The 2017 NBA Draft is history and now it is time to evaluate how well each team did in the draft. The Kings turned three picks into four selections by trading the 10th pick to Portland in exchange for the number 15 and 20 selections. Was that a good move by the Kings?
NBA Draft expert Ben Stram of FANRAG Sports breaks down the Kings selections and gives the team an overall grade for their choices.
Did he like the selection of De’Aaron Fox at number five?
Point guard De’Aaron Fox is now a Sacramento King
What did Ben think of trading away Zach Collins for the 15th and 20th picks?
Is Harry Giles worth the risk of dealing with his injury riddled past?
Will Justin Jackson be an impact player?
Justin Jackson the Kings #15 overall draft pick
How will Frank Mason III fit into the Kings youth movement?
Kings second round selection Frank Mason
We also asked Ben who lives in the Chicago area about the impact of the Jimmy Butler trade to the T-Wolves?
Ben also gives a grade to the 2017 NBA Draft as a whole.
If you are a Kings fan, this will be 18-minutes and 30-seconds well spent. Enjoy.
Oakland Athletics’ Khris Davis (2) celebrates his two-run home run with Yonder Alonso (17) as Jed Lowrie, left, who also scored on the play, watches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, June 23, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
By Matthew Harrington
The Oakland Athletics started off the weekend series with a bang, using a pair of homeruns to down the host Chicago White Sox 3-0 Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. Khris Davis launched his 19th homer of the year while the red-hot Matt Joyce launched a solo shot for the Green and Gold. Jharel Cotton (5-7) fired a sharp but brief three hit, five inning performance for the win. Santiago Casilla collected his 12th save of the year. Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson and Manager Rick Renteria were ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes.
Jed Lowrie coaxed a two-out walk from White Sox starter Mike Pelfrey, setting the table for Davis’ two-run shot. Joyce tagged Pelfrey (3-6) for a solo homer in the fifth to hand the veteran righty the loss. The A’s managed five hits to seven for the Pale Hose.
Three of Chicago’s hits came off starter Cotton who started the sixth inning with three K’s and only one walk. After allowing a single, Cotton showed discomfort in his hand. He was pulled after just 66 pitches. Reliever Liam Hendriks fired a scoreless sixth, then Ryan Madson and the recently returned Sean Doolittle followed suit.
Casilla got the job done in the ninth, but not without giving up no-out singles to Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu. The A’s closer coaxed a pop-out from the AL batting average leader Avisail Garcia, then managed to get the second out on Todd Frazier’s fielder’s choice that forced out Abreu. Designated hitter Matt Davidson lined out to end the game and snap a four-game losing streak for the A’s.
Daniel Gossett takes the mound for his third start of his career. He’ll be opposed by veteran James Shields in game two.
Kentucky’s De’ Aaron Fox, left, reacts after being selected by the Sacramento Kings as the fifth pick overall during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 22, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
On the Headline Sports Podcast with Tony:
1 The Sacramento Kings selected De’Aaron Fox as a fifth draft pick from Kentucky as point guard
2 Fox is looking to be a franchise changer for Sacramento and is one of the key players out of the draft that the Kings say can make the difference in the Kings direction and where they want to go
3 Fox was about to enter what was soon to be former King Rudy Gay as he put it “basketball hell.” The Kings who won only 32 games last season and had issues with DeMarcus Cousins who was later traded to New Orleans and to start the season with a new head coach after George Karl was fired in the off season
4 Turning to baseball the Giants after losing three out four in Atlanta face the Mets for three games and the Rockies at AT&T Park starting Friday night. Tony tells us if there’s any consolation in coming back to San Francisco after having such a rugged road trip
5 After sweeping the Yankees in four the A’s got swept by the Astros in four and opened up a three game series in Chicago Tony tells us who are the real A’s in the aftermath of this last homestand
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) June 23, 2017
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Point guard De’Aaron Fox is now a Sacramento King
The Sacramento Kings entered the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night hoping that Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox would still be available when they had the opportunity to make their selection with the number five pick. “Lady Luck” smiled upon the Kings and Fox was still on the board when they went on the clock. There was never a doubt that the Kentucky connection with Sacramento was going to continue as the Kings made Fox the newest member of the “Sacramento Royalty”.
