This piece is very important to me. For
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, I wrote about why I choose to cover the NBA Draft, and the sports journey that brought me to this point. I hope that some of you will read it, and I hope that a few of you can relate to it too.
Love the Kings getting Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones as UDFAs—think Crawford in particular has a great chance to make the roster as a lengthy do-everything type of wing.
I’m genuinely struggling with how much I dislike this trade. Like, I get that it’s a salary dump, but to give up your best chance at getting a rotation player for cheap as well as clearly giving Toronto much better value? I still have full faith in Monte, but…I don’t get this.
Sacramento Kings win 103-96 in Game Two in Vegas. Neemias Queta was exceptional, Keegan Murray finished with 23-1-3, Keon Ellis and Jared Rhoden were solid, Frankie Ferrari went on a tear in the first half, and Sean McDermott lit it up in the second half. Great team effort.
I wrote about Tevin Brown of Murray State for my
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article this week—his top-notch shooting and solid two-way potential make him a potential second-round steal. Hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
ESPN Sources: Free agent G Malik Monk intends to sign a four-year, $78 million deal — including a player option — to return to the Sacramento Kings. Monk had career-bests of 15 points and five assists on his way to the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up.
DaRon Holmes II of the Dayton Flyers is having a strong start to the season after establishing himself as a draft prospect last season. I wrote about his game this week for
@NoCeilingsNBA
- here’s a quick preview of the piece if you want to check it out!
I covered Michigan’s Moussa Diabate for my latest Sleeper Deep Dives article for
@NoCeilingsNBA
- his intriguing offensive game and sky-high defensive potential make him an interesting prospect. Hope that you read it, and hope that you enjoy the article!
I wrote about Dereon Seabron for my
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article this week. His incredible scoring around the rim and defensive potential make him an intriguing second round prospect. Hope that some of you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
I wrote about Iowa’s Kris Murray for my first Sleeper Deep Dives article this season for
@NoCeilingsNBA
—Murray’s combination of three-point shooting and defensive playmaking gives him a chance to be a breakout player in a bigger role this season:
First half thoughts on Kings-China (1/2)
—Keon Ellis is still too good for Summer League
—Isaac Jones has a better handle than I thought; looks really fluid out there
—Hansen Yang is impossibly huge and it’s easy to see the feel; he’ll be one to watch for the 2025 draft
For
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, I wrote my first Editor's Notes article of the 2024 NBA Draft cycle, covering Zaccharie Risacher, Tyler Smith, Kyle Filipowski, DaRon Holmes II, and Reece Beekman.
He wasn’t much of a sleeper heading into the season, but Daimion Collins has slid down some draft boards recently. I’m still a believer, so I covered him for my latest Sleeper Deep Dives article-hope you enjoy!
My latest Sleeper Deep Dives article for
@NoCeilingsNBA
on Jaime Jaquez Jr. is now live! I think that his great defense and well-rounded offensive game make him an underrated potential first-round prospect--hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
Early first quarter thoughts on Kings 2 vs. Lakers:
—Adonis Arms has been generating a ton of space on his stepbacks; nice to see
—Jordan Ford continues to be a bucket
—Maxwell Lewis has been the best player on the court
Looking forward to seeing the Kings 1 squad tonight!
Daryl Morey is an infinitely better GM than Billy King and James Harden will keep the Rockets afloat for the next half-decade regardless, but I'm getting some serious Garnett/Pierce trade vibes from the reported offer of four future first round picks for Jimmy Butler.
I wrote about Orlando Robinson for my
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article this week. The Fresno State big man's long-range shooting, transition scoring, and defensive potential make him an intriguing second-round prospect. Hope you read and enjoy!
Sometimes life works out and you move to the Bay Area just in time to spend a significant portion of your life savings on Finals tickets. I don't care if it's a blowout, this is still the best day ever.
