2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watch - Revised Poll

[bwgood77]

Fools gold on second round picks. They are the real lottery tickets of the NBA. The he chances of them turning into something are so small. It is wrongheaded to consider filling the bench with them. This team needs competent vets.

Even first round picks are hit and miss. I would trade right out of this draft for a good veteran player.

Yeah, unless you have really good scouts like Miami, Toronto, Denver and Golden St to identify talent in the 2nd round and undrafted, then it's tough. They are obviously a big key to being able to be a solid playoff team to add talented depth to your team at such a cheap price like Fred VanVleet, Kendrick Nunn (both undrafted) or Nikola Jokic, Bojan Bogdanovic, Draymond Green and to a lesser extent Eric Paschall (though I remember Ghost talking about him), or even late firsts who may have otherwise gone in the 2nd like Pascal Siakam.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Fools gold on second round picks. They are the real lottery tickets of the NBA. The he chances of them turning into something are so small. It is wrongheaded to consider filling the bench with them. This team needs competent vets.

Even first round picks are hit and miss. I would trade right out of this draft for a good veteran player.

Yeah, unless you have really good scouts like Miami, Toronto, Denver and Golden St to identify talent in the 2nd round and undrafted, then it's tough. They are obviously a big key to being able to be a solid playoff team to add talented depth to your team at such a cheap price like Fred VanVleet, Kendrick Nunn (both undrafted) or Nikola Jokic, Bojan Bogdanovic, Draymond Green and to a lesser extent Eric Paschall (though I remember Ghost talking about him), or even late firsts who may have otherwise gone in the 2nd like Pascal Siakam.

Do you even need a real good scouting department to grab the right player? We're just a bunch of basketball junkies, and we routinely read the draft better than our FO. I'm no scout and I barely watch college ball except in anticipation of the draft. Is there something about studying the draft intensely that warps the brain? Seems to me common sense is all you need a lot of the time.

I'm not talking about second round picks - as far as they go, I agree. Lotto ticket is actually pretty optimistic, since most of the time, even if you draft a good player, he won't show his value until he's already long gone.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Fools gold on second round picks. They are the real lottery tickets of the NBA. The he chances of them turning into something are so small. It is wrongheaded to consider filling the bench with them. This team needs competent vets.

Even first round picks are hit and miss. I would trade right out of this draft for a good veteran player.

That's totally cool man! As that's your choice to feel that way, And as such, I'll respect your opinion. However, I really think gou really might be potentially underestimating the intrinsic value of these players as not only unguaranteed contracts, But also as potential solid to high end contributors and if they're actually developed well by the team drafting them. And if/ when they manage to produce/contribute, Then they could become of optimal value as potential trade chips to cash strapped teams looking for a boost in terms of production, contribution, etc. And again, The cost and overall contractual obligation tied to these 2nd round prospects is minimal at best. So thusly, The risk is minimal too. They also represent roster spots that can be filled cheaply on the fly by hardcapped teams with injuries, As to not incure potential penalties for not maintaining a full roster, etc.

Additionally, No one at any time is or has implied that you couldn't still fill your roster with veterans, Which of course would be an optimal solution. However, As this season has shown us, No one team is exempt from potential decimating injuries throughout their roster. So having these players at the ready ( being developed in the G league) to be called upon if needed is a definite benefit to any team throughout the season. And again, These players can be developed in the teams affiliate G league team under normal circumstances, Or until ready to be called up. So really, they wouldn't be taking available roster spots away from potential veteran players now would they.

And lastly, To your point about draft picks being hit and miss, Honestly........... I hear this narrative too often. And really, Such risks are again minimalized, IF ONLY a team invests in having an actual competent scouting staff and quality player development personnel. You see the top teams that do well with young players being successful by utilizing the draft in this manner and by following this blueprint. The poor teams that miss more than they hit on prospects are a direct reflection of poorly run, inept front offices, And cheap owners that put forth the money to actually bring in top tier or high quality personnel. I mean how many players over the last 10 years have we either passed on in the draft, or drafted, and then let go to other teams, Onlybto see them garner much better results and or production from the same players???

It's really not that hard to identify the origin of our problems with the draft, And player development too. OKC, Memphis, Boston, Denver, Miami, San Antonio all seem to consistently identify quality players in the draft. Your results will be determined by your overall effort and time put in, when it comes to the draft. Just keep a realistic perspective of your expectations, and do your homework on the prospects in your draft range. Track their statistics and match the best positional fit. If you put in the proper time and effort, it doesn't really have to be a crap shoot.

