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

[DirtyDez]

JJJ age wise should still be in HS. It’s going to take him a while. He’d be by far the #1 recruit in the nation though.

[Midnight_Suns]

I cant answer this poll. My mind says Jackson but my heart says Bamba.

[JMac1]

Yeah, I see project thrown around a ton in regards to JJJ here, but I see Bagley has a huge project unless you just are ok with such a limited game. Faried was a monster rebounder and finisher in college but just so limited.

They both may have things to work on but JJJ seems to have the skills that more seemlessly fit in today's game and things that are valued and make a big difference on how teams are able to play.

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

Lol! Okafor was immobile that’s why he couldn’t play D. But whatever.

[JMac1]

JJJ is the type of player that would impact the game without taking shots away from others.

A typical game I expect would be around;
10 ppg
7-8 rpg (he does less perimeter roaming)
2-3 bpg

And maybe a 3pt here and there.
While actively protecting the paint.

Something the Suns need badly.

Not at 3. It’s not like we are scoring at will.....gotta score too.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

It's actually bagleys lack of college production that worries me. I don't view points and rebounds as the only important stats. If that was the case calib swanigan should have been a top 10 pick last year. Bagley low block numbers, bad advanced defensive stats as a whole, and low FT% and fact he scored most of points in the paint are concerning numbers.

As much as its an uninspiring choice at coach a defensive specialist like clifford would be the best for his development. Just drill defensive principles into his head.

One question I have with people who want bagley is what position to you see him at in the pros? It PF what would you do with the suns roster to put enough shooting around him? If C where is the rim protection coming from?

Its kind of funny that really the best guy for him to be paired with would be a JJJ type player who could cover him on d but also shoot 3s to and give him space in the post.

Yeah, I see project thrown around a ton in regards to JJJ here, but I see Bagley has a huge project unless you just are ok with such a limited game. Faried was a monster rebounder and finisher in college but just so limited.

They both may have things to work on but JJJ seems to have the skills that more seemlessly fit in today's game and things that are valued and make a big difference on how teams are able to play.

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

I do think the differences between Bagley and Faried are pretty obvious. The quickness and footwork, the ballhandling, the shot and the finishing are all very different, and they favor Bagley. But then blocks very much favor Faried. Bagley's gifts on offense are not so useful on defense.

What I like most about Bagley is his array of classic big man shots around the basket. He's quick and he elevates and he doesn't need to dunk to be effective. I think he'll be very hard to guard at the next level.

I don't think JJJ has Bagley's upside on offense (though they're not that far apart, really). You balance that against Bagley not having anything approaching JJJ's defensive upside, and you simply can't help but land on JJJ > Bagley.

If the focus is really defense, though, I like Bamba's profile more than Jackson's overall. And I'm pretty sure that if he can stay healthy, Bamba will be a useful dive man on offense, which is perfectly fine in a modern NBA offense. Would we better off with 14, 12 and 4 BLK with 60% FG from our C than we would be with 23, 12 and 1 BLK on 47% FG? My guess is probably yes. So does that mean Bamba > Bagley, too?

Bamba's a better fit with Marquese and Bender than either of Bagley or JJJ, it seems to me. I also think Bamba will have some degree of success from day 1, though he really should be made to earn his minutes by beginning his career coming off the bench. Carter, it also seems, would be a pretty good fit with either Bender or Marquese. Should this mean that Carter goes ahead of Bagley on my board?

I changed my mind a few times, but I currently have Bamba selected, because of this fit issue, and because of my optimism that he could make an immediate impact. I may be a mess, but I do love this draft.

EDIT 1: I should also add that if Porter's back checks out and our scouts are in agreement that he is clearly the BPA, he would also get the nod here. But the fit there is truly problematic, I think, as both Bender and Chriss would be forced to the 5 when MPJ's on the floor. And wouldn't we need at least one actual 5 if we went that direction? Or would any old Biyombo do, if MPJ and Bender/Chriss are the other players rotating on your front line?

