Grade the draft

[Revived]

14. Phoenix Suns: T.J. Warren, North Carolina State, SG, 6-8, 215, So.
Jeff Eisenberg analysis: Since Syracuse, Duke and Virginia were the three strongest teams in the ACC last season, it's easy to forget that ACC player of the year honors didn't go to Tyler Ennis, Jabari Parker or Joe Harris. Instead, N.C. State forward T.J. Warren captured that award, making the transition from complementary scorer to go-to threat look absurdly easy. Warren led the ACC in scoring at 24.3 points per game and shot a league-best 53.2 percent from the field. He also closed the regular season with a pair of 40-plus-point outbursts against Pittsburgh and Boston College, becoming the first ACC player to put up back-to-back 40-point games since the 1956-57 season. Warren isn't a great long-range shooter and he's just an average defender, but the crafty 6-foot-8 forward should remain a formidable scorer at the NBA level because of his mid-range game and ability to score in the paint. Marc Spears' grade: C+.

18. Phoenix Suns (from Washington): Tyler Ennis, Syracuse, PG, 6-2, 182, Fr.
Jeff Eisenberg analysis: No point guard prospect displayed more control or composure this past season than Ennis, who excelled as a freshman. He averaged 12.7 points and tallied more than three times as many assists as turnovers for a team that made a run at an undefeated season deep into February before losing for the first time. The question facing Ennis is whether he's quick and athletic enough to thrive at a position that also includes the likes of Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Ennis will have to prove he can get past and guard NBA point guards. Marc Spears' grade: C.

27. Phoenix Suns: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), SG, 6-6, 200
Jeff Eisenberg's analysis:The man with the redundant name has intriguing skills. With a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Bogdanovic has excellent size for an NBA guard. His No. 1 asset is his perimeter shooting, though his shot selection can be maddening. He has good instincts defensively and his length allows him to get into the passing lanes and force turnovers. Bogdanovic has shown potential as a slasher and playmaker, suggesting he can handle some ball-handling duties down the road if he can improve his decision making and cut down his turnovers. There's a fair amount to like about his game but there's some doubt as to when he'll come over to the U.S. He could opt to sign with a bigger European team and stay there a few years. Marc Spears' grade: C.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/2014-nba-draft--first-round-grades-062427651.html

I think I'd give it a C overall right now. Obviously it will be years before we know how they pan out.

[RaisingArizona]

I'll say B, but who knows?

Sidenote: If I hear one more time about Lebron's f***ing tweet about Napier as evidence that's a good pick, I'm going to lose it.

[mybloodisorange]

My question is this. Does drafting 3 guards mean that Eric and his max demands are history? Keep in mind we already had Goodwin on the development plan also.

[Revived]

My question is this. Does drafting 3 guards mean that Eric and his max demands are history? Keep in mind we already had Goodwin on the development plan also.

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

[STEV13]

My question is this. Does drafting 3 guards mean that Eric and his max demands are history? Keep in mind we already had Goodwin on the development plan also.

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

I believe Warren's more of a 3 than a guard... and McD has stated that Bogdan's staying overseas for 1 or 2 more years.

Dragic/Ennis
Bledsoe/Goodwin
Starting SF/Warren

Starting SF might either be PJ or Green. Me thinks one of the two of them's gone before we start next season. Who knows starting SF might be an FA. Hayward or Parsons, anyone?

[SunsFanSSOL]

My question is this. Does drafting 3 guards mean that Eric and his max demands are history? Keep in mind we already had Goodwin on the development plan also.

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

Or Dragic…

He could be used as trade bait now since we have a (presumably) solid backup at PG in Ennis, and have total control over the future of Bledsoe, whereas Dragic could leave next year for nothing. When Sarver spoke on the air he seemed non-committal when speaking about the long term future of both Dragic and Bledsoe.

[Revived]

My question is this. Does drafting 3 guards mean that Eric and his max demands are history? Keep in mind we already had Goodwin on the development plan also.

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

I believe Warren's more of a 3 than a guard... and McD has stated that Bogdan's staying overseas for 1 or 2 more years.

Dragic/Ennis
Bledsoe/Goodwin
Starting SF/Warren

Starting SF might either be PJ or Green. Me thinks one of the two of them's gone before we start next season. Who knows starting SF might be an FA. Hayward or Parsons, anyone?

I wasn't talking about Warren, I was talking about Ennis.

And what happens to Marcus Morris in your scenario?

[Revived]

My question is this. Does drafting 3 guards mean that Eric and his max demands are history? Keep in mind we already had Goodwin on the development plan also.

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

Or Dragic…

He could be used as trade bait now since we have a (presumably) solid backup at PG in Ennis, and have total control over the future of Bledsoe, whereas Dragic could leave next year for nothing. When Sarver spoke on the air he seemed non-committal when speaking about the long term future of both Dragic and Bledsoe.

I don't think Dragic will leave PHX unless we lowball him.

Dragic is an All NBA player. You match whatever any team pays him.

