2013 Draft Thread Part 4

[Frank Lee]

A stress fracture in a foot is entirely different than an ankle. You seem to be lumping Len into the scrap heat of bad footed big men.

Concerns ? Yes, but I choose to believe those spending 5-6 million on him did so with the certainty of 100% recovery with no lingering risk.

[ShawnBronald]

We don't know if they could have done something to prevent that, but it seems clear that surgery should have happened.

I'm just saying that reinjuries have happened under our awesome med staff. Amare's eye, was another one. While both may be freak reinjuries, they still happened. Stress fractures in the foot of seven footers can easily happen again, even under the best mad staff in the league.

Obviously, just as off-the-court injuries can occur. No need to look at "what ifs". There's a ton of things that could go wrong on and off the court that our medical staff would have no way of preventing (that's just fact).

It's easier to look at their track record, though. They've done right way more times than wrong. How many times have guys with terrible injury histories come to Phoenix and suddenly been miraculously healthy? Or guys that were completely written off come here and seen their careers revitalized (only to leave and then break down again)?

[RunDogGun]

A stress fracture in a foot is entirely different than an ankle. You seem to be lumping Len into the scrap heat of bad footed big men.

Concerns ? Yes, but I choose to believe those spending 5-6 million on him did so with the certainty of 100% recovery with no lingering risk.

We all hope.

[RunDogGun]

We don't know if they could have done something to prevent that, but it seems clear that surgery should have happened.

I'm just saying that reinjuries have happened under our awesome med staff. Amare's eye, was another one. While both may be freak reinjuries, they still happened. Stress fractures in the foot of seven footers can easily happen again, even under the best mad staff in the league.

Obviously, just as off-the-court injuries can occur. No need to look at "what ifs". There's a ton of things that could go wrong on and off the court that our medical staff would have no way of preventing (that's just fact).

It's easier to look at their track record, though. They've done right way more times than wrong. How many times have guys with terrible injury histories come to Phoenix and suddenly been miraculously healthy? Or guys that were completely written off come here and seen their careers revitalized (only to leave and then break down again)?

That, or they are just very good at masking the injuries. it's not like the players forget the workouts a rehab they did while here. I know we like to think they are miracle workers.

I'll reserve my judgement for now, and hope that not filling a need at the shooting guard position, while tripling up two other positions was the right way to go. Let's see what else they have up their sleeve. As of now though, it doesn't look like wise choices.

[ShawnBronald]

We don't know if they could have done something to prevent that, but it seems clear that surgery should have happened.

I'm just saying that reinjuries have happened under our awesome med staff. Amare's eye, was another one. While both may be freak reinjuries, they still happened. Stress fractures in the foot of seven footers can easily happen again, even under the best mad staff in the league.

Obviously, just as off-the-court injuries can occur. No need to look at "what ifs". There's a ton of things that could go wrong on and off the court that our medical staff would have no way of preventing (that's just fact).

It's easier to look at their track record, though. They've done right way more times than wrong. How many times have guys with terrible injury histories come to Phoenix and suddenly been miraculously healthy? Or guys that were completely written off come here and seen their careers revitalized (only to leave and then break down again)?

That, or they are just very good at masking the injuries. it's not like the players forget the workouts a rehab they did while here. I know we like to think they are miracle workers.

I'll reserve my judgement for now, and hope that not filling a need at the shooting guard position, while tripling up two other positions was the right way to go. Let's see what else they have up their sleeve. As of now though, it doesn't look like wise choices.

I honestly have to wonder if McDonough believed he had a trade with Portland to unload Gortat and acquire McCollum. Maybe he still does? Either way, I'm positive the roster as it sits right now is not what it will be when the season begins. And if it is? Well, we're just one step closer to Wiggins.

[RunDogGun]

F*ck Wiggins! Man I'm so tired of seeing his name and and all the bowing in his name. We had a chance o draft PJ3, last year, had a chance at both Noel and McL, and passed. So far, all the tanks have been purposely shot down.

I hope there is a bigger plan than three (well four actually) points, two SGs that can't shoot and one that can't stop, a glut of forwards, and now three centers.

[gaspar]

Exactly - when you have the 4th worst record in the league - you cannot be picking for position - you have to pick talent. Especially in the NBA where one player can so totally affect a game unlike MLB or NFL. Now, I don't know if Len is the best player - a lot of us wanted McLemore. But I am going to trust Ryan McD more than Sarver and Blanks. So lets see if this works out. The Suns had him number 1 on their board and they got him at 5. That is GOOD VALUE!

I like the Goodwin pick and even Malcolm Lee. What the heck - bring in young talent and see what happens. And a guy like Tucker is more suited for a playoff team at this point - he might be good trade filler if a Dudley or Gortat is moved to match salaries.

But the talent was there at the position we needed. There is no point collecting a butt load of guys at one position if they won't get off the bench to show their talent to trade, right? Again, if there is a trade to come, cool, possibly no problem. But if we drafted second and third stringers that have their development stunted because they are waiting in line to play, then I'm pissed about our draft.

I agree - I liked McLemore too. But my guess is the front office weighed the fact that Gortat is a free agent, probably will not be resigning so thinking longer term than one year. At that point, you have to think of the team without Gortat and Scola long term and think of the building blocks. And right now, its Dragic. Not even Dudley. So from that perspective - who is the BEST player on your board. It was Len. So he was the pick.