[bwgood77]

Fools gold on second round picks. They are the real lottery tickets of the NBA. The he chances of them turning into something are so small. It is wrongheaded to consider filling the bench with them. This team needs competent vets.

Even first round picks are hit and miss. I would trade right out of this draft for a good veteran player.

Yeah, unless you have really good scouts like Miami, Toronto, Denver and Golden St to identify talent in the 2nd round and undrafted, then it's tough. They are obviously a big key to being able to be a solid playoff team to add talented depth to your team at such a cheap price like Fred VanVleet, Kendrick Nunn (both undrafted) or Nikola Jokic, Bojan Bogdanovic, Draymond Green and to a lesser extent Eric Paschall (though I remember Ghost talking about him), or even late firsts who may have otherwise gone in the 2nd like Pascal Siakam.

Do you even need a real good scouting department to grab the right player? We're just a bunch of basketball junkies, and we routinely read the draft better than our FO. I'm no scout and I barely watch college ball except in anticipation of the draft. Is there something about studying the draft intensely that warps the brain? Seems to me common sense is all you need a lot of the time.

I'm not talking about second round picks - as far as they go, I agree. Lotto ticket is actually pretty optimistic, since most of the time, even if you draft a good player, he won't show his value until he's already long gone.

Yeah, but a lot of time they end up taking who a lot of us wanted. A lot of people wanted Bender and Chriss and Jackson and Ayton at the time. I know a lot of names are tossed around. I think the first truly shocking pick we have had in awhile was the Cam pick, though Ennis was pretty shocking since we had a couple starting level PGs and Archie Goodwin (and ended up signing IT that summer).

Clarke was a no brainer to many but there were a lot of people who turned on him after his measurements and assuming his improvement in shooting wouldn't continue.

Mitchell Robinson was discussed among some people who wanted Doncic. Okobo was talked about too. Guys like Holiday and Shamet were discussed as well but they were gone when Okobo was picked.

[RunDogGun]

The draft is really tough, for players need a solid structured foundation. You either draft players you know have that foundation, or you put potential driven choices into a system, where they learn it quickly. I am not sure yet if Monty's system is solid enough. It will be a crap shoot for 90% of the players, as long as we have so many one and done rookies.

We have been hit and miss on the draft. The players who can create their own shot, appear to have better results in a poor system, than players who need the system to develop. Booker and Warren are good examples of this.

Either way, our scouts better be doing their jobs, looking at as many players they can, talking to as many coaches they can, and find the players this team needs to be a solid team.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Yeah, unless you have really good scouts like Miami, Toronto, Denver and Golden St to identify talent in the 2nd round and undrafted, then it's tough. They are obviously a big key to being able to be a solid playoff team to add talented depth to your team at such a cheap price like Fred VanVleet, Kendrick Nunn (both undrafted) or Nikola Jokic, Bojan Bogdanovic, Draymond Green and to a lesser extent Eric Paschall (though I remember Ghost talking about him), or even late firsts who may have otherwise gone in the 2nd like Pascal Siakam.

Do you even need a real good scouting department to grab the right player? We're just a bunch of basketball junkies, and we routinely read the draft better than our FO. I'm no scout and I barely watch college ball except in anticipation of the draft. Is there something about studying the draft intensely that warps the brain? Seems to me common sense is all you need a lot of the time.

I'm not talking about second round picks - as far as they go, I agree. Lotto ticket is actually pretty optimistic, since most of the time, even if you draft a good player, he won't show his value until he's already long gone.

Yeah, but a lot of time they end up taking who a lot of us wanted. A lot of people wanted Bender and Chriss and Jackson and Ayton at the time. I know a lot of names are tossed around. I think the first truly shocking pick we have had in awhile was the Cam pick, though Ennis was pretty shocking since we had a couple starting level PGs and Archie Goodwin (and ended up signing IT that summer).

Clarke was a no brainer to many but there were a lot of people who turned on him after his measurements and assuming his improvement in shooting wouldn't continue.

Mitchell Robinson was discussed among some people who wanted Doncic. Okobo was talked about too. Guys like Holiday and Shamet were discussed as well but they were gone when Okobo was picked.

