With the FIRST pick in the 2018 NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns select...

[Vladimir_Taltos]

Bamba, 6'11", 225
FT % 68.1%
BPG 3.7!

Ayton, 7'1", 250
FT % 73%
BPG 1.9

[Vladimir_Taltos]

And here's the capper...

[Vladimir_Taltos]

Wingspan...7'10"!!!!!

[In2ition]

Do people still watch ESPN programming? Like, really sit down and watch it. For entertainment?

I try to watch the Jump. They have been brutal to the Suns, but rightfully so. I'm a sucker for everything NBA.

[Cap]

For those arguing against Ayton...or quite possibly Bamba...let's remember... SIZE MARTERS! And imagine if he could have shot free throws...it isn't about him...this is just a reminder...

Did we improve when we traded Marion for him?

[carey]

Do people still watch ESPN programming? Like, really sit down and watch it. For entertainment?

I watch the LeBatard show On Demand nearly every day. They are like the anti-sports-sports show.

[Cap]

I can’t stand Screamin’ A, on TV or radio.

[TOO]

Do people still watch ESPN programming? Like, really sit down and watch it. For entertainment?

I try to watch the Jump. They have been brutal to the Suns, but rightfully so. I'm a sucker for everything NBA.

I can't stand Rachel Nichols and her smug "hot takes" man, El-Asshat is also a terrible watch. I think the only NBA thing worth watching is the TNT show, NBA tv is always cringey for me too.

[The Bobster]

I can’t stand Screamin’ A, on TV or radio.

How does he still have a job? Does anyone take him seriously??

[Superbone]

For those arguing against Ayton...or quite possibly Bamba...let's remember... SIZE MARTERS! And imagine if he could have shot free throws...it isn't about him...this is just a reminder...

Did we improve when we traded Marion for him?

Are you seriously going to compare over the hill Shaq to prime Shaq?

[Superbone]

I can’t stand Screamin’ A, on TV or radio.

Or in a box, or with a fox.

[Cap]

For those arguing against Ayton...or quite possibly Bamba...let's remember... SIZE MARTERS! And imagine if he could have shot free throws...it isn't about him...this is just a reminder...

Did we improve when we traded Marion for him?

Are seriously going to compare over the hill Shaq to prime Shaq?

Marion was getting a bit past prime, too. Our one full year with Shaq gave us the only 7-foot All Star in franchise history, and it was by far the worst year of the Nash era. (To add insult to injury, we used the resulting lottery pick on a Earl Clark!) Just throwing a little perspective on the “size matters” argument. We were at our worst when we were most invested in size. Trading Marion for a much bigger player of comparable quality (Shaq made the A* team his one full year with us; Marion never did again) made the team worse, not better.

[Superbone]

For those arguing against Ayton...or quite possibly Bamba...let's remember... SIZE MARTERS! And imagine if he could have shot free throws...it isn't about him...this is just a reminder...

Did we improve when we traded Marion for him?

Are seriously going to compare over the hill Shaq to prime Shaq?

Marion was getting a bit past prime, too. Our one full year with Shaq gave us the only 7-foot All Star in franchise history, and it was by far the worst year of the Nash era. (To add insult to injury, we used the resulting lottery pick on a Earl Clark!) Just throwing a little perspective on the “size matters” argument. We were at our worst when we were most invested in size. Trading Marion for a much bigger player of comparable quality (Shaq made the A* team his one full year with us; Marion never did again) made the team worse, not better.

Alright, you've made a nice argument for it. Still, I'd take a young Shaq any day. Worked out pretty well for the Lakers.

And Earl Clark. Don't get me started. What a waste of a physical specimen. 6' 10" with that body, if he had any kind of motivation, he had the tools for greatness. What a dud.

[Uncle_Gene]

Hello Ladies and Gents, it's been a LONG time.

Now, I have to say I think the 1st pick should be Deandre Ayton.

Tyson Chandler is past his prime and Alex Lin just didn't develop into the player I believe McDonough (or me) envisioned. There's been a hole at the 5 spot for a while with this team and Ayton averaging 20pts & 10 rebs in a competitive PAC-12 conference can't be ignored. Yeah, I know Doncic is 6'8 and a good passer and shooter, but the Suns have had problems up front at the power positions (4 and 5) for a long time. Besides you all know me - fix the paint !

