Phx-Suns.Net

In2ition wrote:

Split T wrote:

In2ition wrote:

Split T wrote:

In2ition wrote: I've read some posts by Memphis fans on realgm that said they would like something like that. They have a franchise center and pg, just need wing scoring and talent, but are also capped out because of Parsons

I think they'd have to love some prospects in that 15/16 range. Even then, they'd have to not believe in Doncic. I think a Conley/Doncic/Gasol core would be pretty good for Memphis. If they can keep Tyreke, they'll fight for the playoffs

What would a Conley, Evans, Warren, Gasol, + cap space and #15, #16 do?

I actually don't think they'd have space. Conley and Gasol have big deals. Warren is 12 million next year and they'd have to pay for Evans too.

But ya that team could fight for the playoffs but they wouldn't have much future once Gasol and Conley are done. And I think they'll be done sooner than later.

Doncic gives them a chance to fight for the playoffs now and gives them a building block for the future.

Well that is where 15 & 16 come into play. Booker, Mitchell, Kobe, Nash, George, and Butler were all later picks. This draft is deep, they could get 2 building blocks.

Possibly, but it's the whole bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Doncic is a building block, there's a better chance they just draft the Morris twins or something similar than George, Kobe, Nash, Mitchell or Booker.

This kind of trade is just ridiculous on its face. Nobody trades a top-3 pick for some mediocre players and a much crappier late first rounder. At least, not in the same draft. Sometimes teams trade a "future first" for a package like that, and it later ends up being an amazing top pick. But they never do it when they know for a fact that they've been tanking all year and are due to get a top-5 pick for certain.

Growing up as a Suns fan in the 90s you always dreamed of finding that diamond in the rough big man with a mid -late first round pick.

Can any avid watchers of college hoops give any insight into the following big men:
Austin Wiley
Daniel Gafford

A good pickup for the Suns as backups? Any other insights ?

As much as a freak physically Ayton is, I worry about how often he fumbles the ball. I must have seen him do that a half dozen times yesterday. I think Len has damaged me from that point.

Danimal wrote:Growing up as a Suns fan in the 90s you always dreamed of finding that diamond in the rough big man with a mid -late first round pick.

Can any avid watchers of college hoops give any insight into the following big men:
Austin Wiley
Daniel Gafford

A good pickup for the Suns as backups? Any other insights ?

I don't know much about Wiley. Gafford is really good. He has good scoring, finishing ability. Good build and length. Very good athleticism. Runs the floor well. Brings a nice aggression on the offensive end. His rebounding leaves a little to be desired. Good shot-blocker, though.

In2ition wrote:As much as a freak physically Ayton is, I worry about how often he fumbles the ball. I must have seen him do that a half dozen times yesterday.

I hear you. I don't think you'll be able to feed him on the move, so it will limit the type of pick and roll action you can run with him.

Part of me does have doubts about great a team can be with a player like Ayton in this era of the NBA. I think the advantage is to play fast, but Ayton is the type of big man that will slow your offense down. Also, I don't know if he can be an elite finish against NBA size, strength, and speed. So that could mean that you're feeding a big man that is going to take and miss shots close around the goal while the other team is hitting threes. That's what you see with the Blazers/Nurkic and Nuggets/Jokic. The Nuggets compensate with Jokic's 3-point shooting and elite passing. I don't think the Blazers have found a way to compensate on the offensive end, but they get it back to a certain extent on the defensive end.

INFORMER wrote:

In2ition wrote:As much as a freak physically Ayton is, I worry about how often he fumbles the ball. I must have seen him do that a half dozen times yesterday.

I hear you. I don't think you'll be able to feed him on the move, so it will limit the type of pick and roll action you can run with him.

Part of me does have doubts about great a team can be with a player like Ayton in this era of the NBA. I think the advantage is to play fast, but Ayton is the type of big man that will slow your offense down. Also, I don't know if he can be an elite finish against NBA size, strength, and speed. So that could mean that you're feeding a big man that is going to take and miss shots close around the goal while the other team is hitting threes. That's what you see with the Blazers/Nurkic and Nuggets/Jokic. The Nuggets compensate with Jokic's 3-point shooting and elite passing. I don't think the Blazers have found a way to compensate on the offensive end, but they get it back to a certain extent on the defensive end.

I can see your point there. I think Ayton is an excellent passer, but not at Jokic's level. He will be a better player than Nurkic, but I doubt he has his range. He settles for a lot of midrange jump shots, which isn't bad since he hits a high percentage of them. I think he can hit the open shooter and has good enough footwork and skilled enough to make the other team pay in the post. I'm honestly torn, as he never puts the ball on the floor and takes his man to the basket. I don't know if that's because of college zone rules and him primarily playing with another low post 7 footer and not having room to move along with not good outside shooters on U of A. If you can't trust him to catch cleanly on a pick & roll, take a couple dribbles and complete a play, he's just going to be a better version of Len.

I wonder if it would better if the Suns are in the position to, to take Doncic and then get the center and shooter later, or move up for the other center, shooter, pf or possibly pg. Then address the pf or center in a trade or free agency. I'm honestly torn on this. Booker and Doncic with Jackson and possibly Warren is pretty nice to think about. I mean we need a dominate center to compete with Embiid and other big time centers in the league nowadays, but we also need a big pg who can spread the floor, pass, cause mismatches and can rebound. Lonzo and Simmons are a new breed.

When I think about the roster construction, I'm not really governed by trying to match other teams. I just think in terms of putting together potent lineups/combinations that are lethal offensively, but capable defensively.