Bledsoe talent wise deserves the max or close to it but his knees have to be accounted for.

[SunsFanSSOL]

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

Or Dragic…

He could be used as trade bait now since we have a (presumably) solid backup at PG in Ennis, and have total control over the future of Bledsoe, whereas Dragic could leave next year for nothing. When Sarver spoke on the air he seemed non-committal when speaking about the long term future of both Dragic and Bledsoe.

I don't think Dragic will leave PHX unless we lowball him.

Dragic is an All NBA player. You match whatever any team pays him.

Bledsoe talent wise deserves the max or close to it but his knees have to be accounted for.

Today, Gambo raised the point that Dragic may feel disrespected if we give Bledsoe the max, and then offer Dragic less the following off-season. He also said Dragic has ankle issues, so I don't know if there's more to that.

[Flying Colors]

we should have just extended Bledsoe for 10 mil before the season

[thamadkant]

we should have just extended Bledsoe for 10 mil before the season

Didn't he want more?, Suns told him to prove his worth and talk about it at the end of the year...
I think Suns would of extended at 10... But maybe Bledsoe wanted 12+

This could be Joe Johnson all over again.



Dragic will definitely demand 12+ as well.... Especially if he can repeat or come close to his form last season.


On a young team that isn't top 6 in the West... Committing 24+ million for two PGs is not ideal.

Suns with Goodwin, Ennis.... Looks like they are indeed preparing to trade off one of Dragic/Bledsoe.

[STEV13]

Either Bledsoe or Goodwin is gone. Unless we drafted someone in the top 20 to be a 3rd stringer.

I believe Warren's more of a 3 than a guard... and McD has stated that Bogdan's staying overseas for 1 or 2 more years.

Dragic/Ennis
Bledsoe/Goodwin
Starting SF/Warren

Starting SF might either be PJ or Green. Me thinks one of the two of them's gone before we start next season. Who knows starting SF might be an FA. Hayward or Parsons, anyone?

I wasn't talking about Warren, I was talking about Ennis.

And what happens to Marcus Morris in your scenario?

You're right, I think Ennis simply replaces Ish.

I totally forgot about Marcus, but then that just seals my belief that PJ's gone, or Green gets traded. Marcus stays as long as we have Kief.

[Flying Colors]

we should have just extended Bledsoe for 10 mil before the season

Didn't he want more?, Suns told him to prove his worth and talk about it at the end of the year...
I think Suns would of extended at 10... But maybe Bledsoe wanted 12+

This could be Joe Johnson all over again.



Dragic will definitely demand 12+ as well.... Especially if he can repeat or come close to his form last season.


On a young team that isn't top 6 in the West... Committing 24+ million for two PGs is not ideal.

Suns with Goodwin, Ennis.... Looks like they are indeed preparing to trade off one of Dragic/Bledsoe.

yes your right, it seems it was more than 10 mil

[Sun Scorched]

First and foremost - to the next poster who suggests we trade Dragic:

"If you stop talking about trading our NBA 3rd team franchise player now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

On the whole, the way I read this draft: Great value picks that can both fill a need on our team and/or can be valuable pieces included in future trades. Seems pretty straight forward.

PG - Bledsoe / Ennis
SG - Dragic / Green / Goodwin
SF - Tucker / Warren / Morris
PF - Morris
C - Plumlee / Len

So, I know that McD has paid great lip service to "bringing back our free agents", but I'm not sure about Frye. Obviously, we're weak at PF (and up front, generally), but perhaps there is specifically still a hole there purposefully.

I gave this a B. Not quite sure what most expected.... especially those that gave this a C.

[grumpysaddle]

Oh, we drafted some rookie players because it's the draft and that's what you do. MUST MEAN WE ARE GETTING RID OF OUR LEGIT STARTERS.

[TheIdiotGamer]

14. Phoenix Suns: T.J. Warren, North Carolina State, SG, 6-8, 215, So.
Jeff Eisenberg analysis: Since Syracuse, Duke and Virginia were the three strongest teams in the ACC last season, it's easy to forget that ACC player of the year honors didn't go to Tyler Ennis, Jabari Parker or Joe Harris. Instead, N.C. State forward T.J. Warren captured that award, making the transition from complementary scorer to go-to threat look absurdly easy. Warren led the ACC in scoring at 24.3 points per game and shot a league-best 53.2 percent from the field. He also closed the regular season with a pair of 40-plus-point outbursts against Pittsburgh and Boston College, becoming the first ACC player to put up back-to-back 40-point games since the 1956-57 season. Warren isn't a great long-range shooter and he's just an average defender, but the crafty 6-foot-8 forward should remain a formidable scorer at the NBA level because of his mid-range game and ability to score in the paint. Marc Spears' grade: C+.
I think we did alright, but I don't pay any attention to college basketball.
18. Phoenix Suns (from Washington): Tyler Ennis, Syracuse, PG, 6-2, 182, Fr.
Jeff Eisenberg analysis: No point guard prospect displayed more control or composure this past season than Ennis, who excelled as a freshman. He averaged 12.7 points and tallied more than three times as many assists as turnovers for a team that made a run at an undefeated season deep into February before losing for the first time. The question facing Ennis is whether he's quick and athletic enough to thrive at a position that also includes the likes of Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Ennis will have to prove he can get past and guard NBA point guards. Marc Spears' grade: C.

