The Sports Informant

…University of Arizona’s Chase Budinger. Or at least they should in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

That’s right. Like the end of “White Men Can’t Jump,” people watching finally realized that this white boy can play four months ago, and the Kings didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to catch a star in the making in the first round of the Examiner 2009 NBA Mock Draft.

After selecting Tyreke Evans with the fourth pick according to Sacramento Kings Examiner Rick Rockwell, the Kings got the guard they needed slicing and dicing through the paint — now they need some balance. Budinger, who at 6 feet 7 inches tall can play the shooting guard and small forward position, can provide such balance in a lineup desperately needing some consistency.

Budinger’s 18 points per game in his junior year this season (he never averaged less than 15.6 a game in his career) proved he can provide the scoring when needed. And while his college teammate Jordan Hill will undoubtedly go before him in the draft, it was Budinger who carried his team through the NCAA tournament in March. That kind of leadership is valuable on a team like Sacramento’s, which hasn’t seen a leader step on the court since Mike Bibby and Ron Artest wore the crown. Some scouts questioned Budinger’s leadership because he often accepted a role-player position in big games. But playing an average of 37.6 minutes per game, often leading your team in scoring, and being willing to take on any role a coach asks to help your team win sounds an awfully lot like a leader to me.

While Budinger will likely be superstar Kevin Martin’s backup, it may be one of the most important roles for a rookie this year. When Martin struggled, the Kings lost. Honestly, even when Martin did well the Kings lost. The Kings will need someone else to step in and keep things going. Budinger can do that.

With a solid frontcourt of Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes, the Kings needed athleticism from this year’s draft. Evans was a start; Budinger could be the finish.

While Budinger’s always been impressive to us on the West Coast following the Pac-10 during his three seasons at Arizona, it took a fantastic NCAA Sweet 16 run to catch the national media’s eye. Now he’s a hot commodity, one the Kings should find valuable in their greatest time of need.

Called “a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and Michael Jordan” by fan site ChaseBudinger.org, Budinger should be a big asset to Sacramento’s lineup. Whether starting at the three position with Martin shifting to the two, or playing the role of Martin’s backup, Budinger should make an immediate impact to the success or failure of the team this upcoming season, perhaps even more so than Evans.  Budinger’s three years of college ball give him experience the Kings need in a rather young lineup, experience the 19-year-old Evans will have to acquire the hard way in the NBA.

Pros:

Budinger’s height at the guard or small forward position is nearly a must nowadays in the NBA. Coupled with his athleticism and shooting ability from the perimeter (just under 40 percent from beyond the arc last season), Budinger should be a threat whenever he has the ball, or is open enough to look to retrieve it. With defenses focusing on Martin, if he and Budinger play together Budinger should get plenty of opportunities to score, something he enjoys doing often.

Cons:

Budinger will have to rely on the quicker guards to set up most of his scoring.  While he’ll get plenty of points cleaning up the glass or hitting open shots, the Kings won’t be setting up many isolation plays for Budinger with the ball. That’s Martin’s job, and now possibly Evans’, too. At a slim 218 pounds — even listed at 205 on one college Website as early as last season — Budinger doesn’t have the body to bang, a common downfall for highly-touted boys entering a man’s game in the NBA. Then there’s always the question of defense, which can take a college star and make him a career bench warmer. Just ask Adam Morrison, a player Budinger somewhat resembles in style of play.

For more information:

Watch Chase Budinger’s workout with the Charlotte Bobcats.

For The Sports Informant’s pick on who the Kings should get with the No. 4 pick, check back here soon.