Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Traevon Jackson (12) shoots the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) and guard Aaron Harrison (2) during the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men
1) Draft Best Talent, Not Positional Needs
A common piece of advice for small market teams is: build through the Draft. You don’t have to look any further than Oklahoma City to see that it’s a good rule to follow. But the draft is a gamble and there are no assurances with picking new talent, even if you have the number one overall pick.
The Kings luck in the draft has not been the best over the years, and recently the thinking has been to draft players that might improve some aspect of the Kings game that is lacking. Kings have no outside shooting? Draft Nik Stauskas. Kings need to improve on defense? Draft Willie Cauley-Stein.
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky) Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The problem with that strategy is, it’s a coin toss whether these guys are NBA caliber to begin with, let alone able to plug one of the many leaks the kings have in their game. A better option is to draft the best available player period.
The Kings are not “just one piece away” from anything right now. What drafting the best available means, is that the kings are using the draft to minimize the gamble they are making, and improving the roster as a whole.
At the very least if the best available draftee is a big body center, and the kings already have enough big men in the line up, then The Kings now have a potential bargaining chip. Which is something they rarely have.
Next: Head Overseas