EDIT 2: To be clear, if we were starting our rebuild basically from the ground up, like MEM, ATL, DAL and SAC are currently, then JJJ would clearly be the right answer to this question. I think the equation is different for teams with more than one piece of a future core assembled - us, ORL, CHI. The differences in need may make it more likely for one of these three teams to trade up or down in order to grab a particular player who is not within the team's true draft range.

[Saberestar]

Yeah, I see project thrown around a ton in regards to JJJ here, but I see Bagley has a huge project unless you just are ok with such a limited game. Faried was a monster rebounder and finisher in college but just so limited.

They both may have things to work on but JJJ seems to have the skills that more seemlessly fit in today's game and things that are valued and make a big difference on how teams are able to play.

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

I think that Bagley is probably the safest pick in this draft.

He screams "all around big" who can help on a lot of areas. Do not matter if he plays at PF or C, he can help on both positions.

He is sooo good around the rim that he is gonna create space for the perimeter players. And he has post moves and mid range game too.

He CAN shoot well from three.
.397 on 1.8 attempts per game...at 19 years old. It is a legend that Bagley can not shoot.

BTW, the "great" shooter JJJr shooted 4/14 (29%) from three on his last season at High School and 1.1 on 2.7 attempts (.396) at Michigan State.
What a big difference!

Bagley did not shoot well from the line (62.7%) but he shooted better in his last year in High School (67%).

His form is solid so I expect him to be a 70% FT shooter at least in the next few years.

He is skilled and has a solid ball handling for his size.

Amazing athlete who plays with intensity, effort and runs like a gazelle. And HARD WORKER.

[JMac1]

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

I think that Bagley is probably the safest pick in this draft.

He screams "all around big" who can help on a lot of areas. Do not matter if he plays at PF or C, he can help on both positions.

He is sooo good around the rim that he is gonna create space for the perimeter players. And he has post moves and mid range game too.

He CAN shoot well from three.
.397 on 1.8 attempts per game...at 19 years old. It is a legend that Bagley can not shoot.

BTW, the "great" shooter JJJr shooted 4/14 (29%) from three on his last season at High School and 1.1 on 2.7 attempts (.396) at Michigan State.
What a big difference!

Bagley did not shoot well from the line (62.7%) but he shooted better in his last year in High School (67%).

His form is solid so I expect him to be a 70% FT shooter at least in the next few years.

He is skilled and has a solid ball handling for his size.

Amazing athlete who plays with intensity, effort and runs like a gazelle. And HARD WORKER.

Thank you.

[Sunsfan12]

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

Lol! Okafor was immobile that’s why he couldn’t play D. But whatever.

Doesn’t matter if Bagley is more mobile if he can’t defend.

[Sunsfan12]

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

I think that Bagley is probably the safest pick in this draft.

He screams "all around big" who can help on a lot of areas. Do not matter if he plays at PF or C, he can help on both positions.

He is sooo good around the rim that he is gonna create space for the perimeter players. And he has post moves and mid range game too.

He CAN shoot well from three.
.397 on 1.8 attempts per game...at 19 years old. It is a legend that Bagley can not shoot.

BTW, the "great" shooter JJJr shooted 4/14 (29%) from three on his last season at High School and 1.1 on 2.7 attempts (.396) at Michigan State.
What a big difference!

Bagley did not shoot well from the line (62.7%) but he shooted better in his last year in High School (67%).

His form is solid so I expect him to be a 70% FT shooter at least in the next few years.

He is skilled and has a solid ball handling for his size.

Amazing athlete who plays with intensity, effort and runs like a gazelle. And HARD WORKER.

I Never said anything about JJJ. Of the top 7 he’s number 6 right above Bagley on my board. Regardless their 3 point attempts are a small sample size. I’m concerned about the extended 3 point range at the NBA level and his ft % is a good indicator that he is not an elite shooter.

[Saberestar]

I don't think JJJ has Bagley's upside on offense (though they're not that far apart, really). You balance that against Bagley not having anything approaching JJJ's defensive upside, and you simply can't help but land on JJJ > Bagley.

