Thomas Robinson’s path to the NBA was one filled with tragedies, but being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft will allow him to fulfill his promise to provide for and take care of his little sister.

The fact that he was still on the draft board at #5 was no small miracle, as most mock drafts had him going to the Charlotte Bobcats with the second overall pick.

There has been talk of the Kings moving DeMarcus Cousins to power forward, but now that Robinson is in the mix there’s little doubt that the two will start together in the Kings’ front court. Robinson is a beast on the glass and does a lot of damage in the paint, which will make him a great complement to Cousins, who prefers to face up and play away from the basket. Robinson has been called the most NBA-ready player in this draft class, and his mentality of wanting to dominate from Day One will serve Sacramento well.

If Robinson had not been on the board at 5, the word was that Sacramento would deal the pick to Houston in exchange for a package including Kyle Lowry and the #12 pick. Instead of shoring up the point guard spot, however, the Kings made a solid move to set their starting frontline for years to come.

This Kings team still has a lot of unanswered questions, but this draft pick was an unqualified success for Sacramento.