Sacramento Kings pre-draft workouts underway
By Kyle Robert
The Sacramento Kings have workouts underway with potential draft picks. The clock is ticking with 23 days left as of Tuesday until the 2014 NBA Draft. Marcus Smart and Noah Vonleh headlined session one on Monday. Both are on a short list of players the Kings seem to be high on that should be around when they pick at eight. a dark horse in session one is Elfrid Payton. Session two features Tyler Ennis and 3 potential second round selections. Smart and Vonleh have a high likelihood to be the selections for the Kings at eight. Payton and Ennis make more sense later in the draft. The Kings are in the trade market and moving back is a realistic scenario in this years draft. They would be able to select a player they like while acquiring additional pieces.
Marcus Smart, a big, physical point guard at 6’3” 220 makes a ton of sense for Kings at the eighth pick. Smart was likely a top pick in last years draft but due to inconsistent play combined with a dominant freshman class is likely to slip in this draft. With Isaiah Thomas a restricted free agent Smart could fill in nicely if Thomas were to leave. If Thomas were to stay its possible for both to share the court. Smart is big enough to guard off guards. He could also be the primary ball handler allowing Thomas to be a scorer.
Noah Vonleh is a 6’9” power forward with physical skills that impress scouts and general managers alike. Vonleh will need to get stronger at the next level. He can shoot well enough to stretch defenses and has the ability to get to the hoop. Vonleh could be a nice complement to Demarcus Cousins with his ability to help space the floor and impact the defensive end of the court.
Elfrid Payton is a 6’3” score first point guard that has drawn comparisons to Russell Westbrook when Westbrook was at UCLA. His stock has been rising in pre-draft workouts. Another potential replacement for Isaiah Thomas, Payton could be in the Kings sights.
Tyler Ennis is a 6’2” point guard who is more of a facilitator than a scorer but has the ability to score when asked. One of Ennis best attributes is his ability to calm under pressure but his almost nonchalant attitude has the ability to rub people the wrong way. Some general managers and scouts question his drive and passion.
With all the point guards being brought in for workouts, the Kings seem to be planning for Isaiah moving on come July 1. Drafting the best player is much more important at this point in the rebuild of the Kings as opposed to looking for a specific fit. But with a strong point guard class, they may be able to fill a need while still taking the best player. The Kings have more players scheduled to visit but that list is likely to not include Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. This does not mean a draft day trade cannot occur. If the Kings can find a way to vault into the top 3 they certainly will.