I put together another edition of Editor's Notes for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, covering Juan Nuñez, Trey Alexander, Oso Ighodaro, Jonathan Mogbo, and KJ Simpson:
I wrote about fellow hyphenate Jalen Hood-Schifino for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today--his draft journey has fascinated me this season, and his versatile game and interesting skill set will draw eyes in the NBA for years to come.
I wrote about Iverson Molinar this week for my latest
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article. The Mississippi State guard is one of the more talented and fun guards in this year’s draft class; this was a joy to write, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
I had an awesome time with
@tmetcalf11
back on the
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives podcast this week to cover Metcalf's article on Tidjane Salaun, one of the more polarizing prospects in the class:
Feeling ridiculously lucky and grateful right now—wasn’t sure when the Sacramento Kings would make the playoffs next after I moved here two years ago. So stunned and thankful that I get to witness the playoff return!
Time to light the beam.
ICYMI: I wrote about Sidy Cissoko and his exceptional passing talents today for my latest
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article; here’s a preview of the piece!
Link to the article:
Quick first half thoughts from Game Two for the Kings in Vegas (1/3):
-Neemias Queta has been incredibly impressive on both ends of the floor. He also looks massive in person.
-Keon Ellis has the clamps in effect. Offense has been up and down, but he’s made solid decisions.
Kings 2 squad takes the first game of Summer League, 108-94 over the Lakers in Chase Center. Adonis Arms looked fantastic, leading the way for the Kings with 32/11/5. Maxwell Lewis was exceptional for LA, and often looked like the best player on the court in his minutes.
Jeff Van Gundy out here complaining about Looney not rebounding well in traffic when the dude has a broken collarbone. Can we please bring Doris Burke up from the sidelines and let Jackson and Van Gundy argue about something off-mic?
So nice I had to do it twice! For
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, I wrote Part Two of my Summer League Diary, featuring Keegan Murray, Neemias Queta, and many other words about my basketball experience in Las Vegas. Hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
After a great morning film session with
@DraftFilmSchool
on Taran Armstrong, I’ve got big shoes to fill for the second
@NoCeilingsNBA
article of the day. For my third Sleeper Deep Dives article, I covered Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon Jr.—hope you enjoy!
My first solo article for
@NoCeilingsNBA
is now live! I covered Marcus Bagley in-depth as the first player in the Sleeper Deep Dives series I’ll be doing this year—hope you’ll check it out, and hope you enjoy!
I wrote about Dillon Mitchell for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today—his elite strengths, shooting struggles, and growth since make him an interesting evaluation, and his NBA projection might be easier than some believe.
I wrote about Illinois junior Coleman Hawkins today on
@NoCeilingsNBA
for my latest Sleeper Deep Dives article. His passing brilliance and defensive versatility have made him an early riser on 2023 boards--and may be enough to make him a first round pick.
I put together another edition of Editor's Notes today for
@NoCeilingsNBA
- I covered Kevin McCullar, Adem Bona, Julian Strawther, D'Moi Hodge, and Andre Jackson Jr. in this one.
The number of people who have reached out today to see if I’m OK after the Tyrese Haliburton trade (and I appreciate all of you) should tell you all you need to know about how awful that trade was for Sacramento.
I wrote about the recently-completed California Classic for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, with breakdowns of all of the games and in-person details from two of the days of games in Sacramento.
Really excited about doing this new show on the Sacramento Kings with
@ticketrules
this season! Please subscribe and check back in on Monday; we’ve got an awesome first episode for you with a very special guest.
Now that Media Day has passed and training camps have begun, I have a basketball-related announcement that I'm incredibly excited to share:
@ticketrules
and I will be joining forces for a Sacramento Kings podcast (
@KingsWeeklyPod
) this season!
Jaylen Clark has had an exceptionally hot start to the season for UCLA, and
@albertoeghim
joined me for the latest
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives episode to talk about his game. Here’s a preview of the episode!
