Who the Sacramento Kings Should Target in 2015 NBA Draft
As they have for each of the last six years, the Sacramento Kings will have a first-round draft pick that falls within the top 10 selections.
With their 29-53 record, the Kings finished the season with the sixth-worst winning percentage. As such, the worst selection Sacramento can get via the draft lottery is the ninth pick. That's good news because the Kings' pick is top-10 protected. If it fell outside of the top 10, they would owe it to the Bulls.
Furthermore, the Kings have had bad luck in the lottery every year since 2009, when they had the worst record and ended up with the No. 4 pick. In each subsequent season, they've ended up with a pick either equal to or worse than their standing.
Barring some good luck, Sacramento figures to be picking somewhere between the fourth and eighth selection. Considering the team doesn't have a second-round pick, that narrows things down on players they should seriously consider. More than likely their selection will fall between No. 4 and No. 8.
D'Angelo Russell, Point Guard, Ohio State
D'Angelo Russel recently declared for the draft, and selecting him would be the ideal scenario for the Kings. However, they'll need some luck on their side to get that chance. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranks Russell as the third-best player in the draft, while ESPN's Chad Ford and Draft Express both have him fourth on their respective boards.
Russell has everything a team could want from its point guard. At 6'5", 176 pounds, he's got tremendous size for the position. But he's got the coordination and quickness of a smaller player, allowing him to use that size to his advantage without getting exposed.
He showed the ability to create for himself as a freshman at Ohio State, averaging 19.3 points on 44.9 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range. As Wasserman points out, he did it in a variety of ways too:
"Russell's one-on-one game is highly advanced. Step-backs, stop-and-pops, floaters, post-ups, nifty drives—he can create his own shot from every angle on the floor."
But he's not just a one-trick pony. Russell gets his teammates involved as well. He averaged 5.0 assists and had a 30.1 assist percentage.
He'd be a good fit on the Kings for a few reasons.
For one, he wouldn't need to shoulder too much of a load right out of the gates. As he showed last season, Darren Collison is more than capable of being an effective starting point guard. Plus, with only one year of college experience, Russell could use the time to develop at his own pace instead of going through baptism by fire.
He would also provide the Kings the long-term solution they've been looking for at point guard. Collison is only signed for two more seasons, while Ray McCallum looks more like a solid backup. Not to mention Andre Miller, who is a free agent, and at 39 years old, can't be looked at as anything more than a year-to-year proposition, assuming he returns.
Of course, during the team's last broadcast of the season, color commentator and former front office executive Jerry Reynolds also said Russell is his favorite prospect in the draft.
Justise Winslow, Small Forward, Duke
The Kings already have Rudy Gay on the roster. However, Gay started playing the 4 more often under head coach George Karl, which would open up a spot for Winslow at the 3.
Winslow would be a good fit for the Kings because of his ability to defend the wing. Ford compares his defensive ability to that of Kawhi Leonard or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who are both excellent defenders in the NBA.
The small forward also showed promise on the offensive end. In the NCAA tournament, he showed more than enough ball-handling and quickness to create a shot for himself, scoring 19 points against Michigan State in the Final Four and 11 against Wisconsin in the championship game. Winslow also knocked down 41.8 percent of his three-pointers throughout the season, showing the ability to stretch the floor a bit.
The concern with Winslow is that he may not be big enough to be an effective small forward in the NBA. His 6'10" wingspan and 222-pound frame are promising, but his 6'6" height is a bit troublesome. But Karl's philosophy values quickness and versatility, which would bode well for Winston.
He's also a realistic target for the Kings if they end up getting their pick in the No. 6 range.
Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Kentucky
The downside with drafting Cauley-Stein is that his position, center, is manned by the Kings' best player in DeMarcus Cousins. But there's enough upside with Cauley-Stein to make that a moot point.
Most importantly, Cauley-Stein is an impact defender. His ability to protect the rim is unquestioned, as he pairs his 7'0", 240-pound frame with the production of at least 2.1 blocks per game over his last two seasons at Kentucky.
But Cauley-Stein isn't just a plodding big man who only stands in the paint. Despite that immense size, he's got the mobility to defend all three frontcourt positions. He showed some of that against Wisconsin in the Final Four, when he would defend either center Frank Kaminsky or forward Sam Dekker.
That defensive versatility is what makes Cauley-Stein a good option even with Cousins on the roster. As skilled as Cousins is, he's best defending centers near the basket. Cauley-Stein could play next to DMC and guard either the power forward or small forward without overlapping.
Given the strides Cousins has made on defense over the last two seasons, the Kings could have two good defenders playing in the frontcourt at the same time. That's something the team has lacked for a while.
Stanley Johnson, Small Forward, Arizona
Johnson's main value to the Kings is the same as Cauley-Stein's: defense. Not only are both good defenders for their position, but they also can guard multiple spots on the floor.
At 6'7", 237 pounds, Johnson can cover anything from a shooting guard to a power forward. That's because despite his somewhat short stature, Johnson's wingspan is 6'11", and his large 237-pound frame is more than adequate to match up with power forwards.
As Wasserman points out, Johnson also has some offensive ability to go with his defensive versatility:
"Johnson hit a respectable 37.1 percent of his threes and a terrific 49 percent of his pull-up jumpers in the half court, per DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony. While we saw he can stretch the floor as a shooter, Johnson's ability to put the ball on the floor and knock down shots in the mid-range is a highly valued NBA skill.
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Since he's projected to go a bit later in the draft than Russell, Winslow or Cauley-Stein, Johnson isn't the best player of the three. But if the Kings end up with bad luck in the draft lottery once again, there could be worse things than drafting Johnson.
Who They Should Target
For the record, I think the Kings would be best off trading their draft pick for an established player. They could either do that by trading the selection or packaging the pick with another player or two to get a better return.
With the goal being making the playoffs next season, adding an established player would get them closer to that destination.
But assuming they're going to keep their pick, Russell is the best option.
He's got the most long-term upside of the players listed. Unlike some of the other guys, he would also be in a situation where he could develop at his own pace without hindering the team too much. Yet Russell also plays a position where it's easy to see him becoming the starter a couple of years down the line.
If the Kings were to draft Cauley-Stein, Winslow or Johnson, the road to a starting spot could be more daunting with Cousins and Gay already in the mix. And if you're selecting someone in the top 10 picks, you better get someone who can become an impact player, let alone a starter.
Since Russell is most likely to fill those traits, he's the player the Kings should target.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via Sports-Reference.com.
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