Deandre Ayton has to be the pick.

[O_Gardino]

FIX THE PAINT!

Good to see you, Gene.

[AmareIsGod]

Sharing from Reddit.

I posted this in another thread:

I think what people are missing about the Ayton critiques is context. A lot of people don't realize that Arizona's defense was absolutely broken last year, and had some fundamental flaws that detracted from what Ayton could do last year. Here is some background on that:

• Arizona's guards couldn't defend a broken chair. The perimeter defense was a sieve, and the team defense crumbled as a result. There was little rotation and help defense, so from a system standpoint Ayton had zero support in protecting the rim. Also, Arizona plays a very conservative pack-line defense that can work when it has excellent perimeter defenders, but since they didn't have that it put an incredible stress on the guys scrambling to defend when the on ball defender gets beat consistently.

• He shared the floor with another 7 footer, an extremely slow and plodding player who's lack of mobility made it easy for opponents to exploit the rim. It also made Arizona's team defense awkward and clunky. This resulted in Ayton not having the spacing to fully utilize his athletic ability on defense.

• As a result of playing alongside that player, he was often forced to defend the 4 position, which were often small-ball type PFs that drew Ayton away from the rim. That limited his time defending the rim and his block opportunities. He still did admirably with that assignment, staying in front of opponents and blocking a surprising amount of perimeter jumpers on the closeout.

Those are the main things that most people don't realize about why Ayton's defensive numbers weren't good in college, but in that context it becomes more understandable. Of course I won't say that Ayton is a very good defender, but I think he has the potential to be more than serviceable and the current narrative seems to exclude that potential.

Also, here are some positive nuances to Ayton's defense that seem to get lost in the discussion:

• He moves his feet incredibly well. Amazing for a guy that size. He is light on his feet and has great lateral quickness, so he has great potential to contain guards when forced to switch on the pick and roll.

• While his block numbers were good but not great (1.9bpg, 2.3 bpg in conference), what doesn't show up in the box score was how many shots he altered. Ayton changed so many shots when he challenged players near the rim, forcing a ton of misses even though he didn't always block the shot. Early in the season he almost always stayed at home and didn't leave his feet, which resulted in fewer blocks but was actually a fundamentally sound choice defensively.

Overall my point is that the narrative surrounding him has a lot of context that is missing from the greater discussion on his defense, resulting in some overreactions about his prospects at the next level. And even if he never becomes a good defender, he still remains one of the most insanely talented offensive big men we have seen in a long time, which in my opinion significantly outweighs the negative aspects of his defensive capability.

[O_Gardino]

If he lands on the Suns, he's going to play with guards who don't defend and NBA teams are going to try to move him out of the lane with smaller guys who can shoot. I get that his block numbers might be better if he had been the center at Arizona, but he is still going to have to overcome some very similar challenges in the league.

His defense is really about awareness and agility. IMO, he showed excellent agility, and pretty good awareness defending his man one on one. I have no idea how well he will pick up the team awareness and make the proper rotations in the NBA.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

For those arguing against Ayton...or quite possibly Bamba...let's remember... SIZE MARTERS! And imagine if he could have shot free throws...it isn't about him...this is just a reminder...

Did we improve when we traded Marion for him?

Are you seriously going to compare over the hill Shaq to prime Shaq?

What Bone said!

[Vladimir_Taltos]

Preach it, Uncle Gene!

[Cap]

For those arguing against Ayton...or quite possibly Bamba...let's remember... SIZE MARTERS! And imagine if he could have shot free throws...it isn't about him...this is just a reminder...

Did we improve when we traded Marion for him?

Are seriously going to compare over the hill Shaq to prime Shaq?

Marion was getting a bit past prime, too. Our one full year with Shaq gave us the only 7-foot All Star in franchise history, and it was by far the worst year of the Nash era. (To add insult to injury, we used the resulting lottery pick on a Earl Clark!) Just throwing a little perspective on the “size matters” argument. We were at our worst when we were most invested in size. Trading Marion for a much bigger player of comparable quality (Shaq made the A* team his one full year with us; Marion never did again) made the team worse, not better.

Alright, you've made a nice argument for it. Still, I'd take a young Shaq any day. Worked out pretty well for the Lakers.

Nah, that was all Robert Horry.