Just a month ago, the Sacramento Kings were in flux, undergoing a change from the top down as they were sold for a record $535-million valuation. Fast forward to today and now the Kings have new decision-makers who will be making their first major call in the NBA’s annual draft.
Are they prepared?
Pete D’Alessandro comes to the Kings from the Denver Nuggets, a team that had one of the best records in the Western Conference this season. One would assume that preparation for the draft was a little different for D’Alessandro, considering the Nuggets are picking 20 spots lower than the Kings in the first round. However, the Kings new GM suggests that he’s more than ready for the task at hand based on the work he did in the Mile High City.
We knew who the guys in this draft were going into it. We thought we’d be a late first round pick, but we studied the draft as if we were going to trade up. We always studied every single player in the draft. In fact in Chicago, we spent a lot of time interviewing the players we thought we wouldn’t be able to get in our gym in case we were able to move up. So I met a lot of these guys face to face already who are top 7 picks.
Like D’Alessandro, Michael Malone finds himself in new territory as well. No longer an assistant for the first time in his career, his opinion will hold more weight as the Kings’ new head coach. With added responsibilities, it was important for Malone to get physical with the prospects who made their way to Sacramento ahead of tonight’s draft.
That’s why all the workouts I want to be on the floor with these guys and get a sense because it’s one thing watching a workout for me, but it’s another thing entirely when you get out on the court and what I call sweat with a guy, push a guy and get a feel for them up close and personal. So, I’ll definitely let my thoughts be known come draft night and we’ll go from there.
What the Kings do tonight is anyone’s guess. But it sure seems like their new decision-makers are as ready as they can be when the clock starts ticking on the seventh overall pick.
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