I like Doncic, not because he fits the mold of a trend of big point guards, but because he is one of the best prospects in the draft and brings basketball IQ that this team is very low on.

I agree with that. How do you keep adding more of those type players in this draft and off-season?

Honestly, I don't think it is that hard. I think there is ample opportunity to do so this offseason, we just have to be smart, patient, and don't settle.

Don't go into the draft locked into trading picks away. If we're uncomfortable with the amount of youth on the team, trade Ulis and Chriss; dump Danuel House.

I think the general course of the offseason will (or should) be largely dictated by the pick we land.

I'm leaning toward Doncic over Ayton. I just hope we have the choice.

INFORMER wrote:Honestly, I don't think it is that hard. I think there is ample opportunity to do so this offseason, we just have to be smart, patient, and don't settle.

Don't go into the draft locked into trading picks away. If we're uncomfortable with the amount of youth on the team, trade Ulis and Chriss; dump Danuel House.

I think the general course of the offseason will (or should) be largely dictated by the pick we land.

I agree that it's going to be dictated by the pick we land.

You just know we are going to draft Bagley, sign Kevin Love and Avery Bradley, and re-sign Payton. Then we'll have a roster of misfit toys to play with.

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:You just know we are going to draft Bagley, sign Kevin Love and Avery Bradley, and re-sign Payton. Then we'll have a roster of misfit toys to play with.

Well if it makes you feel better, love isn't a free agent and I don't think we will have enough money to sign Bradley if we re-sign Payton.

Ayton and Love would be a good fit together in my opinion, but Bagley and Love wouldn’t work well

Bagley/Love could be a good offensive combo, but probably gets torched on defense.

ESPN has a new mock. They have us picking 1, 15, 16, 31 and have us going
Ayton
Knox
Holiday
Milton

1. Phoenix Suns

Deandre Ayton
Arizona
Freshman
C



Height: 7-foot-0 | Weight: 243

Ayton is answering many of the questions scouts have had about him since high school with a string of dominant performances down the stretch. Physically, he's one of the most gifted prospects we've seen in the draft in the past few years, and he has an impressive skill-level to boot.

Phoenix, the worst defensive team in the NBA, will be right to question Ayton's impact on that end of the floor, but his sheer productivity makes it difficult to not slot him at the top of this class.


Starting salary: $8,095,680

15. Phoenix Suns (via Bucks)

Kevin Knox
Kentucky
Freshman
SF/PF



Height: 6-foot-9 | Weight: 205

Sporting the worst defense in the NBA, the Suns will surely be looking to add more size, length, athleticism and versatility at every position.

Knox was inconsistent this season on that end of the floor, but as the second-youngest player in the draft, that's not all that surprising. His ability to stretch the floor, make plays in the open court and theoretically guard either forward spot is attractive in today's NBA.

Starting salary: $2,725,680

Phoenix will receive Milwaukee's pick if it lands in Nos. 11-16.

16. Phoenix Suns (via Heat)


Aaron Holiday
UCLA
Junior
PG



Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 187

The Suns could very well be looking to add firepower at the point guard position depending on their thoughts about (and the cost of) resigning Elfrid Payton.

Holiday has broken through in a major way in his senior season, and he would bring a number of attractive traits with his microwave scoring ability, long wingspan and toughness.

Starting salary: $2,589,480

Phoenix will receive Miami's pick if it is outside the top seven.

A few hot takes since I've been mostly silent on the draft:

I think Ayton is my guy at #1. I think he's got to be. He's not the kind of big that's the "prototype" for today's game, but he might be a transcendent big man. He could DRob or Ewing or someone of that talent. Would that work in today's game? I think you find a way to make it work. And more than that, we need a dominant big to balance out Booker's perimeter scoring and our lack of production (right now) and PF. If we have a game changing dominant big in Ayton, it might make Bender and Chriss look less terrible.

If the Grizz get #1, I don't know what they do. My head tells me they have to take Bagley because he can play the PF spot next to Gasol. My gut says they trade the pick or take Ayton and try and figure it out. I'd be inclined to offer the #2 and someone like Warren or Chriss for the #1 just to ensure we get Ayton.

As much as people hype this draft up with Ayton, Bagley, JJJ, Bridges, etc. I just don't see it with a lot of these guys. I'm especially concerned with JJJ and Bagley. Not sure if it was on here or social media but someone likened Bagley to a taller version of Josh Jackson, which I kind of agree with. I don't see refined skills offensively, he doesn't seem to be a dominant defensive player and his athleticism doesn't "wow" me. JJJ just seems a bit soft and his rebounding numbers are especially concerning. Porter's season has been a wash and I wouldn't take another SF. Plus with Bagley and JJJ, we'd have to figure out what to do with Bender and Chriss. All 4 are PFs in their own way. Not a good problem to have. I'm not even convinced about Ayton, but he's got legit size and length for the 5 spot along with the skillset. Bagley is from Phoenix tho....

How is everyone feeling about Sexton's performance over the last few weeks? Defensively, he is a bulldog. He puts TONS of pressure on a defense. And his shooting seems to be... okay? Say he goes in the 7-10 range, what would it take to trade up and get him? Would we be willing to do TJ + 15 to move into that range? Do we think he could be our PG of the future? From what everyone is saying, he seems like total culture changer from a competitiveness and hunger to win standpoint.

On the downside, he did finish the SEC Tournament with 12 turnovers to only 9 assists. Which is, uhhh... bad.