2016 NBA DRAFT NIGHT THREAD

[JMac1]

I love the draft but will take a step back into reality for a minute.

1. If we re-sign one or both of Leuer / Mirza, that will significantly cut into the playing time of both Chriss and Bender. My guess is, we'll re-sign at least one of them so we can trade them later.
Part of free agency is to acquire assets. We'll do so at the expense of developing players early on.

Tucker/Warren/
Mirza/(Leuer)Bender/Chriss
Chandler/Len

2. Unless we trade Knight, I would be surprised if Ulis gets much playing time this year. I expect him to spend a lot of time in the D-League instead of sitting behind all of our guards (especially if Price returns).

Bledsoe/Knight/Price/Ulis
Booker/Goodwin

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I have no doubt these guys will find minutes eventually, I just think it'll be a while.
I also don't think we're a playoff team, even if everyone stays healthy.

How about letting the guys play in camp and preseason to see what you have before you start making all of these moves? What would it hurt to start one of Bender or Chriss at the PF? Why can't they take their lumps like other TOP picked rookies have? We aren't competing for anything this year, the draft should have told you that. Our roster is pretty full.

Bledsoe/Knight/Ulis
Booker/Goodwin
PJ/TJ
Chriss/Bender
Chandler/Len

[NTB]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/16467004/nba-draft-grades-chad-ford-philadelphia-76ers-boston-celtics-2016-winners-losers

Any subscriber to ESPN Insider here?

[darealjuice]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/16467004/nba-draft-grades-chad-ford-philadelphia-76ers-boston-celtics-2016-winners-losers

Any subscriber to ESPN Insider here?

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You can be an insider too

[King4Day]

I love the draft but will take a step back into reality for a minute.

1. If we re-sign one or both of Leuer / Mirza, that will significantly cut into the playing time of both Chriss and Bender. My guess is, we'll re-sign at least one of them so we can trade them later.
Part of free agency is to acquire assets. We'll do so at the expense of developing players early on.

Tucker/Warren/
Mirza/(Leuer)Bender/Chriss
Chandler/Len

2. Unless we trade Knight, I would be surprised if Ulis gets much playing time this year. I expect him to spend a lot of time in the D-League instead of sitting behind all of our guards (especially if Price returns).

Bledsoe/Knight/Price/Ulis
Booker/Goodwin

-----------

I have no doubt these guys will find minutes eventually, I just think it'll be a while.
I also don't think we're a playoff team, even if everyone stays healthy.

How about letting the guys play in camp and preseason to see what you have before you start making all of these moves? What would it hurt to start one of Bender or Chriss at the PF? Why can't they take their lumps like other TOP picked rookies have? We aren't competing for anything this year, the draft should have told you that. Our roster is pretty full.

Bledsoe/Knight/Ulis
Booker/Goodwin
PJ/TJ
Chriss/Bender
Chandler/Len

Agreed.
If I had my way, we'd let Ulis be backup from the start and let Bender and Chriss get all the minutes.

But we know how this usually works out. We start the year with our best established players and see if we can make a playoff run. If not, then by midseason we call it and let the kids play.

It would be a poor decision not to go after Mirza, as long as he's reasonably priced, so we can trade him later.

[King4Day]

Phoenix Suns: A

Round 1: Dragan Bender (4), Marquese Chriss (8)

Round 2: Tyler Ulis (34)

The Suns added an elite backcourt shooter last year in Devin Booker. This year they addressed a huge need at the 4 with two of the best shooting bigs in the draft.

Bender is very skilled, can guard multiple positions, protects the rim and plays with a great motor. If he were a more explosive athlete, he might have gone even higher.

Chriss is the freakiest athlete in the draft. It's rare to see a 6-foot-10 guy who can move the way he can. He's further away from putting it together than Bender, but I think he has the highest upside in the draft after Simmons and Ingram. I can also see scenarios where both Bender and Chriss can get on the floor together.

And adding Ulis in the second was great. If he were three inches taller, he would've been a top-10 pick. He should be great backing up Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight in Phoenix.

Things just got brighter in the Valley of the Sun. I'm bullish on the Suns again.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/16467004/nba-draft-grades-chad-ford-philadelphia-76ers-boston-celtics-2016-winners-losers

Seems we did OK

[jcsunsfan]

"three inches taller" and 20 lbs heavier.

[NavLDO]

Wait, is Skal ours too, or was Wilbon mistaken?

Wilbon's mistaken, we took him at 28 for the Kings as part of the deal for Chriss

ended up being Bogdan/Skal/Greek Center/2020 2nd rounder for Chriss

Well, when you put it that way, that's a crappy deal for us--DAMN YOU McD!!

