With draft lottery odds locked, the Kings eye top talent like AJ Dybantsa. Can they secure the No. 1 pick and a future star?
Regardless of the result of the Sacramento Kings' season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, their standing in the draft lottery and odds at the No. 1 overall selection is decided.
Boasting a 22-59 record, Sacramento will finish with either the fourth- or fifth-worst mark in the league, trailing three Eastern Conference foes -- the Brooklyn Nets (20-61), Indiana Pacers (19-62) and Washington Wizards (17-64).
This means the Kings will be looking at a 48.1-percent chance of ending up within the top-four, with a 12.5-percent chance at the No. 1 pick. Within the past two weeks, the Kings won three of five, effectively ending their chances of moving into the top tier and slightly bettering their odds.
Doug Christie, who will be retained as head coach, has frequently talked about continuing to play to win, shaking off tanking allegations. The team has answered, going 10-15 since the All-Star break.
Should Sacramento luck into the top pick, BYU's AJ Dybantsa has seemingly separated himself as the premier choice, finishing the collegiate season as the nation's top scorer (25.5 points per game).
Many members of the local media have advocated for the BYU freshman phenom to be the pick, as Roundtable's Lorenzo Reyna reported in mid-February.
Dybantsa finished the season on a tear, scoring 26 or more in each of the Cougars' three conference tournament matchups, including a 40-point outburst against Kansas State.
He then played every minute of BYU's first round matchup against the Texas Longhorns, scoring 35 points and adding 10 rebounds.
Dybantsa's durability was one of the main proponents of his rise to the assumed No. 1 selection, as his main competition, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, had question marks surrounding his health all season.
However, should the Kings miss out on Dybantsa and perhaps even out of the top four, Peterson's recent concerns could prove to be a blessing in disguise.
I recently highlighted the best options for Sacramento, should the team fall out of the top four, noting players like Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler.
However, talks surrounding Peterson's full body cramps and limited availability and Kansas' early exit in March have made him a slightly-less safe option within the top three.
Nevertheless, Peterson is one of the most gifted scorers the college game has seen in the past decade, with legendary Jayhawks head coach Bill Self acknowledging him as one of the best prospects to pass through Kansas.
Throughout his very real cramping issues, Peterson still put on a show when healthy, averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while shooting at a 38.2-percent clip from deep.
Peterson is the definition of an effortless scorer and if healthy, will instantly be a capable scorer at the next level.
Wherever the Kings fall, if Peterson is available, they may regret passing on a player that can be a 15-plus point scorer on day one and fit in next to young, talented front court pieces like Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford, who have both begun to look more comfortable in their rookie seasons,
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