Draft Thread Part 2

[Damkac]

If Suns get 4th or 5th pick and Ingram/Simmons/Bender are gone I would trade that pick to Nuggets for 7th and 15th.
Draft Luwawu, Chriss or Sabonis with 7 and use 13, 15, 28, 34 on European guys with hope that one of them is another Manu, Marc G. etc.

[Jarlaxle0204]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Deyonta-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5467

Not a fan of this player, but he can be an option at #13.

I actually like Davis a lot and hope that if Chriss is not around at #13, that Davis is. I'd honestly pick him over Sabonis.

[MathiasPW]

I'm pretty sure I've read in several places that if Ulis was 5 inches taller or so he would probably be a top 5 pick. I don't know exactly what he can do at the next level, and I don't really want us to draft him (MAYBE if he was there with the Cleveland pick) but I think we need to focus more on the PF position.

If the plan is to trade Knight at some point, and with Bledsoe's injury concerns, getting a guy like Ulis at 27 might not be a bad idea (especially if he is that good defensively as saint pointed out), but not at 13.

Wade Baldwin isn't a pure point but is pretty intriguing

All he needs to add is a refined ball handling, IMO. Slow first step and lack of explosion on drives is not that much of an issue, as he can compensate it with floaters and cuts/screens. That crazy length, good and superfast outside shot, and good passing is a combo I´d love to have.

[carey]

What? IT didn't even try on the other end in college, Ulis is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and is prolific in generating on the ball pressure/disrupting passing lanes. But he has the intangibles to make up for the size disadvantage. Kay Felder is more stylistically similiar to Mighty Mouse but a better distributor , he would be a steal in the second.

You really believe that he can do that in the NBA every night? I don't see it, but I'll be happy to eat crow if it turns out to be possible. It's just so hard to be 5' 9" and go up against guys 6 inches taller every single night. In the west he'll have to guard the likes of Westbrook, Curry, Parker, Paul, Lillard, Conley, Mudiay, Rubio, and even Bledsoe. It's going to be tough.

[carey]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Deyonta-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5467

Not a fan of this player, but he can be an option at #13.

I actually like Davis a lot and hope that if Chriss is not around at #13, that Davis is. I'd honestly pick him over Sabonis.

Hasn't DX had us taking Davis at #13 for months?

[Saberestar]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Deyonta-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5467

Not a fan of this player, but he can be an option at #13.

I actually like Davis a lot and hope that if Chriss is not around at #13, that Davis is. I'd honestly pick him over Sabonis.

I would be OK drafting Davis at #13, not my favourite prospect in that range but he seems a really good defender and has potential to be an interior two-way player.

[No-Man]

Davis would be okay at 13, there are doubts about Len as a full-time starter or a player that will play +30minpg, Davis offers some different traits and Chandler isnt going to be here for the long run, if you pick a wing or a face-up PF at 4, getting a mobile big with defense at 13 makes sense.

[No-Man]

What? IT didn't even try on the other end in college, Ulis is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and is prolific in generating on the ball pressure/disrupting passing lanes. But he has the intangibles to make up for the size disadvantage. Kay Felder is more stylistically similiar to Mighty Mouse but a better distributor , he would be a steal in the second.

You really believe that he can do that in the NBA every night? I don't see it, but I'll be happy to eat crow if it turns out to be possible. It's just so hard to be 5' 9" and go up against guys 6 inches taller every single night. In the west he'll have to guard the likes of Westbrook, Curry, Parker, Paul, Lillard, Conley, Mudiay, Rubio, and even Bledsoe. It's going to be tough.

Yes, he plays much bigger than he is, he is thin but he has long muscles, and length, he plays like he is 6'1, he reminds me too much of Conley.

[Waylay13]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Deyonta-Davis-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5467

Not a fan of this player, but he can be an option at #13.

I actually like Davis a lot and hope that if Chriss is not around at #13, that Davis is. I'd honestly pick him over Sabonis.

For me if the Suns dont get one of the top two picks I would aim for Jaylen Brown and Davis. Outside of Simmons and Rabb if he were still in the draft Davis is the guy I would aim for. After Davis I would look at Chriss and then Brice Johnson and Cheick Daillo. If a team can teach PJ Tucker how to shoot the 3 I am sure we can teach others how to do a 3.

[bwgood77]

From what I read about Davis, he sound solid. Raw, yet already a good blocker, great size, with an emerging mid range game. I see he's been talked a bit about as a center, but I haven't seen much talk about that outside of Fischella. But if he could play both positions I guess that's good. Would be great if he good extend his range.

He may be a safer pick than Chriss anyway. Chad Ford has us taking Denzel Valentine at 13 in his latest mock. Says his bb iq and passing ability would make him a great fit at the SF position. He's also a great defender and shooter with great range.

Only knocks are athleticism and lack of size if he was to play forward.

Ford also has Boston taking Murray at 3 and us getting Bender.

