Kings add SIZE! Maxime Raynaud Drafted + Cardwell Signed

Kings add SIZE! Maxime Raynaud Drafted + Cardwell Signed

you know Morgan hope is a very powerful thing as a sports fan It is And I think like a week ago a lot of people in Kingsland not very hopeful And then we get a draft and I got to be honest dude it has sucked me in you fans are feeling pretty good just because of what has transpired in the last like two days I’m not as hopeful as as you but what gives me hope i think there’s there’s different levels of hope And the level of hope that I’m at compared to you you’re like “Ah irrational hope always.” Like “No it’s so it’s so adorable.” But then my hope is more like “Whoa this front office likes tall big people Yay that’s basketball.” Yes That’s what I’m saying like this is exciting And it’s funny because hey we may see these guys in summer and go “Oh my god who knows?” But the NBA draft it’s done It’s over The Kings walked into the draft without a first round pick They end up drafting in the first round getting Nick Clifford And then the second round they get a big guy A big guy who could stretch the floor Morgan a stretch five I know We got a stretch five who moves well Our French king Is he our French king yes Maxim Reo Say that again Maxim Reno Yeah I want to get his name right So I think it’s Maximo I know it’s Reo I know it’s Reo but Maxim Yeah Yeah Yeah Maxim It’s M A H K S E M for the pronunciation Maxim Maxim Or is it Maxim maxim Reo Maxim I’m call Maxim I like it either way I just like his game So anyway 22year-old grew up in France spent his college career at Stanford and similar to Nick Clifford he’s shown tremendous growth the last couple of years a high usage player last year at Stanford but he popped He popped for sure And for a Sacramento Kings team that hasn’t really had a stretch five like we want Sabonis to be a stretch five and he’s taken more threes That’s exciting But you were talking about a guy who’s you know 7 foot tall who’s got the size and length that can come out and launch threes A sevenfooter that can stretch the floor Um right there it excites me because I think you just saw the way that he move can move on the floor and it’s like oh he’s a mobile big too Like it’s not just it Look there’s going to be so many things that I read about with his footwork and how he needs to obviously work on that when it comes to the defensive end but like looking at the highlights God that’s me this draft year Like usually I’m going back watching full games all these different things This year I was a little down I didn’t know how to really cover this draft especially because going into it the Kings didn’t even have a firstrounder And so just really going off highlights this year trying not to get sucked in by that and just what people are are writing about him But at the same time when you see it with your own eyes and you see a big player move like he can and it with Stanford it was like yeah it excites you He’s listed as 7 foot 7 and a4 wingspan and a 92 standing reach 230 lbs Last year at Stanford 20 points 10 rebounds 1.7 assists per game shot 46% from the field 35% from three on 5.5 attempts 77% free throw shooter Uh his attempts from three jumped from 1.9 to 5.5 per game I was watching some of his scrimmage from the draft combine He participated in one scrimmage five on five and he was really good He was missing his threes that day but like again having the ability to to have a big that could stretch the floor but he can also attack closeouts I think that was some of the stuff we were watching where it’s like whoa whoa he’s got a pump fake puts the ball on the floor and then scores inside at the And that’s that’s where I was talking about even with his footwork when um there was such a big knock on his footwork he has the ability to do it on the offensive end right attack the close out like you said and put the ball on the floor and be aggressive when he’s attacking the rim So on the defensive end it just gives me hope for a 22year-old that’s like yeah he’ll he’ll have to develop and find ways to figure out what he needs to do on that end of the floor But um also he’s going to have to get stronger like his build and everything too Yeah I think one of the things watching some of his stuff last night I do think he’s going to have to be a little more physical And you know part of that you go okay like if you’re asking a guy to be more physical is that is that something you could teach or do you just have it in you that’s going to be the question I think I have for him But the shot blocking got way better in the later stages of last season And I was watching an interview he did during the pre-draft process and he was talking about how he had like outside people outside of Stanford Okay Kind of break down some things for him defensively Cool And the final stretch of the season is pretty ridiculous from a shot blocking perspective I heard him talk about oh yeah I I went from I doubled it or whatever I went okay let me go look back at his game log So his first 26 games of the season he had 27 blocks Okay His last nine games of the season he had 23 blocks Whoa And this wasn’t like oh he had like 10 in one game and you know nothing It was like steady He averaged two and a half a game And it’s like okay did he figure