What The Sacramento Kings Must Do To Gain NBA Relevance

Mar 28, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) dunks against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the finals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Future

If the Kings want to improve going into the 2015-2016 season they are going to have to draft a prospect who will be able to benefit the team right out of the gate, much like Cousins has been able to do. The Kings have multiple ways the can approach the 2015 NBA Draft, with many sources providing mocks showing the Kings drafting different players.

nbadraft.net: Stanley Johnson, Freshman, F, Arizona

Johnson would bring a much needed offensive force to Sacramento. Standing at 6’7″ he is an imposing body at small forward. He provides the Kings with a true playmaker in the middle of their lineup, and someone who can take over games if need be. He has a great toughness to him, which is something Sacramento has lacked.

Johnson is a player who will always play hard, which is key in a “rebuilding” team. Drafting Johnson would also allow new head coach George Karl to continue playing Rudy Gay at the power forward position. Gay has stated that he enjoyed the change and he has been excelling at his new position.

Stanley is only 18 years old, so he has plenty of room for improvement, but drafting him gives Sacramento a promising scorer and asset for 2015 and beyond.

draftexpress.com: Willie Cauley-Stein, Junior, C, Kentucky

Willie Cauley-Stein is an elite defender. Pairing him down low with Cousins would provide the Kings with one of the best, if not the best defensive frontcourts in the NBA. Standing at 7’0″ Cauley-Stein is still quick for the center position. He is able to not only guard down low, but he can also guard wings on the perimeter.

Cauley-Stein may need some work on his offensive game, but defensively, he is one of the best in the 2015 draft class. Drafting him would move Gay back to small forward, but a combo down low of Cauley-Stein and Cousins would be scary good.

With an average age of 23, the frontcourt duo could be a dominant force in 2015 and for many years to come.

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247sports.com: Kevon Looney, Freshman, PF, UCLA

Looney doesn’t hold the star name brand power as a Karl Anthony-Towns or a Jahlil Okafor, but he has all the talent to produce in the NBA. Looney is 6’11”, but played point guard in high school, and has all the athleticism to be a prolific player in the NBA.

As a freshman, he did need some work on both ends of the court. But his size and athleticism make him an intriguing prospect for the Kings. Being 6’11” would most likely move Looney to the power forward position, but due to his athletic abilities Karl might be able to utilize Gay at the power forward and have Looney play small forward.

Looney would create a huge mismatch at small forward, allowing Cousins or Gay go to work down low. Looney doesn’t have the same household name recognition as the top two prospects, but he could provide just as much potential for the Sacramento Kings.

Regardless of who Sacramento drafts, whether it be one of these players or someone else, the key has to be finding a player that will make an immediate impact. They Kings cannot afford to whiff on another draft pick.

To switch gears and begin building a championship caliber team GM Pete D’Alessandro must find true value with his first round pick. The lottery is where you find potential franchise changers, and the Kings have  missed out on drafting one. Sacramento must find a “cant miss” prospect in 2015, to begin their ascent to relevance again.

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