2019 NBA Mock Draft: Tankers beware

King has a solid feel for the game that will help him on a younger Oregon roster, potentially helping the program return to a more competitive spot in the Pac-12 after a bit of a reset in 2018.

He’s a raw ball-handler and jump-shooter, but he’s the kind of player who makes basketball look effortless when he’s locked in. You can see in the above highlight clip a play in which King is holding the ball on the left wing, fakes a dribble hand-off to reverse the ball, takes one dribble toward the baseline, then another to create separation, then rises to throw down a dunk off one foot. The ability to see that play develop and improvise is remarkable.

The problem is that with a push-out jumper and almost no left hand to his dribble, King is so much more raw than he should be at this stage. The New Jersey native is going to be over 20 years old by the time he is drafted despite only playing a single season of college basketball. Unless he progresses quickly as a freshman, his age might scare teams away in 2019.

However, with point guard Payton Pritchard improving over the course of 2018 for Oregon, he should be one of the better lead guards in the Pac-12 next year. That will allow King to get out in transition and be more of a finisher than creator, a role that will suit him and present scouts with his strengths rather than weaknesses.