Draft Thread Part 2

[kennydorglas]

Saw on tweeter that Bender is the only draft eligible player that will still be 18 when the season starts. Seems like a no brainer at #3 or 4.

Yeah, he'll be 19 only in November.
He's crazy young lol

[kennydorglas]

Papagiannis declared too.
Another crazy young big (7'2 elite rim protector w/ good shooting touch) - sounds a lot like Len tho

[ATTL]

Papagiannis declared too.
Another crazy young big (7'2 elite rim protector w/ good shooting touch) - sounds a lot like Len tho

Cavs pick or our second, definitely worth a gamble on someone that may be able to supplant Len

[Damkac]

Saw on tweeter that Bender is the only draft eligible player that will still be 18 when the season starts. Seems like a no brainer at #3 or 4.

Yeah, he'll be 19 only in November.
He's crazy young lol

If he would fulfill his potential he would be a perfect fit on Suns team.

[jcsunsfan]

Papagiannis declared too.
Another crazy young big (7'2 elite rim protector w/ good shooting touch) - sounds a lot like Len tho

Cavs pick or our second, definitely worth a gamble on someone that may be able to supplant Len

This is what the Nuggets have been doing. Mozgov to Nurkic to Jokic.

[saintEscaton]

Papagiannis declared too.
Another crazy young big (7'2 elite rim protector w/ good shooting touch) - sounds a lot like Len tho

Cavs pick or our second, definitely worth a gamble on someone that may be able to supplant Len

This is what the Nuggets have been doing. Mozgov to Nurkic to Jokic.

We need to somehow get all the Croat bigs. Bender/Zubac/Zizic

[jcsunsfan]

Cavs pick or our second, definitely worth a gamble on someone that may be able to supplant Len

This is what the Nuggets have been doing. Mozgov to Nurkic to Jokic.

We need to somehow get all the Croat bigs. Bender/Zubac/Zizic

I have my doubts about Bender so early, but the other two look like decent prospects in the late first round.

[bwgood77]

Juancho will shoot up boards, doubt he falls that far, will likely go between our Wiz and Cavs pick I would take him ahead of Ellenson ( who CBS sports has inexplicably rising into the Top 10 in their latest mock). I said that a while ago

How is that inexplicable when espn has him at 5 and dx has him at 9? I see they have us taking Thon Maker with the Cleveland pick.

He also jumped into the top 10 in sportsngiggles rankings http://sportsngiggles.com/nba/ranking-top-ten-nba-draft-prospects/

I just don't get the fascination with Ellenson. I can't see that much attractive about his game at the NBA level.

Yeah, he doesn't really look the part, but I can't really say much about him, as I've never really seen him play.

[NavLDO]

This is what the Nuggets have been doing. Mozgov to Nurkic to Jokic.

We need to somehow get all the Croat bigs. Bender/Zubac/Zizic

I have my doubts about Bender so early, but the other two look like decent prospects in the late first round.

So, just an aside...I was perusing some sports sites, looking for NFL draft stuff, and came across a recent article on NBA draft team needs with a mock built in...

http://thesportsquotient.com/nba/2016/4/19/nba-lottery-team-needs-part-1

...and as I like to do when reading mock drafts with comments, I like to scroll down slowly, reading as I do, and try to guess the player before looking at the name. So I read down the Sixers and shock, awe, they pick Simmons. Then the same for Lakers, another shocker with Ingram. So then I'm reading the Celtics, and he kind of gives away the direction he's going, a Guard, but still leaves an opening for a PF (Bender, right?), but nope, he sticks with the Guard and selects Hield. So then I'm like "right on, we get Bender," so I'm reading down the description, and I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this...

With an already strong (and often injured) core of Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Devin Booker and Alex Len, the Suns would be best suited with a nice slate of health this season. Eric Bledsoe is one of the best two way point guards in the league when healthy, Knight has shown flashes of scoring prowess and Booker looks like a steal from last year’s draft. Len has shown some ability to score, rebound and protect the rim, but still seems to leave a lot left to be desired in his game. With Len being at his possible peak, since he hasn’t progressed much and Tyson Chandler aging, the Suns could use a big man that can do it all. Someone who can be a playmaker, shoot from outside and rebound while protecting the rim.

So now all that's left to do is read the name 'Dragan Bender' and move on...or so it would seem...NOPE...'Domantas Sabonis'. So no, of course not...at this point, if his happened in real life, I'd already be getting dressed, ready to drive 5 minutes down the road to Walmart to purchase my new TV, as the one I was just watching just had a brick inexplicably thrown through the 55" screen (yeah I know, how do I live with myself everyday and make it through life without at least a 70" screen, right? Well, as I was growing up with my 19" Zenith, the ONLY TV in the house, I felt lucky that we had color, LOL).

Anyway, just thought that was somewhat comical that, 1. Hield was mocked before Bender, and 2. the site's author didn't have a little cartoon .gif with a giant McD smiley face running to the podium with Bender's name on a card.

Seriously??? Sabonis???? Even if you, as the author of the mock, don't like Bender, there are still 3-5 PFs I would pick over Sabonis. Un-freaking-believable...and I like Sabonis...but at 4??? In front of Dunn, Brown, Chriss, Labissiere, Ellenson, or Poeltl???

OK, rant over...sorry. Just thought that was way out of left field.

[gaspar]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PaolaBoivin/status/722565225996689408[/tweet]

[Qwigglez]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PaolaBoivin/status/722565225996689408[/tweet]

And Markieff Morris should represent the Wizards pick

[gaspar]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheMattPetersen/status/722559758901743616[/tweet]

[thamadkant]

Booker is being pushed as the face of the suns... It atleast gives suns fans a reason to come to games or talk about the team.