Seriously though, Skal @ 13 would've likely been considered a 'win' for us, but I'm such a Chriss believer, I still like our trade 'better'.

I had high hopes for Bogdan, but with the gluttony of Wings/PGs we have on the roster, I don't know that he would have had the impact that he'll potentially have on the Kings.

[dremill24]

I gave it a B. Hard to argue with the value, 2 guys with tons of upside, and didnt give up a ton to move up for Chriss. I like Ulis too.

But we also came away with 2 of the 3 most likely guys to bust in the top 10. Im rooting for them, but they have a loong way to go.

[NavLDO]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE JUST DRAFTED TWO 18-YEAR-OLDS. DON'T TURN ON THEM AFTER A SEASON OR TWO

But that's what we do here @ Realgm! When they don't score a triple-double by game 2 in the summer league, they are considered busts!! Just look at Len; he's the worst of the first 8 Centers drafted in 2013!!

[Frank Lee]

I believe Dunn was the second best player in this draft.... Not that I don't like Bender, but pick Dunn, make the Sac trade and we still would have landed Chriss, Sabonis, or even Bender. Then of course, another deal follows involving Bled/Knight/ or even Dunn.

We just kicked the 'Hope' can down the road. Do they now have the balls to just let them all play?

Don't get me wrong, there isn't a lot you can do with these raw prospects that are littered through out the draft. Its the one and done syndrome that has made the draft the biggest crapgame of the day. But dremill says it well.... 'we got 2 of the 3 most likely to bust in the top ten'..... and thus a very tempered response. Its now up to Watson to make it work.

What happens next is where the true talent comes in. trades and free agency. The draft is safe as so little is expected.... but free agency and trades are where you can have the most impact both positive and negative...... as we have seen.

[NavLDO]

Were are just YOUNG talent at crazy rate

Bledsoe 26
Knight 24
Booker 19
Chriss 18
Bender 18.........it's so awesome to type those two names and its for real
Len 23
TJ 23

Bender can play the 4 and 5 in the future
Chris can play the 3 and 4 in the future and some 5 possible.

Small/Tall Ball


Bledsoe 6'1
Knight 6'3
Booker 6'7
Chriss 6'10
Bender 7'1

all can shoot the

So I take it you are happy with the draft?

Who was my guy? He was picked 4th and it didn't matter after that, but to still have Chriss.......C'Mon?


Lets go big

6'5" Goodwin
Booker 6'7
Marquese 6'10 or a 'swole' Warren 6'8
Bender 7'1
Len 7'2

Still 4 3pt shooters

You got it wrong, but that's ok...I fixed it for you...

Or let's go small...like right after going big. Confuse the hell out of opposition!!

Tyler Ulis -- 5' 10"
Eric Bledsoe -- 6' 1"
PJ Tucker -- 6' 5"
Mirza Teletovic-- 6' 9"
Alan Williams -- 6' 8"

And we still have 4 3PT shooters!!

[King4Day]

Just thinking about the Kings. If you're a fan, how could you be motivated to watch next season? No player will be signing there despite their cap space. If this were the Suns draft, I'd probably not waste money on league pass this year.
I am totally cool with losing but when you know you have the worst owner in the league (maybe all of sports?) and a GM who is obsessed with foreign players, why watch?
Players won't go there and no matter what pick they have in the draft, they will botch it. If they had the #1, they probably trade out of it for future picks & draft someone expected to go late first round.

I'm not even a fan of them and it makes me so irate thinking about that mess. I guess, as a fan, you probably would rather take that then lose your team to Seattle but it makes you wonder what could have been.

[NavLDO]

So who were all the members of the Buddy Brigade again? I want their feelings/take on the draft because i remember hearing a lot from them leading up to the draft.......

They're all over on the NOP board, telling them how awesome they are going to be next year!

[Dr Manute]

Because these picks are so young, what if we found out one of the draft picks was still growing. Who would you want to grow an additional 2 inches?

Bender 7'-1" to 7'-3"
Chriss 6-10" to 7'-0"

or Ulis 5'-10" to 6'-0" ?

[JJ13]

Because these picks are so young, what if we found out one of the draft picks was still growing. Who would you want to grow an additional 2 inches?

Bender 7'-1" to 7'-3"
Chriss 6-10" to 7'-0"

or Ulis 5'-10" to 6'-0" ?

Ulis is 20, he's done growing

[GetYourPHX]

Because these picks are so young, what if we found out one of the draft picks was still growing. Who would you want to grow an additional 2 inches?

Bender 7'-1" to 7'-3"
Chriss 6-10" to 7'-0"

or Ulis 5'-10" to 6'-0" ?