something out there cool I know his college coach did an interview with Sean Cunningham and was talking about how like yeah we didn’t really want him blocking a ton of shots cuz we didn’t want him in foul trouble and we needed him on the floor Yeah he they were running everything through him He was a high usage guy So like we can’t we can’t lose him So I think from a rim protection standpoint like I think there are signs that he has that in him I think he moves pretty well Now I think one of the questions that we ask about any big is like okay when you’re being hunted out there when it’s a pick and roll situation You have to switch out in a guard that’s not a guard in the ACC It’s an NBA level guard How are you going to handle yourself yeah I look he was picked 42nd in this draft wears the number 42 at Stanford Um which was interesting But um it’s like I I guess like again I go back to what I said at the beginning of this I just like that this Kings front office wanted to draft a big player uh something where this NBA is going it’s evolving to like you need that size out there and you need big players that are versatile and that can do so much more So even if he’s not ready now as a second round draft pick it’s fine They’re putting someone in their system that they can hopefully develop and teach I mean you just saw it from even the numbers that you showed with his u with his blocks It’s like he’s coachable He’s willing to put in the work and learn how he needs to get better Really smart kid Duh With a Stanford majored in mathematics He was actually pursuing a career in astrophysics Jesus Like seriously come on Um so I I’m eager to see him in the summer league And you know of course my head you’re going to laugh at me I’m like dude like could you picture him playing with Sabonis out there and I know that’s jumping far ahead but when you think about having another big next to Sabonis you’re pl you’re trying this too big look Yeah you do need someone that could step out and hit threes and space the floor and protect the rim I’m like different levels of excitement Okay Like delusional Maybe to bring us down a little bit but let’s get perspectives from two Western Conference scouts about him This is from the Athletic Uh one scout somebody’s going to get a star in him got better each year a good team is going to get him and people are going to be like “How did they get him?” He’s got to get stronger but he can post up He can pass He’s got jump hooks both hands Turn around Jay He can step out and shoot threes and he could put on the floor Donovan Klingan went seven in last year’s draft Zack Edy went nine Other than Edy being bigger Rayo’s more skilled than both of them put together Why why do you Why do you Why why those guys were first round picks last year I that scout thinks maybe the Kings got a steal This is one person so calm down Here’s another scout Here’s another scout Hates to be touched in the playoffs The way they let you play you’ve got to get used to a bit of manhandling He has some talent He’s like Luke Cornet Not bad Could shoot the ball great hands but hated to be touched He had to learn Took him a while But now he’s a serviceable player Reo is better than Cornet but he’s going to have to find somebody who values his finesse Okay I’ll take a L Cornet on my team Again teachable teachable things You know you even talk about um like being physical and I think sometimes you have to have it in you But what I feel like what we’ve seen from people talking about him is that he’s willing to put in the work learn and kind of understand what he needs to do to get there Just excites me It seems like after years and years of going like who let’s back a big situation at least you’re seeing that Scott Perry has a plan of like hey yes let’s get some people who fit the modern game like we need somebody that can do more out there who could stretch the floor could pass could score a variety of looks and can protect the rim and then after the draft last night they signed Dylan Cardwell the big guy from Auburn to a two-way contract listed at 610 almost a 71 wingspan And according to Vassini 261 lbs Um now this guy is not going to be shooting threes although he experimented with it a little bit in college He is literally in the dunker spot dunking rebounding and then defensively It is honestly eyepopping what he does out there from a defensive perspective Yeah And it’s because he has that wingspan the long arms but he also has the feel and the touch of um the timing of understanding when to block that shot It it felt like it didn’t matter if it was at the rim or even if it was in the mid-range that someone was shooting the ball or trying to get um a floater on him or whatever It’s like he just has that feel for everywhere on the floor And that to me is is a total effort thing too It’s it’s a field thing but it’s like the effort um to be able to do that on so many different levels on the defensive end and that excites me about him Sam Bassini’s draft guide put a summary out about him saying “It’s hard to overemphasize how impressive Cardwell was on defense for Auburn this year He was a huge reason for the team success He has a a readymade NBA role and it’s hard to find humans this large who move this well He’s 260 pounds.” Great way to put it