Link to Albert’s article:
I wrote about Terrance Arceneaux for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today; his exceptional defense and developing offense might fly under the radar for another draft cycle, but a well-timed breakout could lead to NBA looks sooner rather than later:
Summer League might still be going, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to revel in the memories! For
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, I wrote Part One of a diary about my first NBA Summer League experience in Las Vegas. Hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
The first episode of
@KingsWeeklyPod
is here! Thanks so much to
@JandersonSacBee
for joining
@ticketrules
and me to kick things off with a Kings season preview. Please check out the episode and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
Our first episode is now live! We were honored to have
@JandersonSacBee
on as our first guest, as he joined
@NBAJohnson
and
@ticketrules
to preview the upcoming Kings season, go over last season's successes and cover the offseason roster changes:
It shouldn’t surprise me by this point, but I love how ready, willing, and able the Golden 1 Center crowd is to roar to life at the slightest provocation even in the dying moments of a Summer League game.
Incredibly excited to share the first
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives episode! I brought
@BaumBoards
on the podcast to talk about his recent article on Jalen Hood-Schifino, one of our shared favorite prospects in the 2023 draft class:
I had an awesome time with
@eyreball
on today's
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives episode, talking about Bobi Klintman and Ignacio's recent article with more than a few tangents sprinkled in:
Really interesting stat about Atkinson's defensive scheme--I've always thought of him as more of an offensive/developmental coach, but he did a lot with limited defensive personnel this year.
I'm a big fan of Kenny Atkinson in BKN. Here's a stat supporting my belief he's got his team heading in the right direction. BKN allowed the fewest catch-and-shoot 3PA last season. Next 10 teams in that stat all made the playoffs. BKN also forced the most pull-up 2s.
Had an awesome time with
@BaumBoards
on this week’s
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives episode! We dove deep on Florida State’s Jamir Watkins and draft philosophy on this year’s class, as well as discussing our thoughts on Terrence Shannon Jr. and Otega Oweh:
I wrote about Northwestern big man Pete Nance for my
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article this week—his versatile offensive game and defensive potential make him an intriguing second round prospect. Hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
I wrote about Miami Hurricanes star guard Isaiah Wong for this week's
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article--his relentless rim pressure, improving shot, and defensive playmaking make him a potential steal in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
I’m trying something new this week for
@NoCeilingsNBA
- I wrote the first edition of what I’m calling Editor’s Notes, covering some of the prospects who haven’t gotten as much No Ceilings shine this season. Hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
I had an awesome time chopping it up with
@StephenGHoops
for today's Deep Dives episode of the
@NoCeilingsNBA
podcast. We covered Reece Beekman and Brandin Podziemski (featured players in Stephen's last two articles), and their potential paths to the NBA.
So, quick little thread for those who might be interested: my last day at my full-time job is today. I’m moving up to Sacramento this weekend, and I’m going to be focusing on my basketball work! There will be quite a bit more written work from me in the next few months...(1/2)
I wrote about Gonzaga guard Julian Strawther for my latest
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives article—his staggeringly efficient offense and solid defense make him an underrated prospect heading into the 2023 NBA Draft.
I put together another edition of Editor's Notes for my
@NoCeilingsNBA
article this week, covering five prospects who we haven't written about enough this season (in my mind)--Jordan Hawkins, Kobe Bufkin, Noah Clowney, Leonard Miller, and James Nnaji:
I talked to
@tmetcalf11
about Keyonte George and his playmaking for this week’s
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives episode—here’s a preview of our discussion!
Episode link:
I was so happy that I got to bring
@rowankent
on the
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives podcast this week to talk about Rowan's recent article on one of our shared favorite prospects in this class, DaRon Holmes II:
One last
@hashtbasketball
NBA Deep Dives episode before the end of the year! Thanks to my Draft Deep Dives co-host and
@NoCeilingsNBA
teammate
@tmetcalf11
for chatting with me about his awesome article on Kendall Brown’s cutting:
For this week’s NBA Deep Dives episode, my
@NoCeilingsNBA
and
@hashtbasketball
colleague
@tmetcalf11
and I discussed five prospects who have been impressive in the small sample size theater of their seasons thus far:
For anyone who wants a quick preview of my Sleeper Deep Dives article on Kris Murray for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, check out this video about his prowess as a long-range shooter!
