A Royal Prospect: Marquese Chriss
By Rafe Wong
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 Marquese Chriss out of the University of Washington. Chriss is also a Sacramento native who played for Pleasant Grove High School.
The Numbers
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Marquese Chriss stands at 6’9” and weighs 225 pounds. During his only year spent with the Washington Huskies, he averaged 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 53% from the court and 35% from the perimeter as well.
The Range
According to various mock drafts, Chriss is projected to be picked around the #4-9 range in the draft order. If the Kings are interested in selecting Chriss, they have a slim chance of doing it at the #8 spot. They might have to trade up to grab him.
The Fit
With the trio of DeMarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Kosta Koufos, the Kings are not necessarily clamoring for another big on their roster. If Chriss were to rock the purple and white next season, he would be a backup big for the team.
Offensively, Chriss is very versatile for his size. The 6’9” forward is extremely athletic and has a solid shooting stroke, which gives him a variety ways to score the ball.
Chriss’ athleticism also gives him the ability to defend multiple positions. He has the physique to eventually guard all positions from 3-5, which will give the Kings options on how to implement Chriss into their system.
Express Yourself
So Kings fans, is Marquese Chriss a prospect that Sacramento’s front office should consider drafting tomorrow? We want to hear from you.
To express your opinions on the issue, feel free to partake in our survey that is posted on our Twitter account.
How serious should the Kings be in drafting Marquese Chriss?
— A Royal Pain (@ARoyalPain) June 23, 2016
Rafe’s Thoughts
I’m a fan of players with high ceilings going into the draft, and Marquese Chriss is that type of prospect. His athleticism is insane for a player at his position, and his shooting stroke looks good enough for him to hit mid-range jumpers consistently in the pros. In terms of defense, he has the ability to be effective both in protecting the rim and guarding the paint.
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The concern with Chriss is not the physical tools that he brings, but how he uses them. He needs to be a better rebounder in the NBA, as he only averaged 5.4 boards in college. He also has to be more consistent on both ends of the floor.
Chriss showed throughout college that he can be an effective two-way player, but he showed it only in flashes. He will need to work on being more consistent going forward if he wants to make an impact for his next team.
If I were Vlade Divac and the crew, I would seriously consider taking Chriss with the #8 pick. The potential is there, but does the Kings new coaching staff want to invest in the project?
Rafe’s Comparison: Marcus Morris