The Draft (Postseason Edition): 1/16/31/59 (NEW POLL)

[sunsbum]

I do not have JJJ high either. I usually don't look at advanced stats much, just rely on the ole eye test but him and bagely are the 2 I'd be really disappointed with if they were suns after the draft.

[In2ition]

His fg% at the rim wasn't as good as some of the others. It was 65.4% whereas, Bagley was 76.9, Ayton was 82.1, Carter was 70.2 and Bamba was 78.8. However, he was assisted at the rim quite a bit less than all of those guys.

But obviously that's not his strength as he doesn't play around the rim as often.

I agree with darealjuice on Carter, and I don't rank him much lower than JJJ, and think he is probably a higher floor/lower ceiling prospect and could be a top 3/4 player in the draft when it's all said and done. In my last big board I had JJJ, Porter and Carter all in the 4-5-6 tier...probably in that order, but it's close.

Obviously I'd prefer JJJ's rebounds to be better, but even though Bagley and Ayton played the 4, they both played very close to the basket most of the time, and always did when the other sat. JJJ had other bigs rotating in and was on the perimeter quite a bit more. Obviously on offense due to his 3 pt attempts compared to the others, but also on D. But he's obviously behind in that area.

That's just more reason to be skeptical though. Is a spot up shooting big man that doesn't look like an advanced playmaker, doesn't handle the ball or create his own offense well, finishes at the rim at a below average rate for an elite big man, and isn't a top tier rebounder worth a top pick in the draft because they're a very good defender/shot blocker in college? I'm sure that he'll improve his offensive skill set, but I have a hard time projecting someone to do things in the NBA that they didn't appear capable of doing while playing against a much lower level of competition.

Also, part of my issue with the reasoning that his rebounding is poor due to being on the perimeter so much is that it didn't prevent him from being an elite shot blocker around the rim, so I don't get why it's a valid excuse for him as a rebounder. You can't have your cake and eat it too. In the Duke/Michigan State game alone I counted at least 5 instances where his man beat him for an offensive rebound, and it showed up in the stat sheet with Bagley and Carter each having 5 offensive boards.

And that was with Bagley only playing like 10 minutes in that game? I feel it would be a huge mistake to pick JJJ over Bagley, but it feels like a lot of young analytic fans are enamored with his stats vs a weak schedule.

[thamadkant]

I'm very skeptical of Jaren Jackson Jr. I'm pretty sold on his defense, his mobility and shot blocking instincts are very solid even though he needs to do a better job of not going for pump fakes, but I'm not too convinced he'll be an instant contributor on defense considering rookies are rarely positive defenders and big men have a steep learning curve as it is. He's been a really good defender in college, but he's never seen anything close to the physicality, athleticism, and skill of NBA guys he'll be expected to check. His rebounding is also sub-par for someone expected to play center at the next level, and I don't buy the "he played on the perimeter" explanation near as much when Ayton and Bagley played power forward too and had much better ORB/DRB/TRB%.

His really offense scares me, and his shot doesn't have me completely convinced. His mechanics are a little funky, he gets weird rotation on his shot, and his 3PT% gets a 6 percentage point boost from 2 outlier games where he went 5/6 against Maryland and 5/8 against Minnesota. He hasn't been comfortable shooting off the dribble, so eventually teams will realize he's only a spot up shooter and force him to do something with the ball. When he has dribbled, it hasn't struck me as very in-control (high dribble, frequently off-balance/stumbling/called for charges, not much fluidity/change of direction) and he's almost exclusively going left right now. His offensive skill set has a long road of development before he can be mentioned in the likes of KAT, Embiid, AD, KG, etc..

Don't get me wrong, I understand him being a highly rated prospect. I just don't see why he's significantly higher rated than a guy like Wendell Carter Jr., who was also the best/highest impact defender on his team against a tougher schedule, projects as a good 3-point shooter, has a more developed skillset/feel on offense, and has all of the advanced stats to back it up.

If I could give this a +10 I would. I too am very skeptical of JJJ, as it feels only stat guys who don't know and watch the game are in love with him, just because they are more worried about trying to be the smartest person in the room. I've read that his fg% at the rim isn't impressive either for a pf/c. I could be mistaken about that. I think his avg projection is an outstanding defensive role player.

