2014 Draft Thread

[thamadkant]

The way our team is playing despite our draft picks I think we can be a championship team in a few years.

All we need is one draft pick to work out and we have an mazing team.

Dragic, Bledsoe, Plumlee are as good as Harden, Lin, Dwight. All we need is one draft pick to pan out and we have a future.

Wow talk about OVER valuing Suns players.

I dare you to put that out there at the general boards and see if you get taken seriously.

Bledsoe is no way near Harden...
Howard is better than Plumlee times 10... I can't believe you even mentioned that.

Dragic and Lin are about equal... Lin has shown he can score and take over a game.

Harden and Howard also fit well together...




Dragic and Bledsoe also need to be separated since they both are in their best as PGs.
And Plumlee has played 1 nice game and 1 solid game....
Wow, just crazy to even think about the comparison...


And the Suns already have a future...

[Frank Lee]

.....Dragic and Bledsoe also need to be separated since they both are in their best as PGs...

you are basically saying that Dragic can't play SG and that Bledsoe can't guard SGs, Right ?

If this is going to be your mantra for the yr, I think you will be find the FO has a much different opinion. This isn't ground breaking strategy for us or the league. I consider it a luxury to have one or the other on the court at all times.

[Qwigglez]

I'd say Dragic is far better than Lin. Bledsoe is a stat sheet stuffer, but is no way comparable to James Harden.

[thamadkant]

Bledsoe is much better playing a Tony Parker role.. Scoring PG.

Dragic is better as the maker role.. Creating for others..

Both need to have the ball in their hands.

Sure its fine if you want playing at 80-85% their capability. But the Suns are missing a dead eye shooter to spread the defense yet they have 2 starter level PGs...

Why not ask Jazz if they want to trade Hayward for Bledsoe or Dragic + pick?

Hayward as SG/SF shooter doing his Ginobili-impression would add the missing shooter suns need.


And Frank, we'll see by seasons end what McD really wants to do with Dragic and Bledsoe... Dragic isn't a McD endorsed player.. He likes him... Sure, but I still think that one of Bledsoe and Dragic is on his trade block..



And Lin is a better go to scorer than Dragic.. Dragic is a better play maker and passer for sure ... But defensively Lin makes it up.

[Qwigglez]

I'd like to see Hayward in a Suns uniform. If we could keep Bledsoe and land Hayward, that would be a home-run. Not to mention getting Wiggins/Parker.

[Qwigglez]

Also, Lin only goes right. He would be too easy to guard in the playoffs once opponents study his game.

[jcsunsfan]

Dragic over Lin any day.

The other two, well, Bledsoe has potential, Harden has game. Howard is a mixed up mess of incredible talent. Plumlee has had two good games.

[bwgood77]

Well, I know it's only two games (one against an overrated Portland team and the other against a projected "bottom 5" Jazz team), but I'm really starting to think that we won't be as bad as projected.

I don't think we will make the playoffs, but I'm starting to doubt we will be a bottom 5 team.

The funny thing is, Orlando and Philly have played even better than we have. So who exactly ARE the bottom five teams?

[DirtyDez]

Well, I know it's only two games (one against an overrated Portland team and the other against a projected "bottom 5" Jazz team), but I'm really starting to think that we won't be as bad as projected.

I don't think we will make the playoffs, but I'm starting to doubt we will be a bottom 5 team.

The funny thing is, Orlando and Philly have played even better than we have. So who exactly ARE the bottom five teams?

Probably us over the course of 82 games. I mean we beat Utah and Portland...

It's okay though, the lottery Gods will reward us for not-tanking!

[jcsunsfan]

Gortat better step it up for the Wiz or we will never see that pick.

[gaspar]

Well, it's unprotected in 2020

[Qwigglez]

Well, I know it's only two games (one against an overrated Portland team and the other against a projected "bottom 5" Jazz team), but I'm really starting to think that we won't be as bad as projected.

I don't think we will make the playoffs, but I'm starting to doubt we will be a bottom 5 team.

The funny thing is, Orlando and Philly have played even better than we have. So who exactly ARE the bottom five teams?