Ulis is 20, he's done growing

Hope abounds on this board right now, and for good reason.

But Ulis is going to stay small. It's OK.

[NavLDO]

Just a question. Since McD went Bender/Chriss, do you all think Sarver will give McD aome additional time for these guys to develop, or do you think that if we have another stinker of a season (likely with the insane amount of youth), that Sarver will give up on McD and not extend him past this season.

I think Miyagi needs to take his post/sig, and send via mail, FAX, e-mail, text, twitter, Facebook, and any other form of messaging, and send this daily to Sarver.

Like I mentioned a few days ago, I think Bender and Chriss, along with Booker, will put 'butts in seats' in the arena based upon the excitement these young'ns will bring to the table, regardless of how poorly we may do, 'record-wise' in the standings.

I do not see a scenario, unless something big happens in FA, where the Suns are a Playoff contender next season. Bender (18), Chriss (18), Ulis (20), Booker (19), Goodwin (21), Warren (22), Len (23), Knight (24), and Jenkins (25)--that's 9 of 15 players on the roster age 25 or younger, 5 of which are 21 or younger.

I just hope Sarver will recognize that McD just took a 'huge' risk in selecting Bender and Chriss, and both are 2 years away from reaching their potential...at a minimum, and likely, 4-5 years away.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of McD, overall. He's made some bone-headed moves, but I believe his drafting acumen alone makes him a keeper; he just 'destroyed' his mentor in how he manipulated this draft.

Anyway, I hope Sarver is willing to give McD a few more years to see his 'plan' come to fruition.

[JMac1]

So I take it you are happy with the draft?

Who was my guy? He was picked 4th and it didn't matter after that, but to still have Chriss.......C'Mon?


Lets go big

6'5" Goodwin
Booker 6'7
Marquese 6'10 or a 'swole' Warren 6'8
Bender 7'1
Len 7'2

Still 4 3pt shooters

You got it wrong, but that's ok...I fixed it for you...

Or let's go small...like right after going big. Confuse the hell out of opposition!!

Tyler Ulis -- 5' 10"
Eric Bledsoe -- 6' 1"
PJ Tucker -- 6' 5"
Mirza Teletovic-- 6' 9"
Alan Williams -- 6' 8"

And we still have 4 3PT shooters!!

Yea, Archie would make it bigger.

But the versatility of our bigs allow us to go "small" without having to have small players. The point of small ball is being faster and athletic and having 3 pt shooting, but most have to sacrifice height and rebounding....so

Bledsoe 6'1
Knight 6'3
Booker 6'7
Chriss 6'10
Bender 7'1

Allows us to switch everything without giving up athleticism and height provide 3pt shooting at every position and FOUR ball handlers/passers (Knight can pass if he wants). Minus Bender's weight, Knight's at SG height, plus Bledsoe reach, it is a pretty much a conventional lineup.


Disclaimer for the naysayers looking for a reason to be bitter. It's all in theory. Knight probably won't be here, maybe even Bledsoe when Chriss and Bender are actually productive for their position, but it is fun to think about it

[NavLDO]

We drafted two guys that are younger than josh Jackson, possible top 3 pick next year.

Very similar to Booker last year we got the two youngest guys in the draft. McD was talking about how Bender is essentially a high school senior. But he does seem very mature for his age and has been through a lot, especially playing for that team in Tel Aviv his maturity level seems high enough to replicate how Booker handled his rookie season.

Both of these guys are very lucky that we are in a position where our PF spot is vacant and either one of them will have the opportunity to solidify themselves some playing time. Chandler is going to enjoy having more young guys looking up to his leadership and Watson really does have a way with connecting with his young players.

I am excited about Ulis too, seems like a good addition to the team.

I like that Ulis is not 'ball-dominant', and after looking at his advanced stats, having a 7.25 PPR, and a career 3.56 A/TO, shows me he is careful with the ball, is an excellent facilitator, and steals nearly as many balls as he turns over. To me, that is outstanding, and show a high level of BBIQ. Yet he still has a career 37.3% 3PT%, and a career 84.3% FT.

Those are 1st Rd-selection PG type of metrics/stats. He was considered as high as a late-teens prospect by some durin the pre-draft process. He ended up 28th on DX, 18th on CBS, 45th on NBADraft.net (losers ),and was 33rd on WalterFootball's Final Mock.

Anyway, his size is the only reason he was not a lotto-pick. His stats and skills were better than any PG not named Dunn, and IMO (biased) much rather have him than Dunn; Ulis knows his role, whereas Dunn would expect to start from day one.

[King4Day]

Anyone know what time (assuming it's today) the presser is for the new players?