What The Sacramento Kings Must Do To Gain NBA Relevance

By Dan Fappiano | Apr 7, 2015

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Jul 1, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings majority owner Vivek Ranadive and first round draft pick Ben McLemore during a press conference at the Sleep Train Arena press room. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Past Draft Picks

2007: Spencer Hawes, 10th overall, 3 seasons with team, 8.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, .464 FG%

Hawes was a top prospect in 2007, projected to fall no lower than twelfth in the draft. And Sacramento made sure that projection held up, taking him tenth overall. He underperformed in his time with the Kings though, lasting only three years. In 2010, he was traded along with Andres Nocioni to the 76ers for Samuel Dalembert.

In the 2007 draft if the Kings had passed on Hawes they could have had players such as: Thaddeus Young, (12th overall), Nick Young, (16th overall), or Wilson Chandler, (23rd overall).

2008: Jason Thompson, 12th overall, 7 seasons with team, 9.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, .497 FG%

Jason Thompson hasn’t been the worst of player for the Kings since they drafted him. He has had some decent stretches where he has shown he deserves a spot on a NBA roster. In turn though, Thompson’s career numbers prove that he is much more of a role player than a starter and not a player that should be starting on a contending team.

While Thompson is still on the Kings’ roster, there have been multiple reports that he has requested a trade out of Sacramento. In the 2008 draft, if the Kings had passed on Thompson, they could have had players such as: Roy Hibbert, (17th overall), Serge Ibaka, (24th overall), or Nicolas Batum, (25th overall).

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2011: Jimmer Fredette, 10th overall, 2+ seasons with team, 7.0 PPG, 1.5 APG, .416 FG%

The Kings actually held the 7th overall pick in the 2011 draft. With that pick they drafted international center Bismack Biyombo out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bivombo never played a minute for the Kings as he was traded to the Bucks for 10th overall pick Jimmer Fredette.

Fredette was a college sensation with the ability to knock down three’s from almost anywhere on the court, coining the phrase, “Jimmer Range”. His skills never translated to the NBA and he failed to succeed for the Kings.

Fredette and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways with a buyout 41 games into the 2014 season. In the 2011 draft if the Kings were to pass on Fredette they could have had players such as: Brandon Knight, (8th overall), Kemba Walker, (9th overall), or Klay Thompson, (11th overall).

2012: Thomas Robinson, 5th overall, 51 games with team, 4.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, .424 FG%

Thomas Robinson was a highly touted prospect out of college and a player who was supposed to be a difference maker for the Kings. Those plans never came to fruition as he was traded to the Rockets just 51 games into his rookie season.

Trading the 5th overall pick is a shock and raised questions at the time about the King’s motives behind the trade. Regardless, drafting Robinson was a mistake from the beginning as he was never a true fit for the Kings’ organization. In the 2012 draft if the Kings had passed on Robinson they could have drafted players such as: Damian Lillard, (6th overall), Harrison Barnes, (7th overall), or Andre Drummond, (12th overall).

2013: Ben McLemore, 7th overall, 2 seasons with team, 10.1 PPG, 1.3 APG, .403FG%

Ben McLemore wasn’t necessarily a “bad” pick. He still does have games where he can drop 15 plus points. But it seems as if scoring is the only thing McLemore can do, and when he is in a funk, he isn’t the best guy to have on the floor.

Drafting 7th overall you should be looking for a player who can change your team for the better, and provide the whole package. McLemore is only two years into his pro career, so he can definitely mature and improve. But at this point it seems as if he is just another bust in a sea of Sacramento draft pick busts.

In the 2013 draft if the Kings had passed on McLemore they could’ve had players such as: Michael Carter-Williams, (11th overall), Steven Adams, (12th overall), or Giannis Antetokounmpo, (15th overall).

The 2009 or 2010 drafts are not mentioned because those were the drafts in which the Kings selected Tyreke Evans and Cousins respectively. The 2014 draft isn’t mentioned because rookie Stauskas is still too young to get a read on.

Next: Possible Draft Picks

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