narcolepsy (a sleeping disorder), but has numerous other red flags on his resume, including being kicked out of Mississippi State for breaking team rules, being shot in the stomach, and then later being arrested for disorderly conduct—all separate incidents.

Some team may regardless decide to take a chance on Sharpe due to his terrific combination of size, athleticism and skill playing both inside and out. One NBA Assistant General Manager told DraftExpress that he thinks Sharpe is a first round caliber talent who may not get to the middle of the second round due to the increasing buzz around him. He still has workouts to conduct with Utah, Detroit and the LA Lakers.

Interesting, could be a player to look out for, in general.

-As New Orleans Hornets blog Hornets247 reports, New Orleans has been conducting very few workouts with first round caliber players, leading some to suspect that some kind of trade may be in place. Representatives of more than one team told DraftExpress that they believe the Hornets actually promised Mario Chalmers that he will not get past them at 27, leading him to decide to keep his name in the draft and hire an agent. The problem is that Chalmers very well may not be there at 27, as he is reportedly getting heavy looks from teams like Phoenix at 15, Cleveland at 19, and especially Denver at 20. Chalmers continues to work out in the meantime for teams such as Portland and Indiana.

I think the Hornets will probably ome up short with Chalmers...

-Russell Westbrook’s reported “promise” (according to one internet rumor) ended up being a whole bunch of hot air it turns out. After initially telling teams such as Milwaukee, Indiana and Phoenix that he is shutting down workouts, Westbrook traveled to Charlotte this weekend to work out for the Bobcats. Westbrook has suffered a number of minor ankle injuries that forced him to rest and reevaluate his situation and the teams he would like to be picked by, but with his stock being as high as it is at the moment, that’s really of little consequence. Westbrook was frustrated by the fact that he could not get any of the more highly touted guards ranked ahead of him—O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless or Eric Gordon—to work out against him, as they saw little to gain and were too concerned about hurting their own stock. Bayless would not work out with Eric Gordon either yesterday in Minnesota reportedly. It’s interesting to note that ex-UCLA head coach Larry Brown finally got his wishes of seeing Westbrook in person, after making a fairly large stink about agents trying to control the draft process. He reportedly is in love with Westbrook (and Kevin Love) and this appears to be the furthest he’ll fall.

Clippers or Bobcats, I'd say for Westbrook.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Wor ... g-Up-2940/

[Ballings7]

Players we've worked out/seen:

Joe Alexander
Darrell Arthur
DJ Augustin
Nicolas Batum
Aaron Bruce (Baylor SG)
Pat Calathes (St. Josephs, big foward)
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Dion Dowell (SG, Houston)
Gary Forbes (SG, UMass)
JR Giddens (SG, New Mexico)
Roy Hibbert
JJ Hickson (NC State freshman PF)
Othello Hunter (Ohio State PF)
Nathan Jawai (Aussie center)
Courtney Lee (Western Kentucky SG)
DeMarcus Nelson
Trent Plaisted (BYU center)
Brandon Rush
Bill Walker
Russell Westbrook

http://realgm.com/src_feature_article/1 ... kout_list/

To add to that..

Mike Green (Butler PG)
Malik Hairston (Oregon SG)
Roy Hibbert
Kosta Koufos (Ohio St. C)
JaVale McGee
Sean Singletary (Virginia PG)
Deron Washington (Virginia Tech SF)
Reggie Williams (Virginia Military Institute foward)

http://www.realgm.com/src_feature_artic ... t_(updated)/

[chriswebb86]

Chad Ford was on ESPN Raido last night and said that Aruther has not been promised by the Kings that they will take him. The reason for stoping his workouts for a period of time was due to a back injury. Not sure if you guys had heard that yet.


The more I keep reading, I really hope we go after Alexander if he is there. It think he is one of the few players at 12 that has the potential to be a star in this league.

[Ballings7]

Well if that's true, it still doesn't mean Arthur's not a good possibility and good fit and pick for us.

And, I don't think Alexander has star potential until he defines he can start at SF in this league. I can't say or sway to that yet.

