The 2020 NBA Draft

[jredsaz]

Riller might not get drafted...

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[bwgood77]

Seems like a lot of people are just looking for something to be mad about. This isn't a great draft. Some guys will pan out, most won't. Jalen might be one of the guys who works out or he might not. There really isn't much that separates a lot of these guys, so to be up in arms drafting someone a few spots higher doesn't really make sense. There were a lot of teams in the lottery that were reported as wanting to move down but there wasn't any movement in the lottery which indicates it was a dry market. It was only later in the 1st where the trades picked up.

Yeah, as much as I liked Haliburton and Vassell, neither were guys I was REALLY excited about. Haliburtion did seem like a perfect fit as a 3rd guard. I was higher on Vassell before his shot got funky (though I still liked him). But Jalen Smith was my top PF behind Toppin...and was right behind those guys..I liked him and Bey after those two.

It was just a bit unexpected like last year since no one had been talking about him recently...Gambo did mention him in his 7 possibilities if Deni and Okoro didn't drop though. Oh, I guess I had Deni above Jalen too...but Jalen 3rd PF.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Kerrsed]

1) Smith is not $8M per year. More like $4.25M

2) This draft was not considered a very deep draft. There was no real consensus #1 pick and in a COVID non-NCCA tourney year, it was really hard to gauge value.

2) Do you know for sure who the Suns wanted around 10th? No ... you only know what Gambo and others may have predicated and mocks. Those people didn't have interviews or workouts with the prospects.

3) Jones didn't draft Ayton. That was McD.

4) I am actually way more hopeful with Jones going forward with our drafts. He's not blinded by the 18-year-old uber athletes with potential. Shooters, defenders, high IQ guys, older players, character all matter.

Actually this draft was considered deep, it just didnt have the first 2 tiers of Generational Talent and Sure Fire Superstar talent. Lots of starters and Longterm Roleplayers/Glue guys.

[Kerrsed]

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But Toppin has a very advanced offensive game. Thats the reason right there.

[Slim Charless]

I think that's a tough task. Maxi is arguably the best defensive 4 in basketball. I hope Smith ends up that good defensively but I don't quite see that. I think he'll shoot well from 3 and around the hoop, but will be a non-driver and non-mid-range player. I have no idea how he'll defend on the perimeter. He probably has the physical tools to do it but he simply wasn't put in that position at Maryland. My hope is that they worked him out and ran small guys at him and that he showed well.

I've also been a huge Maxi guy. Jalen Smith has that game.

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I love Maxi too....but lets say Maxi is the best defensive 4 in basketball right now...even if Jalen isn't quite that, but is somewhat close, that's not bad. I mean I don't know that we can expect him to be one of the 2-3 best defensive 4s in basketball. He can hit 3s and finish well too..he's a lot more powerful as a finisher than Maxi. There is a good chance he is more efficient on offense.

Maxi is also 28 and in his prime. Jalen is 8 years younger.

If he can be a larger jermei grant that would be perfect. We'd be lucky to have that on our team

[phx#7]

Seth Curry signed a 10-day contract with the Suns in March 2015. James Jones retired in 2017.

Some of these takes are just ridiculous. Complete disassociation from reality. There is enough legitimate criticisms to be levied, but people seem to just be inventing things to fit their narrative and then getting upset at that.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

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[rajahell]

Somebody I am keeping an eye on is Sam Merrill. If he goes undrafted I would love to give him a look. Big time shooter.

[Kerrsed]

Seems like a lot of people are just looking for something to be mad about. This isn't a great draft. Some guys will pan out, most won't. Jalen might be one of the guys who works out or he might not. There really isn't much that separates a lot of these guys, so to be up in arms drafting someone a few spots higher doesn't really make sense. There were a lot of teams in the lottery that were reported as wanting to move down but there wasn't any movement in the lottery which indicates it was a dry market. It was only later in the 1st where the trades picked up.

Yeah, as much as I liked Haliburton and Vassell, neither were guys I was REALLY excited about. Haliburtion did seem like a perfect fit as a 3rd guard. I was higher on Vassell before his shot got funky (though I still liked him). But Jalen Smith was my top PF behind Toppin...and was right behind those guys..I liked him and Bey after those two.

It was just a bit unexpected like last year since no one had been talking about him recently...Gambo did mention him in his 7 possibilities if Deni and Okoro didn't drop though. Oh, I guess I had Deni above Jalen too...but Jalen 3rd PF.

Honestly, when it came down to Avdija/Toppin/Haliburton, i had them in that order and still wasnt thrilled to see Haliburton was the remaining guy, which is weird because i was gun-ho for him like 2 months ago.

[jredsaz]

I expect us to act competently. Massive incompetence in the past is not an excuse to accept minor incompetence now. The asset management is still bottom 5 in the league if I'm being generous. That should concern the hell out of everybody, and I'm sick of watching casual fans who had no idea who the pick was and/or didn't want him before the draft, suddenly excusing it and all else based on bad logic. There are a ton of guys who could have helped us in this draft. It is deep. We need depth. And we locked in at $8 mil a year a guy who was at best questionable to go where he did, and we have no assets to jump in to get at 30+ a bunch of guys we had valued as acceptable around 10th. But our poor management for the past 2 years has prevented that. And everyone excuses it.