I hear you, but then, you and I are pretty often on the same page. I fought the board for a long time on Josh Jacskon, only to relent down the stretch. Thought Ayton/Doncic was a close call only because of fit with Booker, and were he not on the team, Doncic would have been the obvious selection. I don't know who wanted Bender and Chriss, but it certainly wasn't me, and I don't recall you being keen on them either.

I was foolish enough to think Ulis was a very good selection, so it's not like I'm batting a thousand. I was always positive post-draft, because I foolishly trusted that McD knew more than we did. He didn't. My experience with that FO dissuaded me from the view that FO's know more than my eyes and the stats tell me. I just feel like there are a few of us that see things pretty clearly year after year, that's all.

I doubt my guy Paul Reed will even be in the discussion when we're making our selection, because he can't shoot, and I almost feel like that's all that matters to this FO. If that's the case, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up about Obi Toppin, either. FWIW, I think there's a good chance he'll fall close to our range, in contrast to some draftniks who project him in the top 5.

[bwgood77]

Do you even need a real good scouting department to grab the right player? We're just a bunch of basketball junkies, and we routinely read the draft better than our FO. I'm no scout and I barely watch college ball except in anticipation of the draft. Is there something about studying the draft intensely that warps the brain? Seems to me common sense is all you need a lot of the time.

I'm not talking about second round picks - as far as they go, I agree. Lotto ticket is actually pretty optimistic, since most of the time, even if you draft a good player, he won't show his value until he's already long gone.

Yeah, but a lot of time they end up taking who a lot of us wanted. A lot of people wanted Bender and Chriss and Jackson and Ayton at the time. I know a lot of names are tossed around. I think the first truly shocking pick we have had in awhile was the Cam pick, though Ennis was pretty shocking since we had a couple starting level PGs and Archie Goodwin (and ended up signing IT that summer).

Clarke was a no brainer to many but there were a lot of people who turned on him after his measurements and assuming his improvement in shooting wouldn't continue.

Mitchell Robinson was discussed among some people who wanted Doncic. Okobo was talked about too. Guys like Holiday and Shamet were discussed as well but they were gone when Okobo was picked.

I hear you, but then, you and I are pretty often on the same page. I fought the board for a long time on Josh Jacskon, only to relent down the stretch. Thought Ayton/Doncic was a close call only because of fit with Booker, and were he not on the team, Doncic would have been the obvious selection. I don't know who wanted Bender and Chriss, but it certainly wasn't me, and I don't recall you being keen on them either.

I was foolish enough to think Ulis was a very good selection, so it's not like I'm batting a thousand. I was always positive post-draft, because I foolishly trusted that McD knew more than we did. He didn't. My experience with that FO dissuaded me from the view that FO's know more than my eyes and the stats tell me. I just feel like there are a few of us that see things pretty clearly year after year, that's all.

I doubt my guy Paul Reed will even be in the discussion when we're making our selection, because he can't shoot, and I almost feel like that's all that matters to this FO. If that's the case, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up about Obi Toppin, either. FWIW, I think there's a good chance he'll fall close to our range, in contrast to some draftniks who project him in the top 5.

I actually think I posted videos of Bender very early, though didn't know much about him since there wasn't a lot of information on him, but I did want to take him at 4. I actually was the first to bring up Chriss I believe as well...this is very early, and liked him as a possibility at 13, but never would have traded all we did to move up and take him at 8. I would have stuck at 13 and taken LeVert and stuck at 27 or 28 and taken DeJounte Murray and/or Brogdon (we also had the pick where we took Ulis over Brogdon). I don't think I mentioned Brogdon though and had looked at Ulis, thinking he'd be great if he was like 6'5.

I did want Isaac though at draft time, though was ok with Jackson. For the Bender draft, the thing was, there was kind of a consensus top 8 in there, and the others in that group were Dunn, Murray and Hield. And although I liked Hield, I didn't think he was necessary with Booker, and we did need a PF after having taken Len, Warren and Booker and already had Bledsoe. I know we talked about Sabonis some for 13, but he was gone then, though of course we could have taken him at 8 (but wouldn't have since we specifically traded up for Chriss).

But none of us have the time or resources that full time scouts do.

[RunDogGun]

Overall, our draft picks weren't bad, we just didn't have the right system or environment for them to develop. Many of our guys were forced to take on bigger roles than they were ready for. I still think Bender can turn into a solid player. Chriss just didn't have enough Bball IQ to go with his athleticism. Jackson just never developed into the player he was projected to be, and with the many SF we already had we just chose wrong.