His fg% at the rim wasn't as good as some of the others. It was 65.4% whereas, Bagley was 76.9, Ayton was 82.1, Carter was 70.2 and Bamba was 78.8. However, he was assisted at the rim quite a bit less than all of those guys.

But obviously that's not his strength as he doesn't play around the rim as often.

I agree with darealjuice on Carter, and I don't rank him much lower than JJJ, and think he is probably a higher floor/lower ceiling prospect and could be a top 3/4 player in the draft when it's all said and done. In my last big board I had JJJ, Porter and Carter all in the 4-5-6 tier...probably in that order, but it's close.

Obviously I'd prefer JJJ's rebounds to be better, but even though Bagley and Ayton played the 4, they both played very close to the basket most of the time, and always did when the other sat. JJJ had other bigs rotating in and was on the perimeter quite a bit more. Obviously on offense due to his 3 pt attempts compared to the others, but also on D. But he's obviously behind in that area.

Jaren Jackson Jr is an evolution of the big men who defend outside and inside... And stretches the defense.

Considering he is 18... Youngest player in the lottery... He is blatantly impressive.

Would be number 1 next year if he stays for sure... As I expect him to get better inside and up his 3pt shooting.


In his full potential JJJ can guard players From Klay Thompson to Embiid very adequately. Even Draymond Green can't say that... Maybe Durant can.... But JJJ has bigger body than Durant.

[In2ition]

If I could give this a +10 I would. I too am very skeptical of JJJ, as it feels only stat guys who don't know and watch the game are in love with him, just because they are more worried about trying to be the smartest person in the room. I've read that his fg% at the rim isn't impressive either for a pf/c. I could be mistaken about that. I think his avg projection is an outstanding defensive role player.

His fg% at the rim wasn't as good as some of the others. It was 65.4% whereas, Bagley was 76.9, Ayton was 82.1, Carter was 70.2 and Bamba was 78.8. However, he was assisted at the rim quite a bit less than all of those guys.

But obviously that's not his strength as he doesn't play around the rim as often.

I agree with darealjuice on Carter, and I don't rank him much lower than JJJ, and think he is probably a higher floor/lower ceiling prospect and could be a top 3/4 player in the draft when it's all said and done. In my last big board I had JJJ, Porter and Carter all in the 4-5-6 tier...probably in that order, but it's close.

Obviously I'd prefer JJJ's rebounds to be better, but even though Bagley and Ayton played the 4, they both played very close to the basket most of the time, and always did when the other sat. JJJ had other bigs rotating in and was on the perimeter quite a bit more. Obviously on offense due to his 3 pt attempts compared to the others, but also on D. But he's obviously behind in that area.

Jaren Jackson Jr is an evolution of the big men who defend outside and inside... And stretches the defense.

Considering he is 18... Youngest player in the lottery... He is blatantly impressive.

Would be number 1 next year if he stays for sure... As I expect him to get better inside and up his 3pt shooting.


In his full potential JJJ can guard players From Klay Thompson to Embiid very adequately. Even Draymond Green can't say that... Maybe Durant can.... But JJJ has bigger body than Durant.

This feels like a fantasy projection and hope of what he could become. Not even close to what reality will be.

[bwgood77]

His fg% at the rim wasn't as good as some of the others. It was 65.4% whereas, Bagley was 76.9, Ayton was 82.1, Carter was 70.2 and Bamba was 78.8. However, he was assisted at the rim quite a bit less than all of those guys.

But obviously that's not his strength as he doesn't play around the rim as often.

I agree with darealjuice on Carter, and I don't rank him much lower than JJJ, and think he is probably a higher floor/lower ceiling prospect and could be a top 3/4 player in the draft when it's all said and done. In my last big board I had JJJ, Porter and Carter all in the 4-5-6 tier...probably in that order, but it's close.

Obviously I'd prefer JJJ's rebounds to be better, but even though Bagley and Ayton played the 4, they both played very close to the basket most of the time, and always did when the other sat. JJJ had other bigs rotating in and was on the perimeter quite a bit more. Obviously on offense due to his 3 pt attempts compared to the others, but also on D. But he's obviously behind in that area.

That's just more reason to be skeptical though. Is a spot up shooting big man that doesn't look like an advanced playmaker, doesn't handle the ball or create his own offense well, finishes at the rim at a below average rate for an elite big man, and isn't a top tier rebounder worth a top pick in the draft because they're a very good defender/shot blocker in college? I'm sure that he'll improve his offensive skill set, but I have a hard time projecting someone to do things in the NBA that they didn't appear capable of doing while playing against a much lower level of competition.

