Sacramento Kings execute draft perfectly
The 2017 NBA Draft is the books and the Sacramento Kings walked away with a great haul of prospects. Today, we look at how these picks fit the Kings roster.
With an experienced management team finally, in place, the Sacramento Kings entered the draft night with a clear plan and exited it knowing they came out on top. The needs of Sacramento (point guard, defense, wings) were addressed head-on with all four picks receiving rave reviews around the league.
Pick five overall
It starts with grabbing De’Aaron Fox at pick five overall. Fox’s on-court abilities are well-known, but his charisma will be contagious to teammates and has the qualities to step in and lead from day one. Fox fits the current personnel and should form a dynamic backcourt with Buddy Hield.
Trade with Portland
After selecting their point guard, Sacramento smartly traded back with the Portland Trail Blazers to acquire the 15th and 20th picks. I wrote about this exact scenario in a May article but was pleasantly surprised to see them execute it. They had no need to select Zach Collins, so grabbing two picks in return for moving back five spots was brilliant.
Pick 15 overall
The Kings used the 15th pick to grab Justin Jackson out of North Carolina. Jackson is not great in any one aspect but is very good across the board. He can shoot from off a screen or spotting up and has an excellent floater game. Jackson also plays solid defense on the wing and makes simple basketball plays on both sides of the court.
Related Story: 5 Players to Look Forward To Next Season
Pick 20 overall
Sacramento then took Harry Giles out of Duke with the 20th pick. Giles’ knee injury history is well-documented, but there is little risk to this pick. If Giles can regain his knee strength, the Kings secured one of the best players in this class in the latter half of the first round. He can defend one through five and can handle the ball in transition. If he retains his current knee status, he can still impact the game defensively and didn’t cost the Kings much to get him.
Pick 34 Overall
Those selections were all before the Kings grabbed the 2016-17 Naismith Player of the Year Frank Mason with the 34th pick. Mason is a point guard with experience that will lead the second unit. He, also, shoots well enough to play with Fox as an off-ball guard.
Fit with Sacramento
All four picks had a similar theme. They are high character players who can impact the game on both ends and are suited for the modern game. Fox and Jackson should start right away, giving Sacramento four long, active defenders in their starting five. There will theoretically be space for Fox to create while his jump shot develops next to Hield, Jackson, and Skal Labissiere.
Mason and Giles will rotate in a second unit that is young and exciting with Malachi Richardson, Papagiannis, and Bogdanovic (if he comes over) and veterans Koufos and Temple (unless a trade comes about).
Next: Sacramento Kings 2017 NBA Draft grades
Sacramento has a vision for the future and is making smart basketball decisions to support said view. Using three first round picks on players that fill significant needs is a positive step. They could have selected another unnecessary big man like last year. Adding a motivated, intelligent leader in round two was the final touch on a great night for the Kings community.