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A Royal Prospect: Denzel Valentine

By Rafe Wong

Feb 28, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) gestures to the crowd during the first half of a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) gestures to the crowd during the first half of a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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A Royal Pain continues its series on analyzing players in this upcoming draft and seeing how they would fit if they were selected by the Sacramento Kings.

Today’s prospect will be Denzel Valentine out of Michigan State University.

Statistics

For Valentine, he was able to stuff the stat sheet this year by averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. He was also able to shoot 46.2% from the floor and 44.4% from the perimeter.

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In his total four seasons spent with the Spartans, the 6’5” guard averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game off shooting 44.2% from the court and 40.8% from beyond the three-point stripe.

The Range

Based on various mock drafts, Valentine is projected to be picked around the #15-22 range in the draft order, which means that if the Kings (who stand at #8) are interested in Valentine they most certainly will have the opportunity to draft him. But how would Denzel fit with the purple and white next season?

The Fit

Apr 3, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine during practice for the 2015 NCAA Men
Apr 3, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine during practice for the 2015 NCAA Men /

Valentine is a playmaker on the offensive end, which the Kings may be in need for if Rajon Rondo decides to leave Sacramento in free agency.

Valentine has also proven that he can shoot from the perimeter as well, which also fills another need in finding two-guards that can shoot consistently.

Where Valentine does struggle however is on the defensive side of the ball. The Kings mightily struggled this season guarding the perimeter, and if they draft Valentine and he continues his defensive woes it will just add on to the atrocity that the Kings displayed last season.

Overall, based on his progress at the collegiate level Valentine has the potential to become the ideal two-guard for the Kings going forward. On the other hand, his defense needs to greatly improve to become an effective two-way player.

Express Yourself

People in the Sacramento Kings community, we want to hear from you. Should the Kings front office be serious in drafting Denzel Valentine in this upcoming draft?

To express your opinions on the issue, feel free to partake in our survey that is up on our Twitter account.

Rafe’s Thoughts

Valentine is a prospect that I think could benefit the Kings going forward. He has the numbers, intangibles, and experience to become a winner at the professional level.

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If he were to rock the purple and white next season, he would immediately be contending for the starting two-guard spot in training camp.

It may be a stretch based on previous mock draft results, but if the Kings were to select Valentine on draft day, I wouldn’t hate it because I believe he can be a solid asset for an NBA team.

The biggest concern however with investing the 8th overall pick on Valentine is his health. There have been reports out there about Valentine’s right knee, and that it could restrict him from playing fully healthy going forward.

Here is what an article from NBC Sports had to say about the situation:

"“According to a report from Basketball Insiders, there are teams that believe Valentine has a degenerative knee issue that could end up keeping him from being healthy for a full 82 game season. Valentine missed four games during his senior year following arthroscopic surgery on the knee in December.” (NBC Sports)"

Next: Could The Kings Land Derrick Rose?

Without the health concerns, Valentine is a lottery pick. But unfortunately he has the possibility of becoming a health liability for a team as his career progresses.

Because there will probably be more reliable talent available for the Kings at #8, selecting Valentine would be too risky. However, if Vlade Divac and the crew were to pull the trigger on the former Michigan State Spartan, I am on board.

Rafe’s Comparison: Draymond Green

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