Also, part of my issue with the reasoning that his rebounding is poor due to being on the perimeter so much is that it didn't prevent him from being an elite shot blocker around the rim, so I don't get why it's a valid excuse for him as a rebounder. You can't have your cake and eat it too. In the Duke/Michigan State game alone I counted at least 5 instances where his man beat him for an offensive rebound, and it showed up in the stat sheet with Bagley and Carter each having 5 offensive boards.

Well I just see so many issues with others that he is more ranked their by default. I don't think a big finishing over 65% at the rim bad, particularly when he was assisted a bit less than the others. I just see bigger issues with some others. Now Porter is the wildcard. I have him right there but he's tough to project. I'd be ok taking him or maybe even Carter at 4. Bamba I watched a lot of and he can look great and then not look so good at all. I feel his bust potential is there. I think he should have the defense almost certainly, but I'm less sure about the other side. Bagley doesn't give me a good feeling at all, based on what he couldn't do in college, and I think the things he could do in college well he would have a tougher time continuing to do those well at the next level. I love his motor but sometimes motor without the iq on the defensive side will be very costly. I don't trust his shooting at all either.

Basically I think there is a clear top two, and then I love Trae's offensive strengths, and after that everyone feels more risky, and obviously Trae is risky. They all are somewhat risky. I think the key will be the right coach. Obviously a lot of this comes down to gut, but everyone after the top two could go in all sorts of orders.

But because I have to look at 3 pt shooting and defense being our biggest needs, being BY FAR the worst NBA team at both, and him appearing to be able to do those two things, as a pretty big plus.

[darealjuice]

Well I just see so many issues with others that he is more ranked their by default. I don't think a big finishing over 65% at the rim bad, particularly when he was assisted a bit less than the others. I just see bigger issues with some others. Now Porter is the wildcard. I have him right there but he's tough to project. I'd be ok taking him or maybe even Carter at 4. Bamba I watched a lot of and he can look great and then not look so good at all. I feel his bust potential is there. I think he should have the defense almost certainly, but I'm less sure about the other side. Bagley doesn't give me a good feeling at all, based on what he couldn't do in college, and I think the things he could do in college well he would have a tougher time continuing to do those well at the next level. I love his motor but sometimes motor without the iq on the defensive side will be very costly. I don't trust his shooting at all either.

Basically I think there is a clear top two, and then I love Trae's offensive strengths, and after that everyone feels more risky, and obviously Trae is risky. They all are somewhat risky. I think the key will be the right coach. Obviously a lot of this comes down to gut, but everyone after the top two could go in all sorts of orders.

But because I have to look at 3 pt shooting and defense being our biggest needs, being BY FAR the worst NBA team at both, and him appearing to be able to do those two things, as a pretty big plus.

I disagree that 65% at the rim in college isn't bad. I'm having a hard time finding any recent big men/forwards drafted near the top 10 with a similar/lower FG% at the rim. The only ones I've found are Noah Vonleh, Cody Zeller, and Thomas Robinson so far, which is not exactly good company.

I personally see JJJ as the riskiest player in the top. What's his role if he's not an elite defender in the NBA? What happens when you give him a role worthy of his draft position on offense and he (potentially) puts in less energy to use on defense to compensate? He was a low minute player with a minimal role on offense, so he was able to expend the vast majority of his energy on the defensive end. You're certainly not drafting him with a top pick to do that in the NBA though.

I don't think we should be fixated on current team needs when it comes to the draft. 70% of this roster will not be here when we take the next step, and with them leaving we'll be looking to build a team that has the shooting and defense that we're looking for. We have this guy under our control up to 8 year, at this point we should be looking for the star potential players at the top of the draft and putting pieces around them in FA/trades, not drafting pieces at the top of the draft and looking for stars in FA/trades.