um he’s going to have to become an elite defender to make it as a backup or as a third big given that he doesn’t have much offensive skill but people seem to like having Cardwell around and that’s an underrated part of being a great deep bench player in the NBA I wouldn’t be stunned if he stuck and I think he’s definitely worth a two-way to find out One of the things he had mentioned was that he was named Auburn student leader of the year in 2024 He is an enormous personality and has endeared himself to every source I’ve spoken to him about during the pre-draft process Hey it you you like good people around as well young good people Um it’s just it’s good for the culture It’s good for the system What if he’s Mitchell Robinson and that’s someone that Scott Murray drafted yeah No Oh that’s so You know what I mean so I start I just think about these things and look I know it’s a two-way contract but you can find two-way j gems nowadays especially with how things work out Hell some of these agents are making sure teams don’t draft their guys in the second round so they can get just get two-way deals at places they want their client to be You think about someone like Keon Ellis and what he has turned into as a two-way contract You can develop these guys and although he’s 23 years old it doesn’t mean he can can’t come in have an impact He can come in if he’s mature he handles business good leader and he knows his job It’s to go out there defend Yeah he could block shots but to see him switch out in the perimeter and guard active hands just having a Am I getting juiced because you’re you’re psycho But just but it’s even good when you think about him developing in the G-League You know I it always excites me when I think about us being able to call the games for um a player like him He may be the backup center Okay But my my point is is uh that it’s like having the right people in your system is oh so important And I feel like over the years sometimes it’s just been um a lot of guards or a lot of good personalities though You know there’s been a lot of good people that um have been in the two-way system and everything with the Kings And I think that’s that the front office always did a really good job of that But it’s also about finding the pieces that fit the modern day and age of where the NBA is going And if you aren’t developing that the big pieces too well then you’re light years away and way behind Yeah And I’m not sitting here today acting as if the Kings just drafted like three allstars or you know two allstars and a two-way guy But you start thinking about establishing an identity and a culture as Scott Perry’s talked about It’s like yeah what was the Kings identity last year i don’t even know They didn’t have one And so I I need some toughness I need some defense I need rebounding I need length I need athleticism and I need some docks And so if this is the first step in that process to establishing that to me that’s a win It doesn’t mean the Kings don’t have a [ __ ] ton of other things to do We’ve talked about the trades that they probably need to make here balance out the roster This is going to be a weird year We know all that But I just get excited about these three young guys And even Kevin O’ Conor like the Kings picks No way No No He gave Nate Clifford his draft grade an A for the Kings What is he okay He you know what he gave uh Maxim Reno what an A+ what draft grade Not that draft grades matter but it’s just funny to see those things Um but I mean and from KOC Yeah Yeah I know He actually likes it Um but yeah you know one last thing too just thinking about the fact that they did draft two bigs You know you have Sabonis they trade for Valenunis You do wonder if they’re thinking about and maybe it depends on Summer League too but they’re going “Hey like Valenunis is a very movable deal because of his contract Everybody around the league loves him We want something different at that position Maybe he is a trade chip and they do go hey we feel comfortable Sabonis is going to play 35 minutes a night and we can use one of these young guys as our backup.” And I love that thought process if that ends up being the direction that they do go in because you obviously you you would like to see if these bigs are the pieces that they are trying to develop and go forward with that they do see some minutes Yeah And they’re not 19 They’re like 22 23 years old So you would think they would be more ready Right Right Yeah So I mean look there’s just going to be a lot of things that we don’t know um how things are going to go how this roster is going to look even at the beginning of the season but I’m excited for it all Look I’m just a little more hopeful than I was before the draft because there’s so much unknown when you start seeing Perry tinker and you’re like “Oh I I see the vision here I see in terms of like what you’re trying to okay that’s the type of player you want.” Now six months from now we may be deuces Deuce you’re like you literally like in the last three days have gone from like normal to a little dulu Like a little dulu but I I think I think you’ve watched some of this stuff I think everyone everyone if you’re a basketball fan it’s okay to be delusional at times because that hope and the delusion leads you into joy and fun and