Probably us over the course of 82 games. I mean we beat Utah and Portland...

It's okay though, the lottery Gods will reward us for not-tanking!

Lol. This is what I was thinking too, mostly because some teams are just destined to suck no matter who they draft (Bobcats/Kings).

[JMac1]

Bledsoe is much better playing a Tony Parker role.....

Bledsoe didn't look good running the pick and role with Plumlee?

[bwgood77]

I don't put too much stock into Chad Ford's opinions, but I do like to read his thoughts on the drafts and what GMs are saying. From his chat today....

Bracken (Utah)

Strictly FUNDAMENTALLY, who's better, Wiggins or Jabari?
Chad Ford (1:35 PM)

Jabari. Fundamentally, he's the best player in the draft. He could play all five positions on the floor. Scouts have been very bullish on him lately after seeing him in some scrimmages for Duke. Not sure his senior season, thanks to an injury, gave us a complete look at his potential.
Andrew (Nashville)

How good can Dante Exum be?
Chad Ford (1:36 PM)

Crazy talented. A number of GMs think he might be the best player in the draft. Yes, better than Wiggins and Julius Randle. Would love to see him play some college ball, however, to be sure.
J.R. (Bayside)

Is Kentucky's freshmen class one of the best of all-time (on paper)?
Chad Ford (1:38 PM)

Yes. I have seven Kentucky players ranked in our Top 30. Julius Randle could be the No. 1 pick. Andrew Harrison and James Young also are looking like potential Top 10 picks. Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress, Aaron Harrison and Dakari Johnson all look like potential first rounders. Cauley-Stein and Poythress, by the way, also appear to have lottery type talent. Another, Marcus Lee, could end up cracking it by the end of the season. I think a minimum of three, maybe four, are selected in the lottery.
Mike R (Boston)

Could Kansas really have three top 10 players drafted this year?
Chad Ford (1:40 PM)

For sure. Wiggins has the inside track on the No. 1 pick. Joel Embiid is the best center prospect in the draft and should go somewhere between 2 and 7. Wayne Selden could end up being the leading scorer for this Jayhawks team -- a classic power wing. They're going to be good.
Rick (Chicago)

Is the Champions Classic this year in Chicago the greatest single day NBA scouting event ever?
Chad Ford (1:42 PM)

Maybe. Kentucky vs. Michigan State. Kansas vs. Duke. Four teams ranked in the Top 5 playing on the second week of the college basketball season? As many as 9 lottery picks and 14 first round picks on the same floor on the same night? Every GM in the league is going to be there. I'll be there too filing a Stock Watch report. Not sure I've ever been more excited to see a night of November college basketball.
Dan (CA)

Marcus Smart probably would have gone #2 last year. You think he can still go that high or will these incoming freshmen push him out of the top 5?
Chad Ford (1:43 PM)

I do. He's not as sexy as players like Wiggins, Randle or Exum, but he has a toughness and leadership aura around him that every coach would want to have. If he improves his jump shot and handle, he's a Top 3 pick. Even if he doesn't, I don't see him slipping out of the Top 10.
Dave (Orlando)

You've had the Magic in Marcus Smart's corner for awhile now. How does the play and potential of Oladipo affect their approach to Smart and the draft in general?
Chad Ford (1:44 PM)

Put Smart and Oladipo in the backcourt together and you may have the best defensive backcourt in the NBA someday.
Zack (Chicago)

What is your take on Noah Vonleh? Think he will be a first round pick if he decided to leave after this year?
Chad Ford (1:45 PM)

On pure talent, he could be a lottery pick. But he's very raw and many scouts expect it to take a couple of years for him to reach his potential. Nevertheless, he's No. 21 on our Top 100 right now.
Shuler (South Carolina)

Is Aaron Gordon a Blake Griffin clone? How good can he be
Chad Ford (1:47 PM)

Yes. But he's smaller and that's what concerns NBA scouts. He's trying to make the transition to the three this year. Lots of scouts doubt he can make the transition.
James F. (Texas)

Do scouts really feel like James Young of UK is really good enough to be a Top 5 pick? Or is that just Coach Cal being the great salesman he is known to be?
Chad Ford (1:49 PM)