[bwgood77]

Well I just see so many issues with others that he is more ranked their by default. I don't think a big finishing over 65% at the rim bad, particularly when he was assisted a bit less than the others. I just see bigger issues with some others. Now Porter is the wildcard. I have him right there but he's tough to project. I'd be ok taking him or maybe even Carter at 4. Bamba I watched a lot of and he can look great and then not look so good at all. I feel his bust potential is there. I think he should have the defense almost certainly, but I'm less sure about the other side. Bagley doesn't give me a good feeling at all, based on what he couldn't do in college, and I think the things he could do in college well he would have a tougher time continuing to do those well at the next level. I love his motor but sometimes motor without the iq on the defensive side will be very costly. I don't trust his shooting at all either.

Basically I think there is a clear top two, and then I love Trae's offensive strengths, and after that everyone feels more risky, and obviously Trae is risky. They all are somewhat risky. I think the key will be the right coach. Obviously a lot of this comes down to gut, but everyone after the top two could go in all sorts of orders.

But because I have to look at 3 pt shooting and defense being our biggest needs, being BY FAR the worst NBA team at both, and him appearing to be able to do those two things, as a pretty big plus.

I disagree that 65% at the rim in college isn't bad. I'm having a hard time finding any recent big men/forwards drafted near the top 10 with a similar/lower FG% at the rim. The only ones I've found are Noah Vonleh, Cody Zeller, and Thomas Robinson so far, which is not exactly good company.

I personally see JJJ as the riskiest player in the top. What's his role if he's not an elite defender in the NBA? What happens when you give him a role worthy of his draft position on offense and he (potentially) puts in less energy to use on defense to compensate? He was a low minute player with a minimal role on offense, so he was able to expend the vast majority of his energy on the defensive end. You're certainly not drafting him with a top pick to do that in the NBA though.

I don't think we should be fixated on current team needs when it comes to the draft. 70% of this roster will not be here when we take the next step, and with them leaving we'll be looking to build a team that has the shooting and defense that we're looking for. We have this guy under our control up to 8 year, at this point we should be looking for the star potential players at the top of the draft and putting pieces around them in FA/trades, not drafting pieces at the top of the draft and looking for stars in FA/trades.

I think completely disregarding need and fit could be dangerous too once we get down to the 4th pick. Having your key players all with similar and overlapping weaknesses could make things tough.

There is more context to what brings his % there down and how he exceeds bigs in finishing at the rim in other plays. The Stepien had a piece on him not long ago about how his post ups and cuts he finished with a higher % at the rim than all the other top bigs. However, in iso (which he did far more as a % of possession than others) killed is %.

Though you are more of the expert than I am in this regard and there is a good chance you are right. I had already had him right there with Porter, and early Porter was way up there, but there are concerns with him too (and everyone else). I'm not sure how your board shakes out and what your reasoning is for having certain others potentially higher, so it's hard to know.

I do think he is a risk, but I think there is a huge upside and I have a feeling he would provide some things that we could really need. I know a lot of people don't like to hear about age but he is the youngest guy ranked high, and I understand that could also be an argument not to take him because he is young, since we've drafted young players and although that typically means more upside, maybe it doesn't in his case. I also do think that Bender's (and Chriss') struggles might be impacting how some think of JJJ, and that's certainly understandable. And do they complement each other well? Maybe not, or maybe Bender shouldn't even be considered when making a decision.

Obviously the vast majority of fans don't have him as high as someone like Bagley, and I can understand why.

[thamadkant]

His fg% at the rim wasn't as good as some of the others. It was 65.4% whereas, Bagley was 76.9, Ayton was 82.1, Carter was 70.2 and Bamba was 78.8. However, he was assisted at the rim quite a bit less than all of those guys.

But obviously that's not his strength as he doesn't play around the rim as often.

I agree with darealjuice on Carter, and I don't rank him much lower than JJJ, and think he is probably a higher floor/lower ceiling prospect and could be a top 3/4 player in the draft when it's all said and done. In my last big board I had JJJ, Porter and Carter all in the 4-5-6 tier...probably in that order, but it's close.

Obviously I'd prefer JJJ's rebounds to be better, but even though Bagley and Ayton played the 4, they both played very close to the basket most of the time, and always did when the other sat. JJJ had other bigs rotating in and was on the perimeter quite a bit more. Obviously on offense due to his 3 pt attempts compared to the others, but also on D. But he's obviously behind in that area.

Jaren Jackson Jr is an evolution of the big men who defend outside and inside... And stretches the defense.

Considering he is 18... Youngest player in the lottery... He is blatantly impressive.

