NBA Draft 2020

[INFORMER]

Don’t forget Ayton is dripping with athleticism. Him getting up and down the court quick will be a problem for teams. They have to respect his rim run which leaves trailers to get open from 3.

That sounds good in theory, but that hasn't been the reality. Teams don't consistently have to worry about Ayton.

[INFORMER]

Josh Hart and #13.

We could do worse.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I like Bane. I think he has a little Raja Bell in him.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

My feelings are the same...Chris isn't the long term play, and his ruggedness is generally in question...so...

Haliburton
Hayes
Terry
Precious
Williams

VT

[Wormwood]

The Suns will trade back in the first round, Vassell will drop and a bunch of people will be screaming for the Suns to take him.

Instead they'll take Bane and everyone will roast James Jones for it because someone on a website said it was 5-10 spots "too early".

I hope people aren't screaming for Vassell. He is very overrated.

No problem with picking Bane - he isn't Cam, and this isn't last year. There isn't a lot that separates prospects 10-40, IMO. Bane is tough, a tremendous shooter, great physical tools, and a solid pass/rebounder.

Well... Vassell is one of the two guys ESPN and 538's models BOTH say are way underrated in the draft. The models work different ways, but 538's is tweaked to value things in the modern game (current meta) more.

The other guy both models really liked?

Siddiq Bey.

I'm happy with either one.

ESPN's likes Killian Hayes. 538 doesn't.

538 likes Nesmith, but ESPN's doesn't.

I think that statistically, either Vassell or Bey are really solid picks, but I'd lean towards Bey just a bit based on team need.

Desmond Bane makes sense if we intend to trade down: he reads as a Jones kind of guy. (3 and D, plus some passing and playmaking at the 2-3- small 4). The ESPN model hates him, so I'm wary. I think Jalen Smith makes more sense than Bane though as a rebounding stretch 4, that we can still get if we move back a little in the draft.

Not enthralled with the other names attached to Phoenix. Cooled on Nesmith: his defense is really porous. Williams can't shoot the three. None of the PGs really do it for me: we have enough PGs who either can't pass or can't shoot. We don't need projects at that position: we need someone to sub for CP3 today.

My list of people I'd be happy with:

1. Vassell
2. Bey
3. Smith
.
.
.
X. Hayes (maybe, we've spend so many draft picks on bad PGs)

If you put a gun to my head and asked me what my best case scenario is... Suns trade back, get some nice compensation, take Jalen Smith. Shot blocking, rebounding, 3 point shooting, 6'10 225 lb PF who fits the Suns style pretty well and fills our biggest need (PF who does the things he does). His biggest weakness in our system is that he's not a passer, but training him into .5 seconds or less is possible.

[ShelC]

I'd honestly be OK trading back a few spots and picking up a late 1st...Bey or Bane and then with the later pick Tyler Bey is growing on me.

[ShelC]

[Split T]

Well draft day has arrived and I feel like I have no idea what we’re gonna do, so here’s all my thoughts.

Guys we could potentially take if they fall:

Tyrese Haliburton - Gambo says we have no interest, but I don’t buy that for a second. He’s tailor-made as a James Jones pick. Highly productive player, great shooter, great passer, great vision. Good positional size. By all accounts a great kid, mature, with a strong work ethic. If he somehow drops we will take him for sure.

Killian Hayes - Gambo says no. Chad Ford says the suns are really hoping he drops to them. I can’t imagine Ford has many connected sources anymore after his hiatus, so I don’t buy his info. Killian says he’s had zero contact with us. We’re not taking him. It’s too bad if we didn’t do our homework on him. I think he actually might be there at 10 and he’s a guy we might regret passing on in a few years.

Guys at 10:

Devin Vassel - I’ve waffled back and forth on him. The best nba tool he brings is his off ball defense. He’s pretty special there. Solid on-ball defender. He’s got length, I believe 6’7 with a 6’11 wingspan. He’s a decent athlete and has a pretty good shot. Heard that video circulating of his ugly jump shot was a joke. Flashed some on ball offensive ability this year at Florida st. But I think that’s still a work on progress and may take time. He’s solid, the 2/3 version of Mikal. Not sure he offers anything unique. Good player though.

Aaron Nesmith - Just a flamethrower. Quite possibly the best shooter in the draft. Has good size at 6’6 215 with a 7’0 wingspan. So the physical stuff is there to be a good, versatile defender, but hasn’t shown up on the court. Not much of a passer either. For while I thought he was going to be our pick, but he really only has the shot and the appearance that he could be a versatile defender. I think we pass.

Saddiq Bey - Not quite the shooter Nesmith is, but he’s bigger and played defense. Think it’s much more likely we take him than Nesmith. He also can move the ball a bit. Played at a winning school in Villanova, seems like a solid kid. Think he’s got a good chance to be our pick.

Desmond Bane - Checks a lot of the James Jones boxes. He can shoot, he can put the ball on the floor, he’s a very good passer. He works hard, and looks like a really good, mature kid. My one worry is his defense. I don’t think he’ll necessarily be a liability, but lack of quickness and length leads me to believe he might be limited. Don’t think he’ll be able to guard quicker 1’s or the bigger 3/4 wings.

Kira Lewis Jr - Talk has gone away from the pg’s since we got CP3, but I’m not sure why. We were never drafting them to start right away anyways. If anything, we need a future 1 more now than before. Kira learning the position from CP3 seems like the best possible scenario for Kira. Perhaps the shift away from pg’s is a smokescreen and we’re still keying in on it. Gambo hasn’t ruled out Lewis. We also just might want to draft someone that can play rotation minutes from day 1 and I don’t think Kira is that guy.

