Top 10 Draft Picks in Sacramento Kings History

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#3

Jason Williams – Mike Bibby

Jason “J-Will” or “White Chocolate” Williams was drafted with the 7th pick in the 1998 NBA draft out of the University of Florida. He was immediately inserted into the starting lineup as the lead guard for the team that was dubbed The Greatest Show on Court.

He would dazzle fans with his impossible looking passes and his pull-up three-pointers that were five feet beyond the three-point line. He could also frustrate you with a poor shot selection, passes that ended up in the stands, and olé defense.

No matter how you felt about him, J-Will helped put Sacramento basketball on the map. His flair for dazzling plays made him an instant fan favorite across the league. In his rookie season, his jersey was in the top-5 highest-selling NBA jerseys and he was named to the 1999 NBA All-Rookie 1st Team.

As his tenure with the Kings continued, he became an enigma. Rick Adelman tried to harness J-Will’s potential and make him a more efficient passer and shooter. Although he did cut his turnovers and increased his shooting percentages across the board, his level of play seemed to drop off and he appeared tentative on the floor.

After three seasons in Sacramento, the Kings traded J-Will (along with Nick Anderson) to Memphis for Mike Bibby.

Season Tm Pos G MP FG% 3P% 2P% FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
1998-99 SAC PG 50 36.1 .374 .310 .446 .752 0.3 2.8 3.1 6.0 1.9 0.0 2.9 1.8 12.8
1999-00 SAC PG 81 34.1 .373 .287 .466 .753 0.3 2.6 2.8 7.3 1.4 0.1 3.7 1.7 12.3
2000-01 SAC PG 77 29.7 .407 .315 .483 .789 0.2 2.2 2.4 5.4 1.2 0.1 2.1 1.5 9.4
3 seasons SAC 208 33.0 .384 .301 .466 .761 0.3 2.5 2.7 6.3 1.5 0.1 2.9 1.7 11.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the acquisition of Mike Bibby before the 2001/02 season, the Sacramento Kings were part of the cluster of teams playing second fiddle to the Shaq and Kobe led Lakers. Mike Bibby changed that. The Kings won 61 games in Bibby’s 1st season on the team and came within a breath of a championship.

In his 6.5 seasons on the Kings, Bibby make became one of the top scoring point guards in the league and became known for clutch game-winning shots. He is first all-time on the Kings in assists and 3rd all-time in offensive win shares, 3-point baskets made, and steals.

Bibby’s game began to slip during the 2007-08 season and he was traded to Atlanta in a move designed to get rid of the year and a half left of his hefty contract.

Season Tm Pos G MP FG% 3P% 2P% FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
2001-02 SAC PG 80 33.2 .453 .370 .466 .803 0.5 2.3 2.8 5.0 1.1 0.2 1.7 1.7 13.7
2002-03 SAC PG 55 33.4 .470 .409 .485 .861 0.6 2.1 2.7 5.2 1.3 0.1 2.3 1.7 15.9
2003-04 SAC PG 82 36.3 .450 .392 .479 .815 0.8 2.6 3.4 5.4 1.4 0.2 2.1 1.8 18.4
2004-05 SAC PG 80 38.6 .443 .360 .477 .775 1.0 3.2 4.2 6.8 1.6 0.4 2.5 2.4 19.6
2005-06 SAC PG 82 38.6 .432 .386 .458 .849 0.4 2.6 2.9 5.4 1.0 0.1 2.4 2.1 21.1
2006-07 SAC PG 82 34.0 .404 .360 .435 .830 0.5 2.7 3.2 4.7 1.1 0.1 2.4 1.7 17.1
2007-08 SAC PG 15 31.5 .406 .393 .412 .742 0.7 3.0 3.7 5.0 1.3 0.1 2.5 2.3 13.5
7 seasons SAC 476 35.7 .439 .377 .465 .818 0.6 2.6 3.2 5.4 1.2 0.2 2.3 1.9 17.6

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Jason Williams and Mike Bibby’s Combined Statistical Totals

G MP 2PM 3PM FTM ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
684 23837 2765 1118 1860 349 1756 2105 3884 890 107 1672 1250 10744

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