2011 NBA Draft: 10 Players the Sacramento Kings Should Target
It's never too early to compile a mock draft, so here is an early look at 10 draft prospects the Sacramento Kings should keep their collective eye on.
If the season ended today, the Sacramento Kings would have the third worst record in the league, behind only Minnesota and Cleveland. The Kings are a ball club who are in the midst of a youth movement, choosing to rebuild through the draft and developing their young talent in hopes of returning to NBA relevance.
The roster, as presently constructed, desperately needs a facilitating point guard and potentially an NBA-caliber starting small forward. By the time the NBA Draft is here in June, Samuel Dalembert and Carl Landry will both be unrestricted free agents. Therefore, the need to draft another big man may be there as well.
1. Kyrie Irving, PG Duke
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Your classic no brainer.
This pick would fit the bill for best player available as well as filling a need. Irving, despite only appearing in eight games for Duke thus far in his freshman season, is considered a certainty to be the first overall pick in the 2011 Draft. Kyrie Irving has drawn very favorable comparisons to Chris Paul with his desire to set up scoring opportunities for teammates and his complete offensive game.
Kyrie Irving would start from day one for the Kings at point guard and would give the franchise a table setter who could create opportunities for their young building blocks, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans.
2. Perry Jones, PF Baylor
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Seems like once a year there is a young player with enormous potential but didn't realize that talent at the collegiate level. This year is no exception, as Perry Jones and his 7'4" wingspan have many scouts going gaga.
Jones has warranted comparisons to Josh Smith and Anthony Randolph. Jones has a magnitude of skills rarely seen in someone his size (6'11"), including decent ball handling, three-point range, elite leaping ability and a penchant for blocking shots.
If Sacramento loses either of their marquee free agents—Dalembert or Landry—-the need for a skilled big like Jones will most certainly be there.
3. Derrick Williams, SF/PF Arizona
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Derrick Williams impressed last season as a freshman for the Wildcats and is doing better in virtually every category this year.
Williams translates well to the NBA level with his potential to serve as a stretch four a la Jeff Green. He is considered a tweener, between SF and PF, but with his ability to finish in traffic, his staggering 70 percent accuracy from three-point range and his outstanding shot selection, his draft stock is seeing vast improvement as March Madness quickly approaches.
Derrick Williams would step in and battle with Omri Casspi and Donte Greene for the rights to the constantly changing starting small forward in Sacramento.
4. Jared Sullinger, PF Ohio State
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The only thing stopping Sullinger from being the No. 1 overall pick is two inches.
This Ohio State big man uses his brute force down low, both to score as well as effectively box out. Sullinger is on the short list for NCAA Player of the Year Award thanks to his ambidextrous capabilities and his polished post moves for such a young man.
Athleticism is a potential question mark, but the same thing was said about Kevin Love and he seems to be doing well for himself at the next level. Hopefully, you noticed the sarcasm dripping from the last sentence).
Much like Perry Jones, Sullinger would aid in filling the holes of either Samuel Dalembert or Carl Landry. A question mark is how well his talents would merge with DeMarcus Cousins.
5. Kemba Walker, G Connecticut
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Kemba Walker has exploded in this his junior year for the UConn Huskies.
Walker's scoring is up nearly 10 points per game from a year ago, putting in 24.2 ppg despite his 6'0", 170 lb. frame. Kemba has knocked down multiple shots in critical situations this year, and he is in the mix for the vaunted Naismith College Player of the Year Award.
As he relates to the Kings as a prospect is a dicey proposition, however. Despite Walker's brilliance this year, Geoff Petrie's had an eerily similar swing and miss in Quincy Douby just a few years back with whom he will certainly be reminded of. Petrie didn't just swing and miss with the Douby pick, he swung, fell down and launched his bat threw the windshield of the Maloof's brand new beamer with that draft choice.
6. Harrison Barnes, SG North Carolina
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This year boasts a stock of several ridiculously talented true freshmen, including the No. 1 recruited high school player prior to this season in Harrison Barnes.
His statistics thus far at UNC have been ordinary, but Barnes has a game that reminds some of a young Rudy Gay. He has the size to comfortably play at the small forward, but his natural position most likely translates to shooting guard at the NBA level.
He is a raw player at this point in his young basketball career, but many teams will be fawning over the right to select Harrison Barnes in the 2011 Draft, with the Sacramento Kings certainly included in that company.
7. Enes Kanter, C Kentucky
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On January 7, 2011, the NCAA ruled that Kanter is permanently ineligible as a collegiate basketball player because he received approximately $33,000 to pay for educational expenses. The NCAA eventually ruled this amount was above and beyond what would normally be considered acceptable.
This is largely irrelevant to NBA executives, who see Kanter as a 6'11", 270 lb. true center who is ready to contribute to a professional basketball team essentially from the get go. Kanter has soft hands and a high basketball IQ as well, but there are fair concerns about the durability of his knees.
As the saying goes, you can't teach height, and all NBA teams yearn to add capable big men, just ask the Boston Celtics who lost an NBA title because of it and then went grocery shopping all offseason to fill those needs.
8. Donatas Motiejunas, PF Lithuania
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Rarely does a prospect have such a seamless comparison as Donatas does in Andrea Bargnani. Motiejunas isn't nearly as complete a player as Dirk Nowitzki was upon his arrival to the NBA, but he does have similarities in that he is a seven-footer with incredible shooting range and a constantly evolving set of skills.
There are concerns about his motor and work ethic, but ultimately, his offensive game makes him a lock as a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
9. Terrence Jones, SF Kentucky
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Jones was a 6'3" point guard just two years ago, benefited from a six-inch growth spurt and is now considered one of the premiere small forwards in the country.
Terrence is a pretty well rounded offensive player, with passing skills, a high basketball IQ and a knack for using his explosive first step to get into the lane. Jones features a very unusual release, and his three-point shot simply isn't good enough for the next level at this point.
10. Alec Burks, SG Colorado
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Burks has a prototypical NBA shooting guard body but leaves much to be desired on his three-point shot.
Alec has developed steadily from a relative unknown to a consistent scorer for the revamped Colorado Buffaloes. He competes defensively. Alec Burks, particularly due to his ripe, young age of 19, will make it to the next level, but his success, when he gets there, will depend a great deal on whether his body matures appreciably.