If the focus is really defense, though, I like Bamba's profile more than Jackson's overall. And I'm pretty sure that if he can stay healthy, Bamba will be a useful dive man on offense, which is perfectly fine in a modern NBA offense. Would we better off with 14, 12 and 4 BLK with 60% FG from our C than we would be with 23, 12 and 1 BLK on 47% FG? My guess is we probably yes. So does that mean Bamba > Bagley, too?

Bamba's a better fit with Marquese and Bender than either of Bagley or JJJ, it seems to me. I also think Bamba will have some degree of success from day 1, though he really should be made to earn his minutes by beginning his career coming off the bench. Carter, it also seems, would be a pretty good fit with either Bender or Marquese. Should this mean that Carter goes ahead of Bagley on my board?

I changed my mind a few times, but I currently have Bamba selected, because of this fit issue, and because of my optimism that he could make an immediate impact. I may be a mess, but I do love this draft.

EDIT 1: I should also add that if Porter's back checks out and our scouts are in agreement that he is clearly the BPA, he would also get the nod here. But the fit there is truly problematic, I think, as both Bender and Chriss would be forced to the 5 when MPJ's on the floor. And wouldn't we need at least one actual 5 if we went that direction? Or would any old Biyombo do, if MPJ and Bender/Chriss are the other players rotating on your front line?

We can not alter our plans because of Chriss and Bender.

They have not shown enough on the court, so I do not care about the fit next to them.

[TOO]

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

Lol! Okafor was immobile that’s why he couldn’t play D. But whatever.

Yeah, I'm not the biggest Bagley fan because I'm not sure he's anything more than a bigger Ken Faried (which wouldnt be all bad), but he's certainly not a plodder like Okafor either.

[thamadkant]

JJJ is the type of player that would impact the game without taking shots away from others.

A typical game I expect would be around;
10 ppg
7-8 rpg (he does less perimeter roaming)
2-3 bpg

And maybe a 3pt here and there.
While actively protecting the paint.

Something the Suns need badly.

Not at 3. It’s not like we are scoring at will.....gotta score too.

That's my prediction in the next two seasons.

With a ceiling of maybe 17ppg 10rpg 3bpg 1.0spg
A taller shot blocking Marion who anchors the defense like Draymond Green/KG

Definitely worth 3 or 4

[Sunsfan12]

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

Lol! Okafor was immobile that’s why he couldn’t play D. But whatever.

Yeah, I'm not the biggest Bagley fan because I'm not sure he's anything more than a bigger Ken Faried (which wouldnt be all bad), but he's certainly not a plodder like Okafor either.

My comparison was more in line with their defensive abilities. Not with their mobility. I don’t care if someone is fast if they can’t play a lick of defense.

[thamadkant]

Another comparison for JJJ would be Tyrus Thomas but with better shooting.

Someone like that you can play 36 minutes a game because of these defense and shooting. Clutch time? Well JJJ is also a good FT shooter...

With pick 3 or 4... JJJ or Porter are my picks

Young is a wild card. I look at the potential to be like Curry but also like Aaron Brooks

[JMac1]

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

Lol! Okafor was immobile that’s why he couldn’t play D. But whatever.

Doesn’t matter if Bagley is more mobile if he can’t defend.

BS. Dude is big and mobile and active. If he did or didn't defend to your level of expectations there are many factors for his defense or lack thereof; But just to say he can't defend is a cop out. And Josh Jackson was a great defender, now he is horrible. They are so many factors involved from team defense to how much a player is held accountable.

I hear the same things about Doncic and Ayton and Trae.... Nobody can defend except Bamba and Bridges accroding to most. I see absolutely ZERO players getting drafted at the top because of their defense.

A great offense is a good defense.

[JMac1]

Lol! Okafor was immobile that’s why he couldn’t play D. But whatever.

Yeah, I'm not the biggest Bagley fan because I'm not sure he's anything more than a bigger Ken Faried (which wouldnt be all bad), but he's certainly not a plodder like Okafor either.

My comparison was more in line with their defensive abilities. Not with their mobility. I don’t care if someone is fast if they can’t play a lick of defense.

