The Connecticut center rose to fame during the Huskies' Final Four run. Is he a Sacramento fit?
The Sacramento Kings need a new force of nature. It must arrive via the NBA draft.
And not just limited to wherever the Kings land in the top five.
KingsRoundtable previously profiled Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Kingston Flemings of Houston, Darius Acuff of Arkansas and Darryn Peterson of Kansas as early pick possibilities ahead of the NBA draft. AJ Dybantsa of BYU is the trending favorite among Kings fans, especially if the team lands at No. 1 overall.
But this is the time to think outside the box. We're also taking a closer look at Zuby Ejiofor of St. John's and Tounde Yessoufou of Baylor as late-round possibilities for general manager Scott Perry, head coach Doug Christie and Co.
We're sticking with the projected later-round talents for this next one, as Tarris Reed Jr. of UConn enters as the next draft profile.
Old-School Center
Reed brings a center style reminiscent of 1980s/early-1990s big men. He resorts to physicality and power to score his points in the paint.
And he leaves a patchwork of bruises along the way.
This tactic obviously draws the risk of getting called for offensive fouls at the next level. But Reed also is skilled at forcing defensive fouls on him.
Reed turns to strength, timing, and a relentless motor to score his points in the paint. This also means Christie would gain a strong pick-and-roll option here with Reed.
Where Reed's Game Improved
His court vision increased during his final run at Storrs.
He improved his eye awareness on defensive switches and identifying the screens, then picking up on the assignment. Reed resorts to disrupting the offensive movement from there.
UConn even trusted Reed to bottle the perimeter and attempt the blocks there. Which in turn hands Sacramento a 3-point defender who'll take pressure off the backcourt.
This doesn't mean Christie would need to throw Reed at the perimeter. He's greatly needed in the paint, especially after averaging two blocks a night.
Areas of Improvement
Reed is limited offensively, despite coming with impressive power to the hoop.
He doesn't offer much outside of post play. He's even limited in hitting defenders with different moves to get his shot off. Reed often needed to turn to his shoulders and elbows to create spacing on his shot.
The constant contact at the next level could also lead to an injury pileup...and durability concerns. Yet he withstood punishment in the Big East, a hotbed for producing physical bigs.
While he's willing to flip to perimeter defense, he noticeably struggled defending quicker guards getting a shot off behind the arc. He may not get asked to defend threes.
A Fit for Kings?
Getting a rim protector in the lineup next to Maxime Raynaud is enticing.
Even better, Reed takes pressure off Raynaud collecting rebounds too.
Yes, he's limited on the scoring side. But at least here he won't face the pressure of carrying the offensive load nightly.
Reed can improve the defense and low post if brought in. Especially if he lingers into the second round.
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