Scout's Take

On Kings rookie forward Jason Thompson , the 12th pick in the draft, from Rider, who averaged 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds off the bench in his first five NBA games:

"In high school he was only 6'6" [as a junior] and perimeter-oriented, and when he grew to his current size [6'11" and 250 pounds], he retained all of those skills. He still needs to improve his shooting and he isn't a great jumper, but he's as fast as any frontcourt player in the NBA and faster than a lot of guards. He has unbelievable hands, his basketball IQ is off the charts, and he is a great passer. There are very few forwards his size who can grab a defensive rebound and lead the break—I'm talking about eight dribbles and then making the right pass in transition. He looks like the kind of guy who is not going to back down from anybody."