Can't is the key word. How about hasn't?

Most people here are can't people anyways so I shouldn't be surprise by that statement.

[bwgood77]

Faried was a 6’7 hyper active offensive limited player, nothing like Bagley except motor. Amare/Bosh has way more in common with Bagley at the same age than Faried.

I think you guys better get accostumed to Bagley because if we pick 3..... and he is there I’m willing to bet we’d take him without question.

Bagely also projects as a worse defender than Amare/Bosh. So keep in mind that if his offensive game doesn’t translate (NBA bigs are much better rim protectors than college bigs) then it will be a wasted pick. To me he is much more like Jahlil Okafor than those two. If he doesn’t develop his right hand or a 3 point shot he will be a bust.

I think that Bagley is probably the safest pick in this draft.

He screams "all around big" who can help on a lot of areas. Do not matter if he plays at PF or C, he can help on both positions.

He is sooo good around the rim that he is gonna create space for the perimeter players. And he has post moves and mid range game too.

He CAN shoot well from three.
.397 on 1.8 attempts per game...at 19 years old. It is a legend that Bagley can not shoot.

BTW, the "great" shooter JJJr shooted 4/14 (29%) from three on his last season at High School and 1.1 on 2.7 attempts (.396) at Michigan State.
What a big difference!

Bagley did not shoot well from the line (62.7%) but he shooted better in his last year in High School (67%).

His form is solid so I expect him to be a 70% FT shooter at least in the next few years.

He is skilled and has a solid ball handling for his size.

Amazing athlete who plays with intensity, effort and runs like a gazelle. And HARD WORKER.

As for shooting, Bagley got worse against tougher competition in conference play, shooting 33% from 3 on 1.7 attempts per game, whereas JJ Jr got better at 43% on 3.1 attempts per game. And the free throw discrepancy of 80% to 63% is huge and is usually the biggest predictor with how well you will shot from distance.

Sure, if you go back to high school Bagley was better in areas (like blocking shots for example) and JJ Jr wasn't as good, but I'm more impressed with guys that improve against tougher and higher levels of competition, not the ones who regress.

There is a chance Bagley will be able to shoot 3s, just like there is a chance Josh Jackson will be able to shoot them as he did in college, but I don't know how many non shooters we can afford to add. Sure, I guess we are all used to waiting on guys developing and we can wait an incur more bad records while hopefully waiting for these things, but I'd rather not draft more guys that will likely hurt our spacing even more if possible.

[WeekapaugGroove]

It's a weird draft. Its been touted as good and I think it is pretty good but so many of these guys have big question marks.

The only thing I can say for sure is if the suns pick 3rd or 4th at least 70% of the people here disagree with the pick. We'll need a new draft thread every 2 days if they fall out of the top two.

The 2 pick will make for a boring lead up because the majority of people here will take the 'draft whoever is left of doncic or ayton'.


Back to my question to the bagley supporters. What position do you think he plays in the nba and how would you build this suns roster around him? I actually don't hate him as a prospect but just have concerns.

[bwgood77]

Yeah, I'm not the biggest Bagley fan because I'm not sure he's anything more than a bigger Ken Faried (which wouldnt be all bad), but he's certainly not a plodder like Okafor either.

My comparison was more in line with their defensive abilities. Not with their mobility. I don’t care if someone is fast if they can’t play a lick of defense.

Can't is the key word. How about hasn't?

Most people here are can't people anyways so I shouldn't be surprise by that statement.

Well if he CAN and simply just hasn't, that's another issue. My I don't think that's necessarily the case.

[thamadkant]

Bagley is someone who will score 20 points but when the game is close you need stops... You take him out... But also because he might be shooting badly from the FT that game.


On a team with good defense to help him... He will be ok... But on the Suns??


JJJ... From start to finish.... Like Draymond Green and KG. Someone to make the block shot... Then someone to draw the defense out offensively but could also be set up for a foul and be reliable at the charity stripe.

I think Booker will improve defensively with someone mobile like JJJ behind him