Would be number 1 next year if he stays for sure... As I expect him to get better inside and up his 3pt shooting.


In his full potential JJJ can guard players From Klay Thompson to Embiid very adequately. Even Draymond Green can't say that... Maybe Durant can.... But JJJ has bigger body than Durant.

This feels like a fantasy projection and hope of what he could become. Not even close to what reality will be.

His defense?
He's already lauded as one of the best big men defender at his age.


And its funny you say "will" as in you know for sure.


I would say it's 50/50 he lives up to his potential as a defender.

[thamadkant]

Well I just see so many issues with others that he is more ranked their by default. I don't think a big finishing over 65% at the rim bad, particularly when he was assisted a bit less than the others. I just see bigger issues with some others. Now Porter is the wildcard. I have him right there but he's tough to project. I'd be ok taking him or maybe even Carter at 4. Bamba I watched a lot of and he can look great and then not look so good at all. I feel his bust potential is there. I think he should have the defense almost certainly, but I'm less sure about the other side. Bagley doesn't give me a good feeling at all, based on what he couldn't do in college, and I think the things he could do in college well he would have a tougher time continuing to do those well at the next level. I love his motor but sometimes motor without the iq on the defensive side will be very costly. I don't trust his shooting at all either.

Basically I think there is a clear top two, and then I love Trae's offensive strengths, and after that everyone feels more risky, and obviously Trae is risky. They all are somewhat risky. I think the key will be the right coach. Obviously a lot of this comes down to gut, but everyone after the top two could go in all sorts of orders.

But because I have to look at 3 pt shooting and defense being our biggest needs, being BY FAR the worst NBA team at both, and him appearing to be able to do those two things, as a pretty big plus.

I disagree that 65% at the rim in college isn't bad. I'm having a hard time finding any recent big men/forwards drafted near the top 10 with a similar/lower FG% at the rim. The only ones I've found are Noah Vonleh, Cody Zeller, and Thomas Robinson so far, which is not exactly good company.

I personally see JJJ as the riskiest player in the top. What's his role if he's not an elite defender in the NBA? What happens when you give him a role worthy of his draft position on offense and he (potentially) puts in less energy to use on defense to compensate? He was a low minute player with a minimal role on offense, so he was able to expend the vast majority of his energy on the defensive end. You're certainly not drafting him with a top pick to do that in the NBA though.

I don't think we should be fixated on current team needs when it comes to the draft. 70% of this roster will not be here when we take the next step, and with them leaving we'll be looking to build a team that has the shooting and defense that we're looking for. We have this guy under our control up to 8 year, at this point we should be looking for the star potential players at the top of the draft and putting pieces around them in FA/trades, not drafting pieces at the top of the draft and looking for stars in FA/trades.

You see your opinion of JJJ is anchored at his offense... And admittedly my opinion is anchored defensively. Hence the biased and polar views.



My focus on defense is because the Suns doesn't need a big man who can create offense. They need someone mobile enough to run and play defense.

I also considered Noah Vonleh as a comparison until you see their defense and defensive numbers.

Again... I'm biased towards a mobile big man who will block shots And cover ground in one end... And someone who could park his butt at the line for open 3s... Or finish open dunks off of Booker or Jackson penetration or setup...

[Damkac]

I would say JJJ is a perfect player for the Suns as this team need defense and shooting so badly. The problem is: you can say exactly the same about Bender. I'm really afraid Jackson may be Bender 2.0. Hopefully he will be better.
But I would still take JJJ over Bagley.

[JMac1]

Only reason I’m afraid of the 4th pick is that we may pick someone not named Young, otherwise I would not even be debating who we should pick versus how he would fit, because I have no issues with Doncic Ayton Bagley and Trae. I think without a doubt neither do the FO except with Trae....

People are over analyzing these players because we really don’t have anything to do as basketball fans now. Also, I know we hate Knight but he isn’t bad as our frustrations tell us he is, that’s why McD talked about C being a bigger priority. We have Booker Knight and JJ as ball handlers, I know Doncic gets love, but we have other needs of priority.

Our board could be

1 Ayton
2 Bagley
3 JJJ
4 Bamba with 2-4 being interchangeable.

I know we want a two way player allstar at 1-4, however, a 10 year starter is all we really need if those two young guys we have turn out to be what we hope they can be. I hate JJJ, but if his game translates, he’d be perfect with Booker and JJ. He doesn’t need the ball to be effective offensively and he can play D. Not pretty, but he is a needed type player.