This last draft was really the only one I was shocked at who we chose and when.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Yeah, but a lot of time they end up taking who a lot of us wanted. A lot of people wanted Bender and Chriss and Jackson and Ayton at the time. I know a lot of names are tossed around. I think the first truly shocking pick we have had in awhile was the Cam pick, though Ennis was pretty shocking since we had a couple starting level PGs and Archie Goodwin (and ended up signing IT that summer).

Clarke was a no brainer to many but there were a lot of people who turned on him after his measurements and assuming his improvement in shooting wouldn't continue.

Mitchell Robinson was discussed among some people who wanted Doncic. Okobo was talked about too. Guys like Holiday and Shamet were discussed as well but they were gone when Okobo was picked.

I hear you, but then, you and I are pretty often on the same page. I fought the board for a long time on Josh Jacskon, only to relent down the stretch. Thought Ayton/Doncic was a close call only because of fit with Booker, and were he not on the team, Doncic would have been the obvious selection. I don't know who wanted Bender and Chriss, but it certainly wasn't me, and I don't recall you being keen on them either.

I was foolish enough to think Ulis was a very good selection, so it's not like I'm batting a thousand. I was always positive post-draft, because I foolishly trusted that McD knew more than we did. He didn't. My experience with that FO dissuaded me from the view that FO's know more than my eyes and the stats tell me. I just feel like there are a few of us that see things pretty clearly year after year, that's all.

I doubt my guy Paul Reed will even be in the discussion when we're making our selection, because he can't shoot, and I almost feel like that's all that matters to this FO. If that's the case, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up about Obi Toppin, either. FWIW, I think there's a good chance he'll fall close to our range, in contrast to some draftniks who project him in the top 5.

I actually think I posted videos of Bender very early, though didn't know much about him since there wasn't a lot of information on him, but I did want to take him at 4. I actually was the first to bring up Chriss I believe as well...this is very early, and liked him as a possibility at 13, but never would have traded all we did to move up and take him at 8. I would have stuck at 13 and taken LeVert and stuck at 27 or 28 and taken DeJounte Murray and/or Brogdon (we also had the pick where we took Ulis over Brogdon). I don't think I mentioned Brogdon though and had looked at Ulis, thinking he'd be great if he was like 6'5.

I did want Isaac though at draft time, though was ok with Jackson. For the Bender draft, the thing was, there was kind of a consensus top 8 in there, and the others in that group were Dunn, Murray and Hield. And although I liked Hield, I didn't think he was necessary with Booker, and we did need a PF after having taken Len, Warren and Booker and already had Bledsoe. I know we talked about Sabonis some for 13, but he was gone then, though of course we could have taken him at 8 (but wouldn't have since we specifically traded up for Chriss).

But none of us have the time or resources that full time scouts do.

Huh. Guess I remember incorrectly. Perhaps I was alone on Sabonis island. I just could never understand the Bender draft hype, given his puny stats in Israel. Murray was my clear favorite at #13, though I also liked Ulis. In my defense, a lot of players just don't get on my radar, especially players who are out of our range and/or who play the wrong position for our team needs (eg, I knew nothing of Donovan Mitchell pre-draft).

I remember you were real high on Josh Jackson to start, while I was against the board consensus that he'd be perfect for us. In the lead up to the draft, I gave into all Josh Jackson hype and figured I must have been mistaken, while you came to prefer Isaac (IIRC, you liked Fox as well). Still, I lobbied pretty hard for Zach Collins and would have been more comfortable trading down for him. In both 2016 and 2017, in fact, my strong preference was to trade down, though I know those deals can be difficult to consummate.

I know we both liked Clarke last year, as did probably the majority of the board, though there were a few tenacious skeptics.

So I guess I can't compare the record of the board itself, just my own assessments. I don't spend a lot of time on it, yet I feel it's been pretty easy from Lance Blanks forward to out-guess the front office. Which is why I, based on my personal experience, can only assume I'm not a wizard and that, rather, our front office people are ignoring the most obvious indicators of NBA success, which are the only kind I feel qualified to assess.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Overall, our draft picks weren't bad, we just didn't have the right system or environment for them to develop. Many of our guys were forced to take on bigger roles than they were ready for. I still think Bender can turn into a solid player. Chriss just didn't have enough Bball IQ to go with his athleticism. Jackson just never developed into the player he was projected to be, and with the many SF we already had we just chose wrong.