More than that, we can't really be hopeful going forward in a draft under Jones. Luka was the big miss, but can you say in a re-draft there is ANY chance Jones takes Luka? Jones wants heady defenders who can shoot the 3 and pass. Luka coming out could pass. He was a bad defender who couldn't shoot. No way Jones picks him. Shouldn't that type of tunnel vision when it comes to a draft, and the lack of urgency to get assets when available, concern every single fan here?

1) Smith is not $8M per year. More like $4.25M

2) This draft was not considered a very deep draft. There was no real consensus #1 pick and in a COVID non-NCCA tourney year, it was really hard to gauge value.

2) Do you know for sure who the Suns wanted around 10th? No ... you only know what Gambo and others may have predicated and mocks. Those people didn't have interviews or workouts with the prospects.

3) Jones didn't draft Ayton. That was McD.

4) I am actually way more hopeful with Jones going forward with our drafts. He's not blinded by the 18-year-old uber athletes with potential. Shooters, defenders, high IQ guys, older players, character all matter.

1. $8.5 Mil guaranteed hitting the cap for Jalen.

2. Yes, it universally is. The draft has (FOR YEARS, because scouting happens more than just the year before), been considered as having strength in the middle and in its depth. There was no top, but that has nothing to do with depth. Many people liked the middle and bottom of this draft for value.

2b, Because you misnumbered: I have never contended we didn't want Smith so no idea what you are talking about. I know we were high on Bane and Kira and some others because we worked them out and interviewed them. Our head coach flew to their school.

3. What I stated, if you'd read it, is that Jones wouldn't have drafted Luka, because he did not do the vast majority of things Jones values. Jackson (coming out of school) screams as the guy Jones would have taken. A defender who shoots 3s and can pass. That's what Jackson was supposed to be.

4. There have been studies done. The safe guys you value are a dime a dozen and can be had at the vet minimum. Going for the stars is the statistically best way to draft. And again, you are describing exactly what I stated with point 3. We would not have taken Luka, or Booker, or hell even Amare, under Jones. And we're supposed to see that as a good thing so long as we have a team of Danny Green 3 & D players? Okay...

Youre acting like Jones doesn't have a roster and a timeliness. You miss context. If this was a 20 win team with no potential star I believe Jones would have a different draft strategy

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[TheLogician]

I like the player, but it's not great value imo. Still have Reed and other stretch bigs available. I worry about Smith's frame. Stix is an apt nickname. I know he wasn't injured like Bol Bol in college but I get flashes of that, and he dominated before going down and still went in the second round.

[Frank Lee]

This is devoid of all fact and reality. We could have simply CUT Josh Jackson and he would no longer be in our culture. Instead, we threw a 2nd out there to dump him, when reportedly we could have received a pick from a number of teams according to Lowe for him. So much so the trade was laughed at league-wide.

I'm no Jackson fan, but those 2nds could end up being good players. Many all-stars have gone in the 2nd round. Those picks get added to other picks and become guys who can help you via trade. The trade was malpractice level inexcusable, as is routinely taking guys 15 spots higher than any other team had them.

As I recall, we had to move him to have cap space for Rubio (after he acquired Baynes and a pick). We also received Jevon Carter in the trade. I could care less that Jones picks players that don't fit the media mocks. He has his own big board and takes the rookie he thinks helps the team.

No. We could've cut him and stretched it for Rubio. Or just traded him for any number of the teams Lowe spoke to who would've given up a pick for him, thus giving us collateral to get back into this draft.

Man, you are the King of Coulda tonight.


(I get it though)

[Ghost of Kleine]

Somebody I am keeping an eye on is Sam Merrill. If he goes undrafted I would love to give him a look. Big time shooter.

Thank you! I've been saying this for awhile now.

[bwgood77]

I've also been a huge Maxi guy. Jalen Smith has that game.

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I love Maxi too....but lets say Maxi is the best defensive 4 in basketball right now...even if Jalen isn't quite that, but is somewhat close, that's not bad. I mean I don't know that we can expect him to be one of the 2-3 best defensive 4s in basketball. He can hit 3s and finish well too..he's a lot more powerful as a finisher than Maxi. There is a good chance he is more efficient on offense.

Maxi is also 28 and in his prime. Jalen is 8 years younger.

I like Maxi a lot. He is 100% not one of the 5 best defensive players at the 4 in the NBA. Thats not my expectation.

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Well, he said arguably. But yeah, you're right..I was kind of thinking of ones that hit the 3, and I think we were thinking of true 4s, not wing types like Giannis, Siakam, Tatum, Tucker, Covington or C types like AD and Draymond...or I guess Draymond is more of a true 4.

Maxi is a really good team and 1 on 1 defender though.

[Kerrsed]

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Well there goes joe!

[bwgood77]

So Steve Kerr finally replaced his AZ guy.

[AtheJ415]

This is the big thing that should concern everyone. This is an article quoting the Zach Lowe pieces about James Jones from a year ago. We have seen 0 evidence, and in fact accumulated much more evidence, that what he has said is more true than ever. I have no idea why more simply are okay with the smartest and nicest NBA writer having to state, "But incentivizing another team to take him in part because you screwed up your cap sheet is a disaster. It borders on malpractice.”




https://arizonasports.com/story/2106625/lowe-suns-win-more-now-positioned-beyond-2019-20/?show=comments

[phx#7]

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Well there goes joe!

Hope Evan doesn't mention Riller or Reed!