Picking top 4 is what we wanted when the tank started and now it’s what we have and people can still find away to not be happy being where they wanted to be. We should chill and trust the process.

After the way JJ finished the season, my entire outlook on the draft changed; none of these players may be as good as JJ, not because they are bad, but because JJ is just that good.

What’s wrong with selecting a third wheel with Booker and JJ as core players?

Hell....trading the pick just may be a better option

[MathiasPW]

Only reason I’m afraid of the 4th pick is that we may pick someone not named Young.

...

Hell....trading the pick just may be a better option

Agree entirely on those two points.

Look, we need immediate impact players. FO has said we are done rebuilding. I know that does not mean we become contenders in year 1 of being competitive, but picking pure potential players that might not pan out or may take years to become productive is a risk our FO is not willing to take, because the closest thing we have to an All-Star wants to compete right now (rightfully so).

In JJJ's case, I understand drafting him is kinda of giving up on Bender, and hoping he can do what we expected Bender to do. Well, Bender will be on his 3rd year, and will have a much better chance of fulfilling that 3&D C role next season than a rookie like JJJ, even if JJJ has a higher projected ceiling than Bender (which I disagree, with, btw).

So, if sitting at 4, I'd trade the pick for an impact player. Maaaaaaaybe I could draft Porter, but I don't have the insight to take that gamble.

[starbosa10]

Only reason I’m afraid of the 4th pick is that we may pick someone not named Young, otherwise I would not even be debating who we should pick versus how he would fit, because I have no issues with Doncic Ayton Bagley and Trae. I think without a doubt neither do the FO except with Trae....

People are over analyzing these players because we really don’t have anything to do as basketball fans now. Also, I know we hate Knight but he isn’t bad as our frustrations tell us he is, that’s why McD talked about C being a bigger priority. We have Booker Knight and JJ as ball handlers, I know Doncic gets love, but we have other needs of priority.

Our board could be

1 Ayton
2 Bagley
3 JJJ
4 Bamba with 2-4 being interchangeable.

I know we want a two way player allstar at 1-4, however, a 10 year starter is all we really need if those two young guys we have turn out to be what we hope they can be. I hate JJJ, but if his game translates, he’d be perfect with Booker and JJ. He doesn’t need the ball to be effective offensively and he can play D. Not pretty, but he is a needed type player.

Picking top 4 is what we wanted when the tank started and now it’s what we have and people can still find away to not be happy being where they wanted to be. We should chill and trust the process.

After the way JJ finished the season, my entire outlook on the draft changed; none of these players may be as good as JJ, not because they are bad, but because JJ is just that good.

What’s wrong with selecting a third wheel with Booker and JJ as core players?

Hell....trading the pick just may be a better option

What is your reasoning for no doncic in the top 4? He'd be a huge improvement on Knight and fit in well with Booker and Jackson

[darealjuice]

You see your opinion of JJJ is anchored at his offense... And admittedly my opinion is anchored defensively. Hence the biased and polar views.

My focus on defense is because the Suns doesn't need a big man who can create offense. They need someone mobile enough to run and play defense.

I also considered Noah Vonleh as a comparison until you see their defense and defensive numbers.

Again... I'm biased towards a mobile big man who will block shots And cover ground in one end... And someone who could park his butt at the line for open 3s... Or finish open dunks off of Booker or Jackson penetration or setup...

It may be anchored on offense, but I'm not even close to on board with his defense being at the "defend Klay Thompson and Joel Embiid well" level like you've been saying either. He never defended anyone even close to either of them year. The most NBA-ready player he matched up with this year (besides 10 minutes of Bagley where he had 4 points/5 offensive rebounds before getting poked in the eye) was Keita Bates Diop, and he dropped 32 while getting JJJ to foul out. Like I've said, I'm not as trusting of a player's defensive statistics transferring to the NBA when they played low minutes and their role on a team was defense with minimal energy spent on offense. There's a lot more to the game than BLK%, DBPM, and 3PT%.

