Nate Ament joins a star-studded cast of one-and-done players heading to the NBA Draft. Does he fit Sacramento?
The Sacramento Kings are approximately 12 days away from learning their real NBA Draft fate.
The lottery system doesn't guarantee that the team with the worst record lands at No. 1. This means Sacramento earns a slight chance to win the top overall pick.
KingsRoundtable has already mentioned numerous draft possibilities for Sacramento including Cameron Boozer of Duke, Darius Acuff of Arkansas and Keaton Wagler of Illinois to name a few.
Boozer and Wagler are entering the draft as freshmen, making them the latest one-and-dones for the college game.
But now we mention another testing the waters who's starting to gain attention as a top 10 pick. Time to see if Nate Ament of Tennessee is worth looking at if you're general manager Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie.
Long Option in the Frontcourt
Future NBA teams already will be enamored with Ament's frame, as he stands at 6-foot-10, 205-pounds.
But it's what he does with that height that'll ooze confidence for teams looking closely at him pre-draft.
Ament is a stronger glider to the hoop compared to most long forwards. He handles the ball strongly well even in traffic.
Soft Shooting Touch
Ament's height hands him the edge in shooting over foes. But he's equipped with a soft shooting touch and arc to his attempts.
He shot 39.9% from field goal range and even banked 33% of his three-pointers.
The Iowa State game shows his marksman side from behind the arc, nailing three of four attempts from long range. He even hit four three's against Auburn during the Southeastern Conference tournament.
Christie and Perry could fall in love with a forward who can hit from three-point land.
Point-Forward Traits
If Sacramento aims to recreate the early 2000s version of the Kings, Ament will have no trouble running the floor.
He brings "point-forward" capabilities ranging from grabbing and going in transition, reading the defense on the move, then facilitate the ball in space.
Ament brings a strong feel for the game and his court awareness during plays make him worth looking closer at.
Shot Creator Traits
Ament does his most damage facing smaller defenders. His face-up shooting game is an instant strength.
His length also hands him an advantage in creating separation. Ament brings a strong mid-post game while also handling points under the rim.
But he's a limited creator, often relying on his height and face-up opportunities to score.
Areas of Concern
While he moves well for a longer prospect, he's still not going to win foot races with quicker guards, even in transition.
He noticeably struggled with facing set defenses and less when he faced man. Ament also tends to dribble high and loosely, leading to turnovers.
Right now he's more spot up shooter with impressive length. But he'll need to bulk up from his 205-pound frame if teams expect him to bang inside the paint.
Are Kings at Fit?
Ament feels more like an option for Sacramento if the Kings fall somewhere around the ninth or 10th pick.
Sacramento will be more heavily invested into grabbing Aj Dybantsa or the aforementioned prospects KingsRoundtable previously mentioned.
And for what it's worth, Ament can use another year at Knoxville to boost his stock into top five chatter...and perhaps play for a Final Four contender for next season.
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