There had been many rumors that the Lakers were considering Fox over Lonzo Ball at number two. Many analyst feel that Fox is a more well rounded player than Ball. Ball is seen as a “true” point guard but Fox is more “well rounded” player who can create his own offense when necessary. The Lakers went with Ball despite the baggage that comes in form of his father.
There had also been rumors that Phoenix would take Fox and then move Eric Bledsoe – with whom they have been less than thrilled with over the past two seasons – on to another team. In the end, Phoenix drafted to their need – which was a shooting guard – and selected Josh Jackson out of Kansas.
The Kings were able to draft their point guard of the future which they have wanted for sometime. Fox has the elite size and wingspan that NBA teams are looking for in a point guard today. He is not only a play-maker but Fox can be a force on offense. He averaged 16.7 points per game for the Wildcats.
Fox is a strong mid-range shooter who suffered from behind the 3-point line for much of the season. With a great deal of hard work, Fox greatly improved his 3-point shooting production late in the season and in the NCAA Tournament.
Fox is also known for his rebounding. He is considered to be an outstanding rebounder for a guard.
Had the Kings not moved up from number eight to number five in draft lottery, De’Aaron Fox would have not been available to Sacramento. A little luck is always a good thing.
Turning three draft picks into four
The Kings held the number ten pick in the draft. They had that selection as part of the DeMarcus Cousins trade so getting a player of value was of great importance to the Kings.
The Kings did not have a burning desire for any player who was projected to go at number ten. Instead of wasting the selection, Sacramento made a deal with Portland to get the 15 and 20 selections in the draft in exchange for the 10 pick.
Number 15 pick
Justin Jackson the Kings #15 overall draft pick
The Kings went to the ACC for their pick at number 15. Small Forward Justin Jackson from North Carolina was the Kings choice with their second selection in the first round.
Jackson- a junior – was the ACC player of the year while helping lead the Tar Heels to a National Championship. He also was a consensus First Team All-American and ACC Player of the Year.
Jackson is known for having a diversified game on offense and a high basketball IQ.
And with the number 20 selection …
Harry Giles – is he the next Chris Webber?
The Kings went “high risk – high reward” with the number 20 pick. They chose 6-foot-10 forward/center Harry Giles out of Duke.
Prior to enrolling at Duke, Giles was predicted to be the number one draft pick this season. An ACL surgery (his third knee surgery) and missing the first 11 games of his freshman season lowered Giles stock in the draft.
Scouts compare a healthy Giles to Chris Webber. How could the Kings not take a chance on him?
This is a roll of the dice that has the potential to have a huge payoff.
The second round selection
Kings second round selection Frank Mason
Sacramento had the fourth (34th overall) selection in the second round. The Kings went with experience by selecting senior combo guard Frank Mason out of Kansas. He was a consensus Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
The four-year Jayhawk player posted 20.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds during his senior year at Kansas. He led the Big 12 in 3-point shooting percentage at 49-percent.
How did the Kings do in the draft?
Most analyst are giving Sacramento high marks for their moves in this year’s draft. The experts seem to really like the Kings move to trade the number 10 pick to add two first round picks at number 15 and 20.
All of the experts love the Kings selection of Fox. Virtually every draft analyst believes Fox will be a star in “the association”. They also believe that if Giles can get healthy he could be the steal of the draft.
Grading the Kings draft
Ben Stram of FANRAG Sports will join me on our Sacramento Kings podcast to grade the Kings 2017 draft. That podcast will be available beginning on Saturday June 24 at 8:00 a.m. on SportsRadioService.com.
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Adams (18) follows though on a solo-home run in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
By Jeremy Harness
The Giants endured a rain delay of nearly an hour and a half on Thursday and gave a very good account of themselves from an offensive standpoint, but their pitching woes reared their ugly heads again to dump the Giants.
The pitching gave up the bank once again, and despite a furious comeback by the Giants, it cost them in the end, as they concluded a road trip that saw them lose six of the seven games away from AT&T Park with a 12-11 loss to the Atlanta Braves inside of SunTrust Field.