This last draft was really the only one I was shocked at who we chose and when.

No, they were bad picks, both in retrospect and in philosophical approach. McD always emphasized that our approach was to take the players who would have the best careers. But that philosophy - even assuming it was correctly applied, though it wasn't, and you can't convince me we haven't drafted primarily for team fit - was flawed. You only get your players for those first four years, when they will be at their worst as professionals if they're very young. And if you're drafting them at the top, they'll be expensive over the course of those four years as they develop. And for that large down payment, all you end up with is the right to match any offer they receive in free agency, which has dubious value and only in rare cases (usually, where the player is worth more than the max) allows you to retain the player on a below-market contract.

I just don't see the logic of drafting players who require significant time and development at the top of the lotto. It's a huge investment, and if the guy can't play, you're making a real high-stakes bet that they'll develop into a max guy. So whether they're older or younger, I need to see real statistical and other evidence that tells me this guy can play before I draft them so high.

What DOESN'T matter is where they're projected to be selected. All of us refer to mock drafts in order to get a sense of who the best prospects are. But if you justify your selections based on where the player was projected to go relative to your position, you're the fish at the table, man. McD was the Big Tuna every year.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

?s=19

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?s=19

Again, Have been talking about undiscovered talent and hidden gems to be found in the 2nd round at minimal cost. Grant Riller is another example of this. To me when reviwing his statistical production and efficiency. As well as his gameplay tape, He just reminds me a lot of FVV. And that would be a solid get for us at under a million dollars for our bench.
http://www.tankathon.com/players/grant-riller

Watch on YouTube

And their comparison chart:
http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=grant-riller--fred-vanvleet .

Now of course, Riller is more offense oriented and Van Vleet more defense. But overall, their style of play, I find pretty similar. They both have a very solid game. Both have good poise, have a good burst off the dribble, are really good isolation scorers and in their penetration and scoringbat the rim. And they're both good at hitting big shots in the clutch. So maybecwe couldn't afford FVV or steal him away from Toronto in free agency, But we very well could develop our own in Grant Riller for next to nothing really. Just food for thought!

[sunsbum]

I think it's interesting the warriors are picking up our scraps. I still think Bender has a future in the league, and by future I mean more than a 10 day contract guy. Honestly, he would have been a good pickup for the rockets IMO.

Since we are on topic of past picks my recent prospects list

2019 Clarke
2018 Ayton because we already had Booker. I really like Doncic but never in a million years did I think he would be this good. I always envisioned like 19/6/7. I really thought his lack of speed would neutralize his game vs NBA talent. I also really liked Mo Bamba.
2017 I wanted Tatum more than anything. He's turned into exactly what I envisioned which was a Paul Pierce clone. After that I was very high on Zach Collins, I think one time even saying I would take him with the number #1 overall (tongue in cheek of course). I remember there was a LOT of love for Issac, specifically BW.
2016 My top choice was Bender, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Chriss, especially at 4. Other prospects I liked were Jamal Murray although I wasn't convinced he could play lead ball handler in the NBA which is why I eventually cooled on him. I also really liked Sabonis. I loved his hustle and watching his dad play here in Portland I knew he had some great basketball smarts. I too also wanted Murray with that 2nd pick.

[WeekapaugGroove]

From what I remember my draft preferences:

2019- hated this class. PJ Washington was my guy. Talked myself into Clarke but was never head over heels for him. Actually kind of like Cam.

2018- Loved loved loved Luka. Like after 5 minutes the first time I watched him I didn't get how anyone wouldn't take him 1.

2017- loved Isaac

2016- hated this class. Would taken Bender at 4. Went before the suns pick but I remember liking Brown more than most people. Didn't like Buddy or Murray.

2015 - liked booker and was happy with the pick... Was really high on Stanley Johnson.. whoops

2014- really wanted Saric to fall. Didn't love or hate Warren (kind of how I felt about him while here too). Really wanted Bogdan and was elated when they picked him.

It's early but I actually might hate this 2020 draft more than 2019 or 2016.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

[ATTL]

2019-Clarke like most of you
2018-ayton
2017- jj all the way, I thought his fire would motivate him to be a great player, not get him arrested and not improve. I liked Tatum next. did not want isaac at all, He didn't look like a 3 to me and since we just drafted 2 4's the prior draft I didn't want him. Plus he has asthma so I was concerned with that.