27. Phoenix Suns: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), SG, 6-6, 200
Jeff Eisenberg's analysis:The man with the redundant name has intriguing skills. With a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Bogdanovic has excellent size for an NBA guard. His No. 1 asset is his perimeter shooting, though his shot selection can be maddening. He has good instincts defensively and his length allows him to get into the passing lanes and force turnovers. Bogdanovic has shown potential as a slasher and playmaker, suggesting he can handle some ball-handling duties down the road if he can improve his decision making and cut down his turnovers. There's a fair amount to like about his game but there's some doubt as to when he'll come over to the U.S. He could opt to sign with a bigger European team and stay there a few years. Marc Spears' grade: C.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/2014-nba-draft--first-round-grades-062427651.html

I think I'd give it a C overall right now. Obviously it will be years before we know how they pan out.

[GetYourPHX]

I'm giving it a B. I like all of the picks individually, but I was really hoping they would trade up. We have an extremely deep roster and I worry that we'll end up like the Nuggets last year. Depth is excellent, but we need a player that has top 10 in the NBA potential, and I'm not sure any of our picks are that guy.

We'll never know what was possible, but with Vonleh going 8 and Dougie Buckets/Saric going 11-12, you have to think there was a chance we could have traded up for them. All those guys have some scary potential and are in another tier, prospect wise, than the guys we picked.

It was refreshing to see the FO stick to their guns and draft the BPA. Although the board might not agree that certain players were BPA at each spot, it was clearly the strategy and they stuck to it. It's exciting for me to see a draft with no "reaches".

Hopefully McD cashes in the assets he's built up before they depreciate.

[i505]

Oh, we drafted some rookie players because it's the draft and that's what you do. MUST MEAN WE ARE GETTING RID OF OUR LEGIT STARTERS.

Post draft reactions are always so much fun around here. Love it.

I am bummed that the Bulls took my boy Cam Bairstow with 49, but the new 7 footer looks good too. I remember last year when so many of us were pissed about the Len pick, some guys were posting vids of Len and saying "look at how mobile he is"... "look at that footwork". I honestly never saw what they were seeing, this guy looks way more nimble/mobile than Len to me. Good looking shot too.

Suns/McD get an A from me this year. All of the picks look good.

[Miklo]

To repost my personal grades of the individual picks from the draft thread:

Warren: A (he was one of the few guys falling in our range in mocks that I really thought would be a good use of 14)

Ennis: C (really don't see why we needed to use the 18th pick for a PG here with some of the players who had dropped)

Bogdanovic: B+ (this seems like a good pick, I was a little more enthused about Anderson being there but he could be a good fit)

Brown: A (can't really give a bad grade to a 50th pick, he has some potential to fill a role)

Overall, I'd go with a B. That could go up or down, it's really early to confidently grade the draft yet because we don't know who will actually end up playing here and how they will pan out. But I felt like talent-wise, we made good picks, but could have had a little more focus strategically. Again, I'm not docking the grade too much for that though because we may not know the full scope of the strategy yet.

[bwgood77]

I give it an A.

I love Warren, but that should be obvious since I started talking about him and posting his draft express videos so long ago. He was DEFINITELY who I wanted out of who was available.

I also really like Ennis. I talked about him a bit earlier this month about how he really became underrated while being listed 8th in mocks during the college season. During workouts he dropped mostly because Payton passed him up, so they kind of swapped places on mocks. But I like that he is proven AND is young. People talked about Payton having upside and learning this and that, but Ennis is younger, and already led a major conference ncaa team and was one of college's best basketball players AS A FRESHMAN, so he should have considerable upside too, just like Payton.

Bogdan is obviously a stud, and I love that we kept this pick rather than trade it for another pick down the road that could be a bad pick in a worse draft. If he joins the team a year from now, that's fine, or even two years from now. I didn't want to spend our first pick on a draft and stash guy but our third? Very nice use of the pick.

Initially when we took Ennis I thought we should have taken Harris or Hood because you can never be short good NBA 3 pt shooters in today's NBA and I didn't feel we needed a PG and didn't think Warren could hit 3s. But knowing now that Warren hit 50% from 3 as a freshman and also knowing he was likely double teamed by very good players on very good teams in the ACC all year makes sense why it would drop dramatically.

So with the knowledge of Warren's ability to shoot well from long range, and the fact that Harris and Hood were probably my two least favorite guys of all the shooters, makes me feel much better about the Ennis pick, a player I really like anyway.

I would have loved taking Anderson with the 27th pick though and that would have made it an A+ and hate the Spurs got him. But he still is a guy who possibly may not fit in well in the NBA (though on our team or the Spurs, he probably would have) and Bogdan definitely probably has a bigger chance of being a star.