[Jarlaxle0204]

I'd like to deal the Cavs 1st and our 2nd to try and move up a little bit into the early 20's/late teens if possible. This is if we are just trying to consolidate draft picks and not trading for other players.

[saintEscaton]

Booker is being pushed as the face of the suns... It atleast gives suns fans a reason to come to games or talk about the team.

Some are already convinced that he's a franchise player but we nothing much else going for us right now so can't blame 'em

[NavLDO]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheMattPetersen/status/722559758901743616[/tweet]

I know it's a pipe dream, but we have 4 picks between 1 and 34, right? That's a potential for a fair amount of NBA talent. And as I've mentioned before, I'm ok with a 're-boot', and bringing in as much young talent as possible. I know you have to have some vets for mentorship, and the like, but let's have the 'right' ones. So to me, Price and Bledsoe at the Guard spots, Teletovic (or Leuer), and Chandler, and call it good. TBH, Knight is too wrapped up in trying to make the roster, and he certainly will not likely want to mentor guys that are there to replace him (and do we really want another 'Knight-esque' player?). Tucker is good, on a good contract, so let's move him since his value is likely higher than his salary, especially with the raise in Cap. Budinger can go as well, and let's assume Bogdanovic chooses to wait one more year, (but I'll place in parentheses as a place-holder). Other than that, if you are 25 or under, you can stay:

Bledsoe/Price
Booker/Goodwin/Jenkins
Warren/(Bogdanovic)
Teletovic
Len/Chandler

That leaves room for a minimum of 4 additions, or 6 maximum (3 and 5 with BB). If Bogdanovic does come over, we have room for him a SF. But anyway, look at that roster, and that is without Knight! No Guards in the draft, unless they are a piece in a trade.

So, not bringing in 4 rookies? What can pick 28, Knight, and Tucker get us in a trade?

[bwgood77]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TheMattPetersen/status/722559758901743616[/tweet]

I know it's a pipe dream, but we have 4 picks between 1 and 34, right? That's a potential for a fair amount of NBA talent. And as I've mentioned before, I'm ok with a 're-boot', and bringing in as much young talent as possible. I know you have to have some vets for mentorship, and the like, but let's have the 'right' ones. So to me, Price and Bledsoe at the Guard spots, Teletovic (or Leuer), and Chandler, and call it good. TBH, Knight is too wrapped up in trying to make the roster, and he certainly will not likely want to mentor guys that are there to replace him (and do we really want another 'Knight-esque' player?). Tucker is good, on a good contract, so let's move him since his value is likely higher than his salary, especially with the raise in Cap. Budinger can go as well, and let's assume Bogdanovic chooses to wait one more year, (but I'll place in parentheses as a place-holder). Other than that, if you are 25 or under, you can stay:

Bledsoe/Price
Booker/Goodwin/Jenkins
Warren/(Bogdanovic)
Teletovic
Len/Chandler

That leaves room for a minimum of 4 additions, or 6 maximum (3 and 5 with BB). If Bogdanovic does come over, we have room for him a SF. But anyway, look at that roster, and that is without Knight! No Guards in the draft, unless they are a piece in a trade.

So, not bringing in 4 rookies? What can pick 28, Knight, and Tucker get us in a trade?

I'd be surprised if we traded either of those guys on draft night. If they didn't trade Tucker last deadline when he had value and there was no reason to keep him to end the season, they won't trade him in the offseason.

McD won't give up on Knight that early either, unless someone gives him a great offer. If you haven't noticed, McD holds out for really good trades, and with the abundance of pgs and combo guards in the league today, teams are not going to be willing to pay that much for Knight.....YET.....MAYBE after free agency, his value slowly starts to rise, particularly if he plays well.

Also, low picks won't hold much value, as other teams will be trying to dump picks too. Boston has 8 (5 in top 35) and Denver has 5 (3 in top 19). Boston will probably have all sorts of deals with picks and players on the table.

I hope that if we do trade a pick, it's for a pick next year or something and not for cash. Or we do another draft and stash, but that is kind of frustrating too.

What sucks is that the only thing McD appears to really excel at is making picks (and some obviously even question that because Len isn't enormously popular and Warren is just so-so) so it would be wise to use the picks and let our new "development" coach develop them. Then possibly they can add to our core or have trade value. But no need to keep dealing for picks if we don't use them.....but perhaps he can take a valuable one and find another guy like Knight like last time...you never know.

[rsavaj]

I don't know too much about this draft, but in a "weak" field, I feel like the best thing to do would be to just swing for the fences with every pick. Pick the dude with the highest ceiling, even if the bust potential is gigantic. We have enough "solid" players. We need a star.

Who are those guys in this year's draft?

[saintEscaton]

I don't know too much about this draft, but in a "weak" field, I feel like the best thing to do would be to just swing for the fences with every pick. Pick the dude with the highest ceiling, even if the bust potential is gigantic. We have enough "solid" players. We need a star.

Who are those guys in this year's draft?

In the lotto?Brown, Chriss, Skal,Bender(although I'm not really seing it). Rest are either polished upperclassmen with safer floors and what you see is what you get big. The itnernationals are the real wildcards that could shake things up. H I'm having a hard time even ranking prospects into tiers after the Top 2 (who might not even be sure things), the evaluation process its a total crapshoot

[kennydorglas]

i'll definitely focus on euros this year.
Zizic looks like the better one for me.
It's really sad to watch this 18-19yo kids already with a go-to move in the post
and we have a former top5 pick who cant do anything from there.

I'm hoping Jeanne declares too. He has a really underrated passing ability.
Every time I watch him Gobert pops up as a comp. (need to improve his hands tho)