Sleepers:

Tyrese Maxey - If he shot it a little better, I’d think he was the favorite. There are enough people who think he’ll shoot though, that I won’t rule him out. He’s got everything else. Really good defensively and could defend 1/2. Can play with or without the ball. Feels like he’ll be a very good 3rd guard with shot at being a long term solution next to Book. But he didn’t shoot well, the rest of his game kinda depends on the shot.

RJ Hampton - I’ve heard nothing about the suns being linked to him, but I just want to throw him out here as an out of left field selection. He might be the best athlete in the draft. If we move down and pick up another pick...say 10 to Boston for 14/26. I could see us having a ready to go guy in mind at 26 and therefore taking a shot on RJ at 14. He might be Dante Exum, but not many guys at 6’5 with lead ball handling skills and elite athleticism.

Jalen Smith - Think he’s less likely with Saric hanging around. But size, shot blocking, 3 pt shooting. Feels like a really good modern big man. I think he’s a 5, but with Ayton’s defensive versatility and Smith’s shooting, you might be able to play them together.

My guess on the pick - Saddiq Bey. Though I think we try and trade down to grab him a few spots later and add another pick/player. Bane is our backup plan if we trade back and Bey is gone.

[Wormwood]

The mock drafts coming out over the past couple days seem to be coalescing around the Suns taking Vassell at 10 and the Spurs taking Bey at 11. This assumes we keep the pick. I still like Bey a bit more, but either fills a role. Vassell is a bit small for SF, though. Suspect he'd mostly take Bridges minutes at SG.

Bey is big enough to spell Bridges and Johnson at SF, and play a few minutes as a small PF. He's a better 3 point shooter than Vassell as well.

[ShelC]

McDonaugh on Twitter saying Okongwu has a broken foot and teams are trying to find out more, could hurt his stock and cause him to slide.

[Split T]

The latest espn mock has us taking Bey

[Split T]

Ford has Vassel, with Okoro as second option. Mentioned Hayes/Lewis if they decide pg route, but I don’t think he’s very connected anymore.

[Wormwood]

Ford has Vassel, with Okoro as second option. Mentioned Hayes/Lewis if they decide pg route, but I don’t think he’s very connected anymore.

Okoro's 3-point shooting is poor. For that alone, he's not a James Jones guy, and a bad fit here.

[Split T]

I agree, don’t think we’d take him.

[Ring_Wanted]

I don't think Antohy Edward is anyone's favorite on here, but in case he has any fans, I bet this story won't make them feel too good:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/303 ... ny-edwards

- "To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."

- "I'm still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."

- He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go.

[Split T]

He sure knows how to get people intrigued

[Superbone]

The Suns will trade back in the first round, Vassell will drop and a bunch of people will be screaming for the Suns to take him.

Instead they'll take Bane and everyone will roast James Jones for it because someone on a website said it was 5-10 spots "too early".

I hope people aren't screaming for Vassell. He is very overrated.

No problem with picking Bane - he isn't Cam, and this isn't last year. There isn't a lot that separates prospects 10-40, IMO. Bane is tough, a tremendous shooter, great physical tools, and a solid pass/rebounder.

Well... Vassell is one of the two guys ESPN and 538's models BOTH say are way underrated in the draft. The models work different ways, but 538's is tweaked to value things in the modern game (current meta) more.

The other guy both models really liked?

Siddiq Bey.

I'm happy with either one.

ESPN's likes Killian Hayes. 538 doesn't.

538 likes Nesmith, but ESPN's doesn't.

I think that statistically, either Vassell or Bey are really solid picks, but I'd lean towards Bey just a bit based on team need.

Desmond Bane makes sense if we intend to trade down: he reads as a Jones kind of guy. (3 and D, plus some passing and playmaking at the 2-3- small 4). The ESPN model hates him, so I'm wary. I think Jalen Smith makes more sense than Bane though as a rebounding stretch 4, that we can still get if we move back a little in the draft.

Not enthralled with the other names attached to Phoenix. Cooled on Nesmith: his defense is really porous. Williams can't shoot the three. None of the PGs really do it for me: we have enough PGs who either can't pass or can't shoot. We don't need projects at that position: we need someone to sub for CP3 today.

My list of people I'd be happy with:

1. Vassell
2. Bey
3. Smith
.
.
.
X. Hayes (maybe, we've spend so many draft picks on bad PGs)

If you put a gun to my head and asked me what my best case scenario is... Suns trade back, get some nice compensation, take Jalen Smith. Shot blocking, rebounding, 3 point shooting, 6'10 225 lb PF who fits the Suns style pretty well and fills our biggest need (PF who does the things he does). His biggest weakness in our system is that he's not a passer, but training him into .5 seconds or less is possible.

How was Cam Johnson perceived in these two models a year ago?

[Superbone]

I don't think Antohy Edward is anyone's favorite on here, but in case he has any fans, I bet this story won't make them feel too good:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/303 ... ny-edwards

- "To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."

- "I'm still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."

- He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go.

Big red flags.

[Split T]

Well Toppin and Haliburton are repped by CAA, who rep Booker and CP3

[Mori Chu]

Great, Flex from Jersey is officially turning into one of those vague tweeters who claim to have inside info but never give enough details to be accountable.

As for the draft, are we destined to draft the most James Jones-like player in every draft from now on? I keep reading about SF/PFs linked to us who have good 3-point shooting and defense. Hmm, who does that sound like?