2017 NBA Draft Prospect Discussion

[carey]

I've not heard anything about Dennis Smith's attitude. What have you read?

Here's the Smith Jr. discussion: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whats-on-d ... -prospects

Oh wow. Those guys do not like him.

[OE32]

I think we have enough talent to move confidently forward to the next stage in our rebuilding process - trades, free agency, competition.

I like our young players a lot, but I don't really agree with this. I think this is a top-heavy league, and you need 2-3 real studs / stars to be a great team. I see only one real potential star on our roster, and that's Booker. I think we need one more home-run draft pick who turns out to be awesome, like a Ball or Fultz or maybe Jackson. Then maybe we will be able to fill out the team with trades and FAs and actually try to get some wins.

I think Chriss has a solid shot of turning into a Draymond Green-level player. It's hard to say what Booker, Ulis, and Bender's ceilings are. Warren looks like a guy who will average 20 and 7 on high FG% - better than Majerle's averages when he played in the ASG.

How far are the Rockets and Spurs from contending? Houston has one star. San Antonio one star and a semistar in Aldridge. Superteams usually *do not* win the championship - the Heat went 2/4, the Warriors are on the bubble this season, the Lakers superteam of the early-2000s got beat down by a team of nothing but semistars, and the Lakers superteam of the early 70s was a huge disappointment.

I didn't feel this way when Shaq was in his prime. That guy was cheat mode. It felt futile to be trying to build a contender around Jason Kidd with Shaq around to eat you alive. Even Lebron, for all his abilities, isn't that kind of hope-destroying force.

More to the point, you don't need to DRAFT all your superteam members, EVEN IF that's what's required. The Heat drafted one and signed the other two. The Cavs traded for a "star". The Warriors signed one. We signed Nash to carry our team of youngsters *close to* over the top. That's a part of most teams' game plan. We can't just force ourselves to suck until we draft Shaq or Lebron. You play the hand you're dealt as well as you can. We have a solid foundation, with or without or draft pick this summer. Let's build.

[Mori Chu]

I respect your takes a lot, but I disagree with some of your last post. You said, "More to the point, you don't need to DRAFT all your superteam members, EVEN IF that's what's required." The data overwhelmingly shows that teams tend to draft their main superstar. Occasionally a superstar becomes available, but most teams (Curry-GSW, Lebron-Cavs, Duncan-Spurs, Kobe-Lakers, MJ-Bulls) tend to draft the guy who is the centerpiece of the team that wins the title.

We could get a superstar free agent, but I don't think we have the right group to put around one. We didn't trade for Boogie because we still would have been bad even with him here. To me that proves that we don't yet have a young core that can lead to a title, and that we need to keep acquiring great rookies in the draft and making savvy role-player FA signings.

I think Chriss has a solid shot of turning into a Draymond Green-level player. It's hard to say what Booker, Ulis, and Bender's ceilings are. Warren looks like a guy who will average 20 and 7 on high FG% - better than Majerle's averages when he played in the ASG.

It would be a miracle if Chriss becomes as good as Draymond Green. And it's extremely optimistic to predict that Warren will ever average 20 and 7 for a season. I love Warren, too, but he has not come close to demonstrating that level of performance for any sustained period of time. Only if all of our rooks reach their absolute ceilings and overachieve will we have the kind of core you are describing; I'd love to see that, but statistically I think it's unlikely.

[SDC]

i could see mcdo selling the suns first round pick for a quality vet.

[SDC]

My Crystal Ball tells me the suns will win the #1 overall pick, then trade that pick along with BKnight for... Paul George.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Is your crystal ball a snow globe or an eight ball? Asking for a friend.

[O_Gardino]

OE32, I agree with you as far as saying that this team is a good team that can grow into a lot more wins than we got this season. That's why I think it's important that we get a HOF type dude in the draft this season. That will be the difference between a playoff team and a contender. We will see how it all shakes out.

[In2ition]

If the Suns win the #1 pick, I don't see them trading it away. I would love for them to draft Ball or Fultz in that order. I really like Fultz, but I don't see him elevating the play of everyone around him, and that may be due to UDub not having any talent around him or bad coaching, because I believe that he is a willing and very good passer. If just seems that Ball has a better feel for the game, loves to push it, use the athletes on the floor and will do what it takes to win from game to game. With the young athletes that the Suns now have, Ball would help them take a huge step next year. Of course, the Suns also need to address a couple few other areas, which I think is possible.

1. Assuming the Suns get lucky and take Ball, they can trade away Bledsoe and Knight. This should give them another asset or two, which could be used to solidify the team or packaged for something else.
2. Need another knockdown shooter at the SG behind Booker. Booker wasn't perfect last night and made some really bad turnovers, usually mishandling the dribble. A guy like Luke Kennard out of Duke would work really nice with Booker. He just knows how to score and can shoot very well from the perimeter, a very crafty player.
3. Need Jones Jr and Warren to improve their range and consistency. Need them to be able to hit the 3 consistently and spread the floor.
4. Could use an athletic Center to get down the court, catch lobs, protect the rim, rebound and also be able to stretch the floor from time to time, with good hands. Len has struggled with the latter two. Williams doesn't do a good job of protecting the rim, and he's not the best at spreading the floor. I like Anzejs Pasecniks from what I've seen of him, but the center the Suns were linked to who is playing in Europe looked pretty solid too.
5. Need the young guys to just naturally mature, improve, grow and get stronger. Feels like a very nice young core, and they are improving as the season is going on nicely. They are barely out of diapers and are practically a college team right now.
6. Got to get coaching that emphasizes the athletes and young legs on the team and really pushes the pace with run outs and passing. Mike D with a Ball type of PG would have been perfect.

[Mori Chu]

I'd love to see the Suns get the #2 pick. I don't trust them to make the right choice (Ball) if they got the #1. I don't know why, but I don't think Fultz has "it." I would want the Lakers or whomever to get #1 and take Fultz and then we slip in at #2 and take Ball.

[In2ition]

Whoa whoa whoa, I don't want to see the Lakers get a top 3 pick at all. F the Lakers. If they don't get a top 3, they also lose their '19 pick. Double whammy. I'm all for the Suns getting #2 if it's Ball though.

[ShelC]

I'm kind of torn on this one. I think Ball makes players better, I think Fultz can be an all around playmaker and scorer. But where do they fit with the current roster? If we land a top 2 pick and take either guy, you have to move Bleds (and Knight).

[In2ition]

I'm kind of torn on this one. I think Ball makes players better, I think Fultz can be an all around playmaker and scorer. But where do they fit with the current roster? If we land a top 2 pick and take either guy, you have to move Bleds (and Knight).

I think Bledsoe has been playing phenomenal and he should be worthy of a top pick this year. That being said, I still don't see him elevating the rest of the team. No one is afraid of him making plays for anyone else.

[JCSunsfan]

Take the BPA at any position. I am willing to upgrade anywhere, including starting shooting guard. Booker has not looked superstarrish lately. If there was a better prospect at 2 I would take him. We could trade Booker for something really nice if we wanted.

I don't think it will happen, but I am not against it in principle.

[TOO]

Take the BPA at any position. I am willing to upgrade anywhere, including starting shooting guard. Booker has not looked superstarrish lately. If there was a better prospect at 2 I would take him. We could trade Booker for something really nice if we wanted.

I don't think it will happen, but I am not against it in principle.

He's 20. C'mon now