[bwgood77]

Well I just see so many issues with others that he is more ranked their by default. I don't think a big finishing over 65% at the rim bad, particularly when he was assisted a bit less than the others. I just see bigger issues with some others. Now Porter is the wildcard. I have him right there but he's tough to project. I'd be ok taking him or maybe even Carter at 4. Bamba I watched a lot of and he can look great and then not look so good at all. I feel his bust potential is there. I think he should have the defense almost certainly, but I'm less sure about the other side. Bagley doesn't give me a good feeling at all, based on what he couldn't do in college, and I think the things he could do in college well he would have a tougher time continuing to do those well at the next level. I love his motor but sometimes motor without the iq on the defensive side will be very costly. I don't trust his shooting at all either.

Basically I think there is a clear top two, and then I love Trae's offensive strengths, and after that everyone feels more risky, and obviously Trae is risky. They all are somewhat risky. I think the key will be the right coach. Obviously a lot of this comes down to gut, but everyone after the top two could go in all sorts of orders.

But because I have to look at 3 pt shooting and defense being our biggest needs, being BY FAR the worst NBA team at both, and him appearing to be able to do those two things, as a pretty big plus.

I disagree that 65% at the rim in college isn't bad.

As far as % at the rim, some hold that against Trae as well, since he shoots 53.5% at the rim, which is far worse than most of the other pg prospects. Are you similarly low on Trae after more research and the low % at the rim #?

[In2ition]

Jaren Jackson Jr is an evolution of the big men who defend outside and inside... And stretches the defense.

Considering he is 18... Youngest player in the lottery... He is blatantly impressive.

Would be number 1 next year if he stays for sure... As I expect him to get better inside and up his 3pt shooting.


In his full potential JJJ can guard players From Klay Thompson to Embiid very adequately. Even Draymond Green can't say that... Maybe Durant can.... But JJJ has bigger body than Durant.

This feels like a fantasy projection and hope of what he could become. Not even close to what reality will be.

His defense?
He's already lauded as one of the best big men defender at his age.


And its funny you say "will" as in you know for sure.


I would say it's 50/50 he lives up to his potential as a defender.

Yeah, well I think there is a 5% chance that he lives up to full potential you described for him and believe it's fantasy to inflate it to 50%.

[In2ition]

I would say JJJ is a perfect player for the Suns as this team need defense and shooting so badly. The problem is: you can say exactly the same about Bender. I'm really afraid Jackson may be Bender 2.0. Hopefully he will be better.
But I would still take JJJ over Bagley.

I can almost guarantee you would regret taking JJJ over Bagley.

[In2ition]

Well I just see so many issues with others that he is more ranked their by default. I don't think a big finishing over 65% at the rim bad, particularly when he was assisted a bit less than the others. I just see bigger issues with some others. Now Porter is the wildcard. I have him right there but he's tough to project. I'd be ok taking him or maybe even Carter at 4. Bamba I watched a lot of and he can look great and then not look so good at all. I feel his bust potential is there. I think he should have the defense almost certainly, but I'm less sure about the other side. Bagley doesn't give me a good feeling at all, based on what he couldn't do in college, and I think the things he could do in college well he would have a tougher time continuing to do those well at the next level. I love his motor but sometimes motor without the iq on the defensive side will be very costly. I don't trust his shooting at all either.

Basically I think there is a clear top two, and then I love Trae's offensive strengths, and after that everyone feels more risky, and obviously Trae is risky. They all are somewhat risky. I think the key will be the right coach. Obviously a lot of this comes down to gut, but everyone after the top two could go in all sorts of orders.

But because I have to look at 3 pt shooting and defense being our biggest needs, being BY FAR the worst NBA team at both, and him appearing to be able to do those two things, as a pretty big plus.

I disagree that 65% at the rim in college isn't bad.

As far as % at the rim, some hold that against Trae as well, since he shoots 53.5% at the rim, which is far worse than most of the other pg prospects. Are you similarly low on Trae after more research and the low % at the rim #?

Although 53.5% is a bit of a concern, remember that it wasn't like he had a bunch of great options to dump it off to when driving to the rim. This created a situation where there was no hesitation or fear in the paint defenders of what Trae would do as he had little choice. He clearly needs to get better at this, much like Nash had to improve. It will help if the Suns somehow get both Ayton and Trae, then he would at least have 4 options to pass to, an outside shooting big, Booker, a slashing Warren or Jackson and a big in Ayton.

[Wilber85]

Only if every player played as good as their Per 36! Such a useless stat!

[bwgood77]

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