Shaedon Sharpe worth gamble at No. 4 for Kings

Tuesday, Sacramento Kings Blessed by the basketball gods, was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft. The Kings definitely need some luck and another quality asset to add to their core of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and will now have that opportunity on June 23.

Ahead of the lottery, the most likely scenario is that Sacramento will pick No. 8, the perfect position to target a long-term starter or offer a trade opportunity. Now sitting at number 4, it’s time to change that mindset and go chasing stars.

A prospect that fits the Kings’ longstanding positional need to shoot and enter the NBA next season as one of the best wing players in the league, Kentucky wing Shaedon Sharpe.

At 6-foot-5, with a wingspan of nearly 7 feet and a maximum vertical height of 49 inches, Sharp has a lot of potential. Sharp could be the athletic wing shot creator Sacramento has been lacking…forever? The players who play late in the playoffs every year are these versatile wing creators who can score at all three levels and shoot reliably like never before in this 16-year playoff drought for the Kings. passed.

long time NBA draft ESPN pundit Jonathan Givony attended Sharpe’s pro day in Chicago and raved about his rare shooting ability and jumping ability.

Sharp has a touch of Paul George, playing at his own pace and making step-back jumpers effortlessly while remaining efficient. Sharp also has George’s bouncing ability and thunderous dunking ability.

George was the 10th overall pick in 2010 and took several seasons to develop, but he became an All-Star in his third season.

For Sacramento, this No. 4 pick is their best chance to acquire a scrawny star since the decisive 2018 draft, when they famously passed on Luka Doncic, one of the best players in the NBA. To Marvin Bagley III, who is playing now.this Detroit Pistons.

Granted, it’s hard to evaluate Sharpe based on workout clips and high school highlights, but according to all reliable draft experts, Sharpe is special. Draft experts like Givony and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie have seen him play firsthand, noting his skill and height.

Now, Sharp certainly has a lot of potential downsides. His touch needs some work, and since he’s only 18 years old and has no college experience, Sharp’s rookie season could be a disappointment compared to his draft class peers, and that’s probably not something the team can live with.

According to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, the team is expected to see a “Minnesota-style standings surge.” Going into the rumored final year of his contract, general manager Monte McNair needs to do everything he can to win as many games as possible next season. While I understand this line of thinking, it would be short-sighted to pick someone, like Murray, just because they’re more “NBA ready” over someone who is expected to have more long-term advantages. At its current state, the Kings are at a stage where talent is most needed.

I don’t want to underestimate Murray here, as he’s a solid striker who could fit well into Domantas Sabonis’ long-term frontcourt. After the lottery, picking Murray was a bit conservative for me.

Will picking a solid long-term starter like Murray help you win a few more games in 2022-23? Potential. Will it completely change the long-term prospects of this team? I would say no.

Currently, the Kings don’t have a top 30 player in the league, which is pretty much a requirement to be a contender. Looking at the possible options in Sacramento, Sharp seems to have the best chance of getting there.

I can also see the argument for drafting Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, who is incredibly talented and has been compared to Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant. In theory, he was a high-flying, athletic guy like Sharp, but more assured and successful in college.

On the downside, drafting him would put Sacramento in a similar predicament to 2021 pick Davion Mitchell post-draft, with an unbalanced lineup with plenty of guards and underwhelming wings. Choosing Ivey means Fox or Mitchell may not be a good fit for Sacramento.

It’s challenging to see that Ivey isn’t a really good player in the league, but in my opinion, the league lacks a shot-creating wing compared to the number of good guards in the league, and that’s something for Sharpe It’s kind of a tiebreaker, in my opinion. Sharp’s idealized future version is better than Ivey’s idealized future version.

As we’ve seen in the past 16 seasons of basketball without the playoffs, getting a star into Sacramento is nearly impossible except by draft or trade. With the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, the Kings are in a truly prime spot, and Sharpe could make it.

Now is not the time for the Sacramento doubles. Time to fight for the fence.