[lilfishi22]

I'm just really hoping we take at least one big. If we come away with two guards in the lotto, even if they are BPA, I'd be annoyed.

[LukasBMW]

May 17th can't come soon enough!

[Waylay13]

Chad Ford has us taking Denzel Valentine at 13 in his latest mock. Says his bb iq and passing ability would make him a great fit at the SF position. He's also a great defender and shooter with great range.

Only knocks are athleticism and lack of size if he was to play forward.

From everything I have seen Valentine reminds me a lot of Dudley.

[bwgood77]

Chad Ford has us taking Denzel Valentine at 13 in his latest mock. Says his bb iq and passing ability would make him a great fit at the SF position. He's also a great defender and shooter with great range.

Only knocks are athleticism and lack of size if he was to play forward.

From everything I have seen Valentine reminds me a lot of Dudley.

Not a bad call, but here are the comparisons for their senior year.

Dudley 19 pts per game on 56% shooting, 44% from 3, 8.3 rpg, 3 apg, 1.4 spg.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/jared-dudley-1.html

Valentine 19.2 ppg on 46% shooting, however he took 3x the # of threes and shot 44% from 3s at much higher volume, 7.5 rpg, 7.8 apg, 1.3 spg.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/denzel-valentine-1.html

So basically Valentine is probably a bit better floor stretcher because he held same % from 3 on about 3x the volume, and a MUCH better passer, which is something our team needs.

I don't know if I'd take him at 13, but the comparison is good, and if we want a good backup and more immediate contributer than many draftees, he could likely take over at least as backup and make Tucker expendable within a season or half season.

PF is a much bigger need so I would go that way, but I do like Valentine. It's all going to hinge on what we get with our first pick. IMO the more great passers and elite shooters, particularly from long range, the better. Not many of the PFs have great passing instincts or hit the 3 at a good rate yet, though Chriss shows potential (but lacks rebounding and probably is not worth taking with first pick, though if it is 5 I don't know what to do unless Bender drops (risk there but I'd take it). I'm not as low on Ellenson as most but I am not particularly high on him either...wouldn't want him either with first pick and doubt he is there with 2nd.

I guess if things go according to plan, I'd probably prefer a Bender, Davis draft, and hope a good wing slides to the Cleveland pick. This might also allow us to semi tank another year (due to Bender and Davis being raw) and add a really good prospect next year.

If McD feels his job is in danger, he could go something like Sabonis early and Valentine late...both guys who likely contribute much more early....and with the high IQ perhaps they are the smarter choices anyway. I think we've all learned watching this team that high IQ is imperative, and guys like Chriss don't seem to have it, even though his blocking and 3 pt shooting ability and upside is hard to ignore.

[Damkac]

That's a good question: would you choose player with great physical tools but lacking skills/IQ (like Chriss or Brown) or player with great skills and IQ but not so good athletically (like Sabonis or Valentine).
Looking at past McD selections I think he prefers the second. I guest he may draft more NBA ready player with his early pick and draft hight upside/low floor (like Archie) with one of the later picks.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

I like Valentine, but I also like Ulis and Johnson at 13. I like all three better than Davis, actually. With those three, plus Sabonis, Labissiere and perhaps Luwawu, I'm much more comfortable with our options at 13 than at 4-6. If we like one Bender, Ellenson or Chriss, that makes things easier. But if we don't, we're stuck with a pile of guards at the top. I think Ellenson is more likely, but man, we're already weak defensively at the wing spots with Booker and TJ. Ellenson at the 4 makes us weak defensively 2-4.

[kennydorglas]

I'd rather draft LeVert in the 2nd than Valentine in the lottery.

[No-Man]

Love Denzel but I wont touch him in the lotto.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Love Denzel but I wont touch him in the lotto.

This is the trouble we find ourselves in. Our philosophy has been to draft BPA - easier when you have a roster devoid of young talent. Now we have a young starting SG, SF and C. We have two picks in the lottery. It's deep at the 2 spot. The PFs are a mix of very risky and low-ceiling prospects. There are no great young PG prospects, with the possible exception of Dunn. Exactly one small forward and center projected in the lottery.

So what do you do? Fischella would recommend Chriss at the top I guess. We might be best served by drafting the best PF available at 4/5/6 or 13, and dealing the other. But for what? For whom? Can't be for lower picks; after all, we're trying to get rid of a first rounder, not pick one up.

If we want a PG prospect, perhaps we'd be better served taking that player at #28 or #35. Even better, we could try to pull of a trade for Cam Payne, whom I like better than any of the PG prospects in this draft. As far as young PFs, Portis could very well be available also. But these guys may be easier attained by trading our vets - Knight, Chandler, Tucker.

This is going to be a very interesting offseason, to say the least.

[Walt_Uoob]

I hope someone has told the FO that Jamal Murray and Dejounte Murray are NOT brothers and therefore we do NOT have to take them both.