Matt Cain (3-7) is looking more and more like a guy who is seeing his days as a starting pitcher being numbered with each start. He surrendered seven runs on 10 hits over only four innings before being taken out due to sheer ineffectiveness.
On the plus side, Kyle Crick made his major-league debut on Thursday and fared very well in the process. He gave up only one hit and pitched 2 1/3 innings. By then, however, the damage had already been done, as the Giants had already given up 12 runs.
Several Giants had multi-hit games on Thursday, and Buster Posey had three hits, including a solo homer in the second inning off Atlanta starter Jaime Garcia. Posey, who played first base on Thursday while Nick Hundley was behind the plate, also touched Braves pitching with a pair of doubles and drove in three runs.
Now that the miserable road trip is over, the Giants will now head back home in time for a three-game series with the New York Mets, with Ty Blach (4-4) taking the hill for them in the opener, in the hope of getting his team back on track.
Johnny Cueto will face a stern challenge on Saturday, as he will take on Mets star Jacob DeGrom, while the struggling Matt Moore will take the ball for Sunday’s series finale before the Colorado Rockies come to town for a three-game series.
The Houston Astros pounded the A’s 12-9 on Thursday afternoon. The A’s starter, Jesse Hahn, hit the leadoff batter, George Springer, with a pitch that appeared to have struck him high on the shoulder. Springer fell to the ground, and after being attended to by the Astros’ trainer had to leave the game. Hahn was visibly disturbed by what happened and could not regain his confidence. Hahn took the loss and is now 3-5 for the ear. Hahn has been inconsistent all year, and his outing on Thursday could have been caused possibly by the departure of Stephen Vogt or the fact that he got unnerved when he hit Springer with a pitch in the first inning. David Paulino improved to 2-0.
The Astros scored two runs in the top of the first without the benefit of a hit. Hahn walked the next two hitters to load the bases, and two sacrifice flies drove in the runs. Hahn totally lost it in the second inning as Houston sent eleven men to the plate and scored eight runs on six hits. Two three-run homers highlighted the inning for Houston. Jake Marisnick and Marwin Gonzalez were the hitters that sent the ball out of the park. The late Baltimore Orioles skipper, Earl Weaver loved the three-run homer. Wherever Earl is these days, he has to be smiling at what the Astros did in the second inning. The Astros sent eleven men to the plate and led 10-0 after two innings of play. The A’s scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth to trail 10-1.
The Astros added a run in the sixth when former A’s star, Josh Reddick, hammered a Michael Brady pitch over the fence in right field for his seventh of the season. After the game, Reddick had this to say about the win over the A’s:”you always want to do well against your former team. I enjoy beating them, whether I go 0-for-4 or I go 4-for-four. So it is fun.” Reddick finished the day a single short of the cycle.. The A’s scored two more in the sixth to trail 11-3. The Astros scored another run in the eighth and led 12-3, and at the time it appeared that the A’s were cooked. However, the young A’s had other thoughts. In their half of the eighth, they rallied to score six times to make it a 12-9 game. Bruce Maxwell and Matt Olson had key hits in the inning. The Astros brought in Chris Devenski to pitch the ninth. Devenski retired the side in order as he struck out the side to preserve the win for Houston
Game Notes- The A’s announced on Thursday that they have designated catcher Stephen Vogt for assignment. Vogt, a two-time All-Star, will either be waived, traded, or released in the next 10 days. Vogt was, not only a fan favorite but a leader on the club, will be missed. He was alway gracious to talk to the media and could be counted on for a quote about the day’s game. Vogt was always willing to bring the young players under his wing in the clubhouse. He helped Bruce Maxwell, the player who replaced Vogt at the catcher’s position. The A’s traded for Vogt as he is the type of player that personifies the A’s. Perhaps undervalued by his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, Vogt arrived in Oakland in 2013 and played on two teams that made the playoffs. Vogt made the All-Star team in 2015 and 2016 but the team finished last in the AL West both years. The 2017 team is also headed for the basement again and the front office has decided to go with younger players as the continue to rebuild the club for the umpteenth time. Vogt’s departure will no doubt displease the fans and his teammates but baseball can be a cruel business. All the writers at Sports Radio Service wish Stephen the best of luck and we all hope he catches(no pun intended) on with a contender.