Not sure Top 5 pick is right. And yes, Cal has been selling him hard. But he really does have all the tools to be an excellent NBA wing. Just a bit of a late bloomer. If he's the second best player on the Wildcats this year (pretty sure Randle will be the alpha dog there), he's going to be a Top 10 pick.
Kyle (Mass)

any sleeper prospects no one is talking about?
Chad Ford (1:54 PM)

Florida's Chris Walker might be the very best athlete in the draft, but he's ineligible to play during Fall Semester and he's making a position change. That's hurt his stock a bit. Wisconsin's Sam Dekker has many in the analytics crowd fired up. Keep an eye on a young point guard from Kosovo -- Kenan Sipahi and a young big man from Denmark -- Rasmus Larsen. Both are getting a lot of buzz right now from international scouts.
Ben (Florida)

Do you think people should settle down with hyping this year's class so much? With rumbles of Wiggins being a disappointment in practice, Parker's middling athleticism and Exum's inability to shoot it seems like there's plenty of concerns all around with the Top 5.
Chad Ford (1:57 PM)

It's about potential Ben. Anthony Davis was too skinny and didn't dominate the game at the beginning of his freshman year. Andre Drummond was passive at UConn and lacked basketball IQ. People killed a young Derrick Rose at Memphis early in the season when he got off to a slow start. Have to look a little deeper at players and try to project what they could become. All three of those guys -- Wiggins, Parker and Exum -- have a terrific work ethic and either have elite athletic tools or extraordinary basketball skills. They're all going to be really good I think.
Zvonimir (Croatia)

Is there any player in the draft who possesses such a unique skill set that it is impossible to compare him to a current NBA player?
Chad Ford (1:59 PM)

Since this is coming from Croatia -- I'm assuming you're talking about Dario Saric -- a Point 4. We've had point forwards who play the three position -- but Saric is really a power forward with a terrific handle and court vision. The closest comp I can come up with is Boris Diaw and I think Saric is better than him at the same age.

[King4Day]

Well, I know it's only two games (one against an overrated Portland team and the other against a projected "bottom 5" Jazz team), but I'm really starting to think that we won't be as bad as projected.

I don't think we will make the playoffs, but I'm starting to doubt we will be a bottom 5 team.

The funny thing is, Orlando and Philly have played even better than we have. So who exactly ARE the bottom five teams?

Looking like Boston (until rondo returns at least) and Utah.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using RealGM Forums mobile app

[bwgood77]

Well, I know it's only two games (one against an overrated Portland team and the other against a projected "bottom 5" Jazz team), but I'm really starting to think that we won't be as bad as projected.

I don't think we will make the playoffs, but I'm starting to doubt we will be a bottom 5 team.

The funny thing is, Orlando and Philly have played even better than we have. So who exactly ARE the bottom five teams?

Looking like Boston (until rondo returns at least) and Utah.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using RealGM Forums mobile app

Yeah, Boston sucks, and it honestly looks like they are trying to lose. They will be in a game and then in every game down the stretch (in the last few minutes), the other team will pull away as they sit their best players. If they finish with the worst record, I hope they get the 4th pick.

[jcsunsfan]

Please please please, no more 'tweeners...


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You mean like LeBron? Is he a pf or a sf? A tweener is one who can't play either, not one who can play both.

[Ryu]

Please please please, no more 'tweeners...


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You mean like LeBron? Is he a pf or a sf? A tweener is one who can't play either, not one who can play both.

That`s right.

Jabari Parker is amazing basketball player first and foremost. He would find a way to be effective in any position on the court thanks to his skill level, shooting, basketball IQ and build.

[Cutter]

Please please please, no more 'tweeners...


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You mean like LeBron? Is he a pf or a sf? A tweener is one who can't play either, not one who can play both.

Good perspective. Hadn't looked at it like that before!

[Qwigglez]

The offense has been running really smooth so far this year. It is really painful to win these games as it hurts are chances of a good prospect but it's hard not to root for these guys. What do you guys think our options look like if we land in the 5-8 range?