2016- didn't care. Wanted Simmons so I just checked out after we lost the lotto. I was on board with the concept of taking two 4's and a flyer on tyler to appease book. What would the odds be for them to all suck?
2015- wanted Turner bad. Didn't care anymore after he was taken.
2014- Levine, I think zach wanted to be here too. Nurkic with the 2nd pick
2013- wanted noel and archie
2012- drummond, was disgusted by kendal marshal

I stopped caring about the draft around here because the suns stopped caring. I was so disappointed in our franchise mortgaging continued success for cash.

2006- shawne William's and rondo.
2005- the bulls finally became good this season and our pick we got from them sucked. I liked david Lee and when I saw we were trading nate robinson to NY I thought that meant we were getting Lee.

2004- Iggy, traded the pick to sign Quentin...
2003- david west, Barbosa. I remember Leandro was compared to gary Payton before coming over
2002- wanted nene and prince or boozer with the latter pick. I remember Jerry took amare to a Diamondbacks game and kept him in town for a wind work out. Then amare mysteriously got hurt and didn't work out for another team. Should have been a clue.

[Stark]

Well that looks like a fun and depressing game. I'm in!

Well the time that i stopped being a kid who thought most athletic player = best prospect and started watching basketball seriously was i guess around 2008. I was still thinking that Alondo Tucker is a hidden gem and was total stud that year but c'mon i was still in progress. So let's start.

2008: That year i read a Turkish draft report (My English wasn't that good) about Kevin Love and his comparison was Tim f. Duncan and he wasn't a top 5 prospect yet so i watched some clips and really liked him but his stock rose over the year. Also i was a fan of Jason Thompson because of his athleticism (wink) and also we needed a big. We ended up with RoLo and i was super stoked at first because i thought we drafted Brook Lopez and then realized Suns picked Robin and i was super pissed. RoLo actually became a solid player in the end so shame on me.

2009: My favorite prospects were Terrence Williams (i convinced myself that he was the second coming of Iguadola) Jrue Holiday and Ty Lawson (That NCAA final was my first NCAA match that i watched live and really liked the dude) and finally James Johnson. We drafted Earl Clark. It was a meh pick but thought that he might had an all-star potential in the league lol.

2010: We didn't have a first round pick. If we had one, my target player would have been Al-Farouq Amuni (I think i was still an idiot that overvalued dudes who dunk a lot) Suns picked Gani Lawal (who?) but he played actually well in the summer league and i thought he might have been steal. (Another tiny disappointment of long list of disappointments as a Suns fan)

2011: A-ha finally a year that i can proudly yell "I WAS RIGHT" I was so stoked when Kawhi slipped and fell into us but we drafted Markieff effin Morris. I was again super pissed. I was thinking Kawhi could be our new Marion. I didn't like both of Morris bros as a prospect but also why would you draft Markieff? He was the worse one. I really didn't understand that pick back in the day. I was also high on Kenneth Faried,Kyle Singler and Josh Selby (lol but seriously dude's mixtapes were hyped af)

2012: I wanted us to get Jeremy Lamb. Athletic dude who can shoot, great wing-span (See. genius basketball scout is growing guys) I hated the Marshall pick. Slow, bad defender and was huuuge reach. However othen than this Lamb dude i was searcing over the internet and saw an amazing potential in this potential secound round big that everybody was sleeping on. Some people thought he was a tweener but no sir, not me. I totally realized that this guy will be a key piece in a future champion squad. And his name was. Arnett Moultrie. I didn't even know who Draymond Green was during the draft btw.

2013: Ah, our first high pick after all those mid first round picks. I was so excited that we were finally rebuilding and gathering a young team. (You little innocent Stark. you had no idea what future beholds my clueless friend) I believed that Oladipo was the best player in the draft and thought Anythony Bennett will be a huge bust (again, genius) When other teams didn't pick Mclemore and Noel, i was so happy that we were going to get one of them but of course we picked Len and i was kinda sad about it but still it wasn't a huge let down. Damn that year's draft sucks btw.

2014: Ok so if i were the GM. I think i would have picked Hood over Warren (it was close) but also definitely tried to get Bogdanovic with the other picks (i was and still a huge fan of him) I didn't understand the Ennis pick it was a meh choice again. Overall i was happy about this draft mainly because Warren was my second choice after Hood and also of course Bogdanovic *:'(

2015: The year we got our golden boy. My dream pick was Myles Turner but Indiana got him and Suns picked Booker. I wasn't that excited but thought it was a solid, non-risky choice. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was cool but he would have been a reach for our pick. Also i didn't like Oubre and thought he doesn't have mindset to stay in the league. I'm glad i was wrong.