The A’s also placed Matt Chapman on the 10-day DL. Chapman has an infection in his knee, and the team hopes that antibiotic treatment will clear up the infection. Matt Olson was brought up from Nashville and Olson had two hits and two RBIs in the game. Chad Pinder had two hits and one RBI, and Bruce Maxwell hit safely three times and he, too, had one RBI. Bob Melvin said this about the players. “It was good to see these youngster battle back, too. Guys were putting together some really good at-bats at the end of the game.”
The A’ record for the 8-game homestand was 4-4. They swept the Yankees but then were swept by the Astros. Oakland is 31-42 for the year while Houston owns a record of 50-24. The Astros have now won ten straight at the Oakland Coliseum and 15 of the last 16 against the A’s.
The A’s are on their way to Chicago to play the White Sox for three games. Jharel Cotton will pitch for Oakland, and Mike Pelfrey will go for Chicago. Game time is at 5:10 pm.
Oakland Athletics’ Andrew Triggs pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 9, 2017, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
By Jerry Feitelberg
OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s have been trying to find their way since 2014 when they traded Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Donaldson. This has been a consistent pattern for the A’s the team is to put mildly floundering last place in the AL West. Their ten games under .500 and their not going to contend. The A’s will be taking a look at their personnel to see what direction the team wants to go.
The A’s this year the starting rotation all five starters have been on the DL and currently pitcher Andrew Triggs is on the DL and the A’s aren’t sure when Triggs is coming back. Sonny Gray was on the DL with a lat sprang he came back and didn’t pitch not so well in some of the other starts. In his last start against the Astros Gray started the game by throwing the ball back to the back stop. It didn’t look like he had any control and he had a rough outing.
AP File Photo: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer
OAKLAND, Calif — The Oakland Raiders knew they had something special at quarterback with Derek Carr.
Now, he is paid like one.
Carr and the Raiders have agreed to a five-year, $125 million extension, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, noting a source close to the negotiations. Carr’s new contact makes him the highest paid player in terms of average money per year ($25 million per), moving past Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Before breaking his leg on Christmas Eve in a home loss to the Colts, the 26-year-old Carr was having an MVP-type of season, throwing for 3,937 yards with 28 touchdowns to just six interceptions. In three seasons, Carr has thrown for 11,191 yards, 81 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.
Carr was finishing up his rookie deal, and was scheduled to make less than $1 million in base salary this season before agreeing to the new deal. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, Carr’s deal includes $70 million in guarantees with $40 million guaranteed at signing.
With Carr’s deal now completed, the Raiders should turn their attention in locking up defensive linchpin Khalil Mack long-term.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after an 11-sack season in 2016 that included a pick-6 interception, has a team option through 2018, but you’d think that general manager Reggie McKenzie would want to keep the nucleus of the team intact and Mack is a big part of the Raiders’ future.
Information from this report provided from the NFL Network and USA Today.
Atlanta Braves left fielder Matt Kemp (27) is doused after hitting a two-run walk-off home run against the San Francisco Giants during the 11th inning of a baseball game early Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Atlanta. The Braves won 5-3. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
By Jeremy Harness
Here’s how bad things have gone for the Giants this year. On the rare day that Jeff Samardzija has a quality outing for the Giants – which he did on Wednesday – his teammates find a way to not make it stand up.
Samardzija has undoubtedly had his share of struggles this year, but he managed to put all of that to the side Wednesday, as he threw seven innings of six-hit, three-run ball at the Atlanta Braves. He also did not walk a single batter while striking out eight of them, giving his change a chance to win for the first time in a while.
However, it was not meant to be. But really, how many times have we said that this season?
First of all, the Giants could not support him with any offense, as he left the game trailing 3-1. Braves starter Sean Newcomb, Samardzija’s counterpart, gave up only a run on three hits, discovering the holes in the Giants’ bats that so many other teams have found this year.
The Giants’ however, mounted a comeback on Atlanta’s bullpen. They scored a run in the eighth against Arodys Vizcaino to narrow the lead to a single run, and then tied the game in the ninth off closer Jim Johnson, whom A’s fans remember not-so-fondly, as Hunter Pence launched a solo homer over the center-field wall.
