CHICAGO - Day 1 of my time here is done. Besides trying Chicago deep-dish pizza for the first time, I managed to do a little work here at the NBA Draft Combine.
The Kings interviewed three players today: James Anderson, Cole Aldrich and Eric Bledsoe.
Each player would fill a need on the Kings. The Kings need help at both guard spots and in the frontcourt.
*Anderson is a shooting guard. After Kevin Martin was traded, the big backcourt the Kings had looked forward to having was done and the team ended the season with Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih as the starting guards. With Francisco Garcia ailing at times, that left the Kings without true backups at either guard spot.
Anderson averaged 22.3 points last season for Oklahoma State. He's listed at 6-foot-6, so he'd add size to the backcourt. He made 34.1 percent of his threes in college. Anderson made 81 percent of his free throws.
Is he worth the fifth pick? At this point he is if the Kings opt to go with a shooting guard because Evan Turner won't fall past the second spot.
*The Kings' need for help up front is well documented. Aldrich's scoring and rebounds went down as a junior, but he increased his shot blocking.
Aldrich is probably the second-best center prospect behind Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins.
If the Kings are set on getting another center (Spencer Hawes is the only true center on the roster) Aldrich and Cousins could be the options at No. 5.
Aldrich is said to have a 7-4 wingspan so he'd help protect the basket, if anything. He has good shooting touch, but took no three pointers last season. So he apparently doesn't like to drift to the perimeter.
The Kings already have three post players (Hawes, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry) who can make jump shots. The premium should be on adding someone who can be physical in the paint.
*The Kings could use another ballhandler, badly. Bledsoe is considered a first-round talent after spending a season playing with John Wall.
It will be interesting to see how Bledsoe plays without Wall running the team. The Kings need someone who can play with Evans and spell him, too.
There's no way I could see the Kings taking him at five, but their need for a player like Bledsoe is real.
*I did see Cousins today as he prepared for interviews. He looks slimmer than he did on television during the season. The question about Cousins is about is maturity, not talent.
Based on his skills and ability to score in the paint, he'd help the Kings if he fell to five. I assume the Kings will meet with him in the next couple of days.
Media availability with the players begins tomorrow.
--Jason Jones
