Thanks to Kings Connect, we have the complete video of Geoff Petrie and Paul Westphal speaking about the Kings big draft night.
Now whether or not you agree with the pick of Tyreke Evans over Ricky Rubio, you’ve got to love the confidence that Petrie speaks with in regards to the moves made on Draft Night. The Kings are headed in a different direction than what everyone assumed. They aren’t just building a team, they’re building a tough team and the team definitely got tougher Thursday.
Here’s the video:
Some thoughts from what Petrie said:
– He mentions a few times that Tyreke Evans was the best player left in the draft and I think that’s important. Personally, I thought Ricky Rubio should be the pick at the time but the more I think about it, the more that I’m on board with this thinking. If you feel Evans is the best player after all of the scouting and workouts, then you should definitely take him.
– He mentions possibly posting Tyreke Evans against the smaller guards and this could be a dynamic part of the offense that set him apart from the rest of the field in this draft. If you can create mismatches with him all over the floor, you’ve suddenly added something to your offensive attack that can not only create open shots for guys like Spencer Hawes, Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin but it can get the other team into foul trouble.
– Evans was upfront with the Kings about the whole drive-by shooting incident. That kind of character, honesty and accountability probably began to sway the momentum in his favor.
– Kings feel like they got the second best player in the draft. They probably did as of right now. But will it be in five years? Something that will be looked at time and time again by all of the nay-sayers.
– I wonder if he feels like the restricted free agents are ACTUALLY part of the roster for next season or if he’s just toeing the CBA company line?
Notes from what Paul Westphal said:
– I know a lot of this could just be smoke blown up our orifices but you have to feel good about hearing the confidence in the way they speak. For some reason, it doesn’t seem fake here and seems to be worthwhile.
– Was EVERYBODY on the same page with this decision or did the Maloofs want Rubio and Geoff talked them into Evans?
– He called Evans the most well-rounded guard in the draft. For a guy that can’t shoot and isn’t a great ball-handler, what does that say about the strength of this draft?
– Sounds like he’s going to be the full-time point guard and it sounds like they’re happy with that. He has to be the guy right away and this is smart to throw him in the fire like this. It’s the best way for him to mature.
– They keep mentioning his size. If he’s legitimately fast and quick enough against point guards, he’s going to be a complete problem on the court.
– His quickness guarding the smaller point guards is going to be the key to this experiment working with him as the point. If not, do you move him to the shooting guard and play small with three guards?
– The toughness seems to be ringing throughout these talks. I think that’s something the Kings and their fans have been craving. This could be the start of a new attitude in the organization. That’s a good thing.
– Brockman is one of the top three rebounders in the draft? I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t necessarily disagree with it; it’s just kind of an odd truth about this class.
– Paul Westphal just seems like a fun guy to be around.
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