For my latest Sleeper Deep Dives article for
@NoCeilingsNBA
I talked about Trevion Williams, whose highlight-reel passing is just part of a strong and intriguing skill set:
Really excited and honored to be a part of this squad! Here’s our Substack for all of y’all to check out; we’ll have some great prospect work for you all season long!
🚨The Real Breaking News🚨
It's Time to Share Something BIG 🔥
🏀 A New
#NBADraft
Team Has Been Created.
🏀 Draft Season is About to Get DANGEROUS
🏀Meet the Squad and Welcome to
@NoCeilingsNBA
Great conversation with
@CalebMueller23
of
@OnThe_ClockBB
and
@DraftDeeper
on the
@NoCeilingsNBA
Home and Away podcast on six intriguing prospects: Keyonte George, Colby Jones, GG Jackson, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Cedric Coward, and Terrence Shannon Jr.
After an offseason hiatus, I'm excited to get back to writing! My first article this season for
@hashBasketball
on a crucial season for Willie Cauley-Stein:
The NBA Deep Dives podcast is back! I talked about the new
@hashBasketball
NBA Power Rankings with
@kevinpnye
for this one:
The power rankings are here, for reference:
Hard to imagine that I could be in the arena for the Kings clinching a playoff spot for the first time in 17 years…time to light the beam and watch Sacramento go crazy!
The Kings 1 squad closes out Day One of Summer League with a 101-50 win over Team China. Keon Ellis and Mason Jones led the way for the Kings, Hansen Zhang showed flashes of his 2025 draft potential, and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. was very impressive against the massive China frontcourt.
For this week’s episode of the
@hashtbasketball
NBA Deep Dives podcast,
@tmetcalf11
and I talk about Max Christie’s defense and Tyler’s recent
@NoCeilingsNBA
article, along with a discussion of Dereon Seabron:
I had an awesome time with
@paigeotto_
on this week's
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives podcast! We dove deep on Paige's recent article on Florida Gators guard Riley Kugel, discussing his offensive game, his defense, and whether he's a 2023 or 2024 prospect.
@SportsByTone
@HeuristicLineup
Kings fans would be so much happier if we all could convince ourselves that Tyrese went second overall and Marvin went 12th.
Neemias Queta is the most popular person in Cox Pavilion right now and I’m barely able to keep it together. My voice will be gone by the third quarter if he keeps the block party going.
ICYMI: I had
@DraftDeeper
back on the
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives podcast today to cover his most recent Rookie Rank article. Here’s a preview of the episode!
Episode link:
I wrote about UConn star guard Jordan Hawkins for today’s
@NoCeilingsNBA
Sleeper Deep Dives—his incredible long-range shooting and excellent help defense make him an under-the-radar first round candidate for the 2023 NBA Draft.
Had an awesome time with
@Tyler_Rucker
back on the show for this week's
@NoCeilingsNBA
Deep Dives episode, covering Rucker's article on why you should hold out hope for the 2024 NBA Draft class, with a ton of fun draft history talk:
I wrote the second edition of Editor’s Notes for
@NoCeilingsNBA
today, covering five prospects who we haven’t written about much this season, including some words on Baba Miller and his much-anticipated debut. Hope you check it out, and hope you enjoy!
🚨 POD DROP 🚨
We keep the draft content rolling with Kings superfan
@NBAJohnson
of
@NoCeilingsNBA
!
🤔 Why don’t we talk about Paolo?
‼️ Jaden Ivey!
🧐 Why the Thunder/Kings swap probably won’t happen
🚚 Moving up from 12
And so much more!
Links below
#ThunderUp