I think McDonut loved McLemore too. Do you remember his comments in May that in the draft we are targeting athleticism and perimeter shooting? McLemore fits that description perfectly. His workout and interview must have been terrible.

[ShawnBronald]

F*ck Wiggins! Man I'm so tired of seeing his name and and all the bowing in his name.

Okay, okay then..... Jabari Parker.

[gaspar]

I'm with RDG a bit. I'm kind of bummed that with 2 first rounders we didn't even get one starter. Barring some major moves our starting lineup is going to look much the same as last year and that's depressing.

I have to believe Gortat will be traded before the season starts and Len will be the starter.

Len won't be a starter even if Gortat gets traded, he's too raw and inexperienced. Oriakhi has a better chance to be a starter than Len.

[BurningHeart]

Wow. Damn, I would have loved Burke on this team. I wonder if we tried trading Gortat + 30 + whatever to get 7, 8, or something to grab him.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Gambo620/status/350685342032080896[/tweet]

[ShawnBronald]

Wow. Damn, I would have loved Burke on this team. I wonder if we tried trading Gortat + 30 + whatever to get 7, 8, or something to grab him.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Gambo620/status/350685342032080896[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Gambo620/status/350687661884833792[/tweet]

[bwgood77]

So figures Myck Kabongo goes undrafted and where does he sign as undrafted free agent? The Heat.

[MathiasPW]

Wow. Damn, I would have loved Burke on this team. I wonder if we tried trading Gortat + 30 + whatever to get 7, 8, or something to grab him.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Gambo620/status/350685342032080896[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Gambo620/status/350687661884833792[/tweet]

Gambo didn't sleep well last night and now is talking BS.

Besides, who cares about "would have and could have". We picked who we picked, and Len is awesome.

[BurningHeart]

Who knows if he's talking BS or not?

[ShawnBronald]

Who knows if he's talking BS or not?

Gambo's got great sources, so I believe he's probably correct. Before the draft, the Suns were said to be very high on Burke, so it makes sense.

[RunDogGun]

So figures Myck Kabongo goes undrafted and where does he sign as undrafted free agent? The Heat.

Can they sign FA yet?

[RunSunRun]

Well, if we had taken Trey Burke over McLemore and Noel, I probably would have flipped out even more than with us taking Len.

Wonder if we had a Dragic trade lined up now, would not have made much sense to draft a guy behind our possible best piece on this team for the next several years. Suns would look terrible with Burke running the point.

Unless this is BS to make us feel better in getting Len by dodging Burke, haha.

Also maybe they are serious with Goodwin playing PG, maybe McD is not a Dragic fan because you would think PG is our strongest position at the moment. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I don't like Goodwin at PG, he played out of position at Kentucky

[bwgood77]

I have high hopes for Len, and am still pretty bummed about not getting McLemore. I just really wish I knew where McLemore was on our big board and why he was so low. If I had a good answer, I'd at least be somewhat satisfied. Especially since Jude LaCava said before the draft he knows one thing, that we WON'T be drafting McLemore, and Gambo says we would have taken Trey Burke if Len was gone.

Reading stuff like this makes me cringe a little bit:

And according to a Sacramento Bee reporter, this is what Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said to his fan base immediately after:

“He was our Number 1 choice. And we were frantically in the war room trying to trade up to the Number 2, 3, 4 slot. We were willing to pay a lot of money to get Ben and we got him at 7.”

“As I said before, seven is my lucky number. When I was with the Warriors, we got (Stephen) Curry and (Harrison) Barnes at 7. My birthday is on the 7th, the mayor (Kevin Johnson) was picked seventh, he wore Number 7 and we got the best player in the (draft) at 7.”

Meanwhile, Rex Chapman said McLemore was the second-best steal of the draft, behind the selection of Michigan’s Trey Burke at No. 9.

And then this worries me about Len, the fact that not only does he have an ankle injury now, but that he battled one all season as a freshman also:

Most freshmen at least get the easier non-conference portion of their team's schedule to get their feet wet, but Len was thrown directly into the fire of arguably the toughest conference in college basketball, matching up with future NBA players virtually every single time he stepped on the floor. A pesky ankle injury he suffered mid-way through the season likely didn't help matters either.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz2XXeMebwn
http://www.draftexpress.com

[bwgood77]

Well, if we had taken Trey Burke over McLemore and Noel, I probably would have flipped out even more than with us taking Len.

Wonder if we had a Dragic trade lined up now, would not have made much sense to draft a guy behind our possible best piece on this team for the next several years. Suns would look terrible with Burke running the point.

Unless this is BS to make us feel better in getting Len by dodging Burke, haha.

Also maybe they are serious with Goodwin playing PG, maybe McD is not a Dragic fan because you would think PG is our strongest position at the moment. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I don't like Goodwin at PG, he played out of position at Kentucky

I'm not completely sure why they looked so hard at PGs either and wonder what the plan is for Dragic long term. I know both of our rookies will not be good nba players for a few years, though, especially Goodwin, so maybe the long term plan is to trade Dragic, or maybe he just doesn't feel Dragic is the type of guy that cold start for a contender. The lack of us going for a shooting guard is just so perplexing.

[Revived]

Drafting Burke over McLemore and Noek would have been WORSE than taking Len. At least Len will immediately come to his position whee there's only one starter there.

Burke would be coming to a situation where we already have Dragic and last year's lottery pick Marshall. And Burke unlike McCollum is too small to share the back court with Dragic.

I wanna know why the Suns hated McLemore so much.