The Giants went quietly in the 10th and 11th innings, and the Braves’ bats struck one last time. This time, Cody Gearrin was the victim, as former Dodger and Padre Matt Kemp tagged him for a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th to send the Giants to a 5-3 loss Wednesday night.
The Giants have now lost 10 of their last 12 games, meaning that it is probably about the time that the team may think about waving the white flag on their disintegrating season, thus turning them into likely sellers at the trade deadline when they have grown accustomed to being buyers.
They have one more game to play in Atlanta, to be played Thursday night, before they head back to AT&T Park for a three-game series with the New York Mets before they welcome the Colorado Rockies for a three-gamer immediately following that series.
To no one’s surprise, the Giants currently sit in last place in the National League West, as they are 2 ½ games behind the San Diego Padres with a 27-47 record. They currently own the second-worst record in the majors, with the Philadelphia Phillies bringing it up the rear with a 22-48 mark.
Houston Astros’ Jake Marisnick, left, slides to score behind Oakland Athletics catcher Josh Phegley during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
by Jerry Feitelberg
OAKLAND– The Houston Astros continued their mastery of the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum as they beat the A’s 5-1 Wednesday night. The A’s Sean Manaea and Houston’s Mike Fiers were locked in a pitcher’s duel for the first five innings of the game. The Astros broke through in the sixth when they sent eight men to bat and scored three runs on five hits, all singles. Fiers went six-plus innings, and the Houston bullpen allowed the A’s just one run and one hit the rest of the way.
Sean Manaea was cruising along with a two-hit shutout through the first five innings against Houston. The Astros, with the best record in the American League, touched Manaea for five hits and three runs in the sixth. Jose Altuve led off the inning with a single. Carlos Correa also singled sending Altuve to third. Correa advanced to second when the throw from the outfield missed the cutoff man. The next hitter Evan Gattis, who loves to kill the A’s, singled to drive in Altuve and Correa. Gattis went to second on a single by Yuli Gurriel and then scored on a single by Jake Marisnick. The A’s failed to score in their half of the six and now trail 3-0. Sean Manaea night was over as Bob Melvin brought in Ryan Madson to pitch in the top of the seventh.
The A’s scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to send Fiers to the showers. Yonder Alonso led off the inning with a double to right. Ryon Healy walked to put men on at first nd second. Astros’ manager A.J.Hinch brought in lefty Tony Sipp to pitch to Jaycob Brugman. Brugman hit into a fielder’s choice, and that allowed Alonso to advance to third. Stephen Vogt, pinch-hitting for Rajai Davis, hit a slow roller that Jose Altuve had to field and Altuve threw to the pitcher for the out, Alonso scored on the play. Houston still leads 3-1 after seven innings of play.
The Astros scored an insurance run in the top of the eighth. With one out, Yuli Furriel singled to left. Third baseman Alex Bregman followed with another single to left sending Gurriel to third. Gurriel scored on a sacrifice fly. Houston’s Carlos Correa hit a solo homer with two out in the top of the ninth off Josh Smith. It was Correa’s 14th of the year and upped Houston’s lead to 5-1. The A’s failed to score in the bottom of the ninth and fall to Houston for the third game in a row.
Game Notes-Mike Fiers was the winning pitcher, and his record is now 5-2. Fiers is 4-0 in his last five starts. The Astros have now won 9 straight games at the Oakland Coliseum and 14 of the last 15 against the A’s. The Astros are now 49-24, and that is the best record in all of baseball.
The A’s are now ten games under .500 with a record of 31-41 and have lost three in a row. Houston will o for the sweep Thursday. Righty David Paulino (1-0, 5.03 ERA) will pitch for the Astros, and the A’s will counter with Jesse Hahn. Hahn pitched well against the Yankees last week, and he is 3-4 with a 3.56 ERA. The A’s leave after the game for a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox and then off to Houston to play the Astros for three more.
The line score for Oakland was one run on four hits and one error. It was the 67th error of the year for Oakland.Houston’s line was five runs on ten hits and one error.
Time of game was three hours and six minutes and a small crowd of 12,277 people watched the A’s lose for the 41st time this year.
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