Officially Waived: The Kai Jones Thread

[MPM]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

[LofJ]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

The Hinkie Sixers were pretty notorious for redshirting players that were 'injured'. The development league has also only recently become a thing for a big chunk of the league as well.

[MPM]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

The Hinkie Sixers were pretty notorious for redshirting players that were 'injured'. The development league has also only recently become a thing for a big chunk of the league as well.

Maybe we're witnessing the latter with team-specific G-league squads - more of a baseball-type of bring 'em up through the minors approach. 'Cause even a wildly raw 19-year-old Giannis saw 25mpg his rookie year - perhaps the times they are a changin'.

[HornetJail]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

Spurs come to mind. Derrick White and Dejounte Murray played only garbage minutes their rookie seasons.

Considering that's where Borrego came from, I trusted JB with the development of young players, and didn't have a big issue with him redshirting either 1st round rookie this year.

[LofJ]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

The Hinkie Sixers were pretty notorious for redshirting players that were 'injured'. The development league has also only recently become a thing for a big chunk of the league as well.

Maybe we're witnessing the latter with team-specific G-league squads - more of a baseball-type of bring 'em up through the minors approach. 'Cause even a wildly raw 19-year-old Giannis saw 25mpg his rookie year - perhaps the times they are a changin'.

Guys are about to be entering the league when they're 18 again. The development league is going to be pretty crucial to prepare new talent to make it on the big stage.

We've been using it to focus on specific guys, I hope in the years ahead we get a bit more serious and start developing players to succeed as a team. So in other words real point guard play, sharing the ball, communicating on defense, and holding each other accountable. If you suck as a team player in the g league chances are pretty good you'll suck even more in the big league.

[BigSlam]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

Looking at last years 1st round, a lot of layers didn’t play a lot or especially feature on their teams.

Ones that spring to mind:
Kuminga
Williams
Bouknight
Primo
Moody
Kispert
Şengün
Murphy
Mann
Kai
Jackson
Garuba

I do think the times are changing and teams aren’t rushing their draft picks along (top 5 or so picks excluded).

[fatlever]

i think i remember seeing a stat that bouk and kai were #1 and 2 in least mins played among top 20 picks... or something close to that

[fatlever]

Curious - are there examples of a players like Kai who've been drafted in the first round and, although healthy, been relegated almost entirely to development their rookie year, after which they excel in the league in the years following? I'm a big fan of Kai's potential, so not a knock - just no other player comes immediately to mind.

Looking at last years 1st round, a lot of layers didn’t play a lot or especially feature on their teams.

Ones that spring to mind:
Kuminga
Williams
Bouknight
Primo
Moody
Kispert
Şengün
Murphy
Mann
Kai
Jackson
Garuba

I do think the times are changing and teams aren’t rushing their draft picks along (top 5 or so picks excluded).

kispert was 9th in mins played for rooks, sengun 12th. not sure they should be on this list. mann 14th

for reference
bouk 54th
kai 82nd

[fatlever]

kispert played 1800+, 23mpg in 77 gms. thats a lot for a rookie. but he was older, so it was expected.

[Benjamin Linus]

Rookie MPG by draft order

1. Cade - 32.6
2. Green - 31.9
3. Mobley - 33.8
4. Barnes - 35.4
5. Suggs - 27.2
6. Giddey - 31.5
7. Kuminga - 16.9
8. Wagner - 30.7
9. Mitchell - 27.7
10. Ziaire - 21.7
11. Bouknight - 9.8
12. Primo - 19.3
13. Duarte - 28.0
14. Moody - 11.7
15. Kispert - 23.4
16. Sengun - 20.7
17. Murphy - 13.9
18. Mann - 22.8
19. Kai - 3.0
20. Johnson - 5.5

I can see why Bouk was so upset about playing time. I mean I get Kai not playing but that's crazy low minutes for an 11th pick compared to the rest of the class

[LofJ]

Borrego was just fired and Kupchak specifically called him out for not playing Bouknight/Kai as much as he would have preferred, which was pretty unusual for him.

[MasterIchiro]

Bouknight is off Moody by only 2 minutes but Warriors are currently hosting the NBA Finals with home court advantage. They've been a far more serious team than the Hornets all season. I'm surprised JB coached for his job and not for development.

[yosemiteben]

I'm surprised JB coached for his job and not for development.

Ditto. This was a weird season.

[BigSlam]

Rookie MPG by draft order…

This is great info - thanks for compiling it (I’m on my phone and it’s a pain in the arse to look up those numbers).

I do wonder what the splits of those mins per player are. Feels like a lot of those mins might have been accumulated towards the end of the season and as a result of either teams seasons being shot or because of injuries.

Not saying you should look that up, just wondering out loud.

I also wonder how many mins those players played including the G League. Eg: G League playing time + NBA playing time = how much actual games laying time they got for the season.

I value playing time over fewer mins in the NBA for a developing player.

[JMAC3]

Bouknight only played in 7 G-league games as opposed to 24 G-league games for Kai.

I want to believe in both of these guys, but feels like we are basically going to have 4 rookies this season when you consider 13,15, Bouk and Kai all pretty much have played same NBA mins.

My hope for Kai is that he proves he can play 15 mpg as the backup center this season. Bouknight really will depend on what we do with Martin/draft picks, not sure how many minutes will be available for him.

[SWedd523]

I thought we all understood that when Kai was drafted, he was "a year away from being a year away". Why are we disappointed when he played limited minutes? By all accounts, he actually appears to be ahead of schedule so whatever they were doing with him seems to be working.

[HornetJail]

I thought we all understood that when Kai was drafted, he was "a year away from being a year away". Why are we disappointed when he played limited minutes? By all accounts, he actually appears to be ahead of schedule so whatever they were doing with him seems to be working.

the only disappointment should be directed at Mason Plumlee's garbage ass and/or Borrego for continuing to play him once he was a lost cause and/or Mitch Kupchak's refusal to get a better starter.

[Diop]

I thought we all understood that when Kai was drafted, he was "a year away from being a year away". Why are we disappointed when he played limited minutes? By all accounts, he actually appears to be ahead of schedule so whatever they were doing with him seems to be working.

the only disappointment should be directed at Mason Plumlee's garbage ass and/or Borrego for continuing to play him once he was a lost cause and/or Mitch Kupchak's refusal to get a better starter.

Plumlee was still our best centre last year, can’t blame Borrego for playing him

[yosemiteben]

Update - Kai no longer capable of missing shots

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[Liver_Pooty]

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