and not and and again it’s not like these pieces are a whole bunch of 61 point guards you know and I think that’s where we keep going back to it’s exciting to see it just go in the right direction I mean look at what they were doing for backup bigs at one point They were bringing Nerland Noel in for a minute then Javal McGee Alex L Can you just find some stability and I love Valenunis I love JB And if he’s part of the team going into next season there’s nothing wrong with that I think from a leadership standpoint I he could still help on the floor but there’s also just going to be different problematic matchups for him as we’ve seen right and so to have some versatility is at the big spot some youth something different that you haven’t had like I love it Yeah let’s go And are you excited for summer league oh but I was excited for summer league uh after Nick Clifford though You know what I mean it was like yay I don’t care Just a draft pick Obviously I knew that the Kings had the 42nd pick in the draft But with second rounders you just you don’t know they could have made a trade last minute you know and then what done whatever So I wasn’t looking forward to it I also like I said at the beginning of this just really did not immerse myself into this draft and a lot of these pieces Um I think because my excitement levels were low which is like such a bad excuse to go in that direction but they were I was I was a little down on where the Kings could actually go in this draft and what was going to happen If you believe all the draft nerds the draft sickos who like look at this [ __ ] I believe them a lot of times They like the Kings picks and maybe they’re just excited because it’s like guys that they they’ve evaluated like “Oh I like this guy and he got drafted you know but like Nick Clifford was projected to go higher in some spots.” Yeah Same with Reo He was like a late first guy And you get him there and then even Cardwell people are like “Dude this guy’s Yeah And I like that Reo only has to move from what palo Alto to Sacramento now.” Yeah You and he’s close with Lebanon Yeah Play chess with him He probably dominated him in chess Does that show his right oh that means he’s the better big dude The womenyama reo showdowns dude Oh my If he can beat him in chess he can beat him on the basketball court I love that we’re saying this It’s going to be like February and I’m going to be sitting here like dude the Kings are 10 games below 500 Reo can’t get minutes He can’t get minutes Cardwell is dominating his Stockton Like dude I just don’t get it Like you need this and you’re playing Valentuna’s 27 minutes I do not want to forget to look back on this this very podcast Oh why do I do this to myself every [ __ ] year every year Every year Uh you know genuinely genuinely genuinely I think you look at Perry’s process and it makes sense That’s the thing that I started at the beginning of this podcast Yes And that is where we’re at again And we are allowed to vibe off of that Just so you know I know you’ve got a Valkyrie game today Yeah Valkyrie is taking on the sky Yeah Better smack the sky Angel Reese Kate Martin who you got dude kate Martin is letting it fly against the Liberty Um while you’re doing that Yeah I think I’m doing film breakdowns on both You should You should But they’re gonna I’m gonna they’re going to be like an hour and a half each But you know what sucks about this is Deuce during every single Valkyy’s game uh sends me notes Not only notes on what I’m doing but just like on the actual game be like “Hey make sure to look at points in the paint Do you see how much look at the Oh wow They’re all rebounding really well.” And so it’s like I love I love that you’ve been watching every single game sending me these notes So yeah tonight I don’t have that but like the game’s at seven Yeah I’m going to be doing this like during the afternoon God you are sick Like take a take a beat This is our time Okay we got draft over We’re going to start paying attention to free agency We’re going to be live on Monday for NBA free agency party Then we got Vegas summer league We’re going to be in Vegas for like 4 days watching these guys be in the gym One last note and I know this has gone everywhere I love this Yeah ESPN What during the draft last night they were promoting Cooper Flags for summer league game which is like yeah right right Mavs Lakers Okay Bronny versus Cooper Flag is what they put up Yeah Like why are we doing this i It still a thing yes ESPN was like “Yeah Cooper Flag and the Mavericks take on Bronny James and the Lakers.” I’m like “Really?” Now I’m feeling like it’s like James propaganda Like what do we what are we doing what are And like that’s not his fault though You know what I mean that’s like not his fault That is so sad Anyway uh let us know how you’re feeling about the King’s draft Are you irrational a little bit like me what’s your Let me know in the comments below Hit the thumbs up and subscribe [Music] They tell you what they know Do the podcast that you

Deuce and Mo talk about the Kings using their 2nd round pick on Stanford big m an Maxime Raynaud, signing Auburn big Dylan Cardwell to a 2-way contract and what it says about what Kings GM Scott Perry is trying to do.
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