I'm not getting my expectations that much up for Alexander to be there at #12 because of the Bucks situation.

Andy Katz said yesterday on a draft special he thinks the Bucks will take Alexander. Also said Gallinari goes to the Knicks or Nets (or somebody did on there).

[Ballings7]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=21238

Joe Alexander chat at 12:20/3:20 (two minutes)

Andy Katz chat follows at 12:45/3:45 - http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=21237

Mike (NYC): Where do you think you had your best workout?

Joe Alexander: (3:29 PM ET ) My best workout was in Sacramento. My legs felt great. And I shot the ball well from mid range.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris (Parkersburg, WV): Joe, alot of projections have you going #8 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Is there any team that you would love to play for?

Joe Alexander: (3:30 PM ET ) Since I didn't grow up watching the NBA, I don't have any strong allegiances. So, really it just comes down to I want to go to a winning team and a team where I can play right away.

John (Fairmont, WV): Joe, what are some of the things that coaches have told you to work on in your workouts?

Joe Alexander: They want me to consistently elevate on my jumpshot. And consistently not elevate on my NBA 3.

Dave (Morgantown): What number do you plan on wearing in the NBA? Is there a reason you chose #11 at WVU?

Joe Alexander: I chose 11 because it was a number I wore in middle school. I'm going to wear 11 if I can. If not, I have some serious thinking to do about whether I really want to play in this league.

What a head-case!

Steiny (NYC): Were have scouts said you are going to be drafted?

Joe Alexander: Anywhere from 6 to 15.

[RIPskaterdude]

Pick No. 12: Sacramento Kings

Chad Ford selects: Mario Chalmers, Kansas

The Kings have nothing at point guard. Beno Udrih will convince some unsuspecting GM to offer him a full midlevel deal at five years and $35 million. GM Geoff Petrie will wisely let him go.

I've never been a fan of tiny point guards, but everytime I watch Augustin, I see some Steve Nash there. He's great at keeping his dribble going until he finds the open man, he shoots it well and he's got a huge heart. But he also gets worked on the defensive end of the ball, and that scares me.

For the last week I've been trying to talk myself into putting Mario Chalmers ahead of Augustin. He's bigger, he's clutch, he's a better defender. He doesn't have crazy floor vision, but he's just plain good.

I think I'm finally there: Mario over D.J.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simmons: Here's what worries me about this pick -- if Chalmers missed The Shot in the Kansas-Memphis game, would he even be going in the top 25? You could argue that, since he made The Shot, that proved that he's clutch. (A fair argument.) I'm just playing devil's advocate. I liked Chalmers in college, but at no point did I ever think to myself, "That guy is a lottery pick." This seems high to me for a career backup.

If I were running the Kings, I'd go with Roy Hibbert here over forcing a point guard pick. You could do worse than a Hibbert/Hawes center combo. You really could. Worst-case scenario -- repeat: worst-case scenario -- he's a valuable backup center at a cheap price for the next five years. Best-case scenario, he can evolve into a starting center who blocks shots and anchors your defense (like Kendrick Perkins with a 15-footer). He's the most undervalued guy in a draft where nearly everyone is properly valued. Also, I can never turn down a guy named "Roy." Have you ever met a Roy who wasn't absolutely fantastic? For instance, my Dad's best friend is named Roy -- Roy Anderson, a legendary lawyer in Springfield, Massachusetts, who should absolutely have his own reality show. You cannot go wrong with Roys. Again, I would take him here if I were the Kings.

Ford: Yeah, that's what I mean by talking myself into the pick. I'm not sure anyone left on the board qualifies as a lottery pick here. The upside guys all look like potential busts. The veterans all have limitations.

Hibbert is a guy Sacramento really likes, by the way. But I wish they'd ban all big guys who can't run the floor. The NBA would be a much better league if they had a minimum speed score on the full court sprint for all eligible draftees.

[Ballings7]

Doesn't change my mind on either the Chalmers or Hibbert stuff, at #12 (or maybe trading away #12 to trade down and take Hibbert).