If we talk essentially about how the draft portion of the 2011 NBA Draft went (redundant? Yeah, but you don't know the half of it.), the Sacramento Kings did just fine. They shored up positions of need at point guard and small forward, plus added more scoring options on a team that struggled to generate offense at times last season. They look stronger on paper than they did last season, and these picks can contribute in minor, even major ways to keep the trend upward in the California state capital.
- Jimmer Fredette, 10th pick, first round (traded from Milwaukee): Jimmer provides another option at point guard and a scoring option at shooting guard. He no longer has to handle the ball for huge minutes and can play off the ball more to get his shots. He can also play point at times and spell Tyreke Evans and Pooh Jeter.
- Tyler Honeycutt, 35th pick, second round: Honeycutt provides another option at the small forward position along with Francisco Garcia and the newly-acquired John Salmons. It probably spells the end for Omri Casspi in Sacramento unless the Kings plan on sending Honeycutt to the D-League to develop.
- Isaiah Thomas, 60th pick, second round: Thomas becomes Sacramento's fourth option at point guard behind Evans, Fredette, and Jeter, with the potential to eventually work his way to the backup point at some point in his career. Thomas could make the team or could spend a year in the D-League developing, but Sacramento could use some depth at point guard with the departure of Beno Udrih.
We've been covering the Kings in the 2011 NBA Draft. For more detailed discussion, head over to Sactown Royalty for your Kings discussion.