2016: Another horrible draft. Especially around our pick. I had no idea about Bender. He wasn't even a huge name in Europe he had just some solid U18 tournaments and that's it. There wasn't even a lot of game footage. Simmons and Ingram were surefire top two picks and i thought Ingram will be better than Simmons. I was ok with Jaylen Brown but Boston picked him and we got Bender.

Jamal Murray would have been a solid choice. He had showed that he belongs to the league in college but his fit for the team was questionable (idiot) If we had drafted Skal with our late pick and kept Bogdanovic i would have still been super happy but of course we ruined it by trading them for one of my least favorite players in the draft. Marquese Chriss. Yuck.

2017: I was so afraid that we were going to pick Lonzo. Never thought that he will be a bust but he just didn't have a lot of potential, just a solid role player with huge deficiencies. Tatum or Jackson. I would have been happy with either of them. I thought questions about Tatum's defence was dumb. Smart player with great wingspan and athleticism.I was super happy with the Jackson pick. I thought Isaac's offensive skills were limited and I had Jackson over Fox and Markkanen but i also liked them as potential players.

2018: THE DECISION. Suns finally had the first pick and this draft class was full of great players. Beginning of the year i was praying for Suns to get Trae Young (second coming of Nash) but then Ayton and Doncic also had a hell of a year and we ended up with the first pick so it was Ayton or Doncic and it was a tough question. Like Tatum and Jackson situation. I saw them as equal players but thought Ayton had the advantage with his potential. My dream scenarios were A- Draft Ayton and trade up for SGA B- Draft Doncic and trade up for Wendell Carter JR (Maybe Sign Capela too?). I was also happy with Mikal even though he didn't have SGA's potential he was the best 3&D prospect in the draft.

2019: Ja was my favourite player by far even though Zion was well..Zion. I didn't like the idea of Zion and Ayton frountcourt. Doncic and Booker would have been great but Ja/Booker/Ayton would be so much fun... It is just crazy. After all those weird picks if we had the second pick in the last draft. We could still have the best young core in the league with that trio. Well...but of course it didn't happen. All of you convinced me on Brandon Clarke but if i had never read this board i wouldn't pick him. I didn't like any of the players after Ja and Hunter. Maybe Hachimura but still eh.Now I'm happy that we got Cam.

Sooo i have no idea why i did this or who would read this? But i was super bored and had a lot of energy i hope you enjoyed my misery my fellow Suns fans.

[Ghost of Kleine]

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/28738286/nba-draft-stock-watch-standouts-basketball-borders

Some really interesting prospects for the 2021 draft that participated in the "Basketball without Borders " competition. There's definitely some players with incredible potential listed in this editorial.

[RunDogGun]

Hey Ghost, I was looking at a few other sites about mock drafts, and it seems Toppin is lower on one draft and higher on another. Same with Okongwu. So I guess I will have to wait to see where those players start to fit in multiple draft boards. Either way, I think we should draft a PF, but wouldn't be upset if Haliburton fell to our spot.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Hey Ghost, I was looking at a few other sites about mock drafts, and it seems Toppin is lower on one draft and higher on another. Same with Okongwu. So I guess I will have to wait to see where those players start to fit in multiple draft boards. Either way, I think we should draft a PF, but wouldn't be upset if Haliburton fell to our spot.

Yeah, draft boards are really rangy up until the combine usually man. I mainly just use them to try and track potential movement. But mostly I tend to look at their statistics, game logs, scouting reports, and gametape to try and identify those players that exhibit high motor play, tenacity, good fundamentals and have a fluid motion. And also have that intensity to constantly work to get better. Recently though, The mocks had Okungwu rises up to the top 5, due to his play against Colorado last night. But Tyler Bey was also wuite elite defensively too. I could really see us dcrewing up and passing on Toppin, Only to have a team like the Spurs drafting him and turning him into an all star, By developing his defense.

Anyways, I hear ya on the mocks. They'll be rangy for the next few months. Just have to keep an eye on key targets for now. And look for consistent improvement.

[No-Man]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

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Tyler Bey also had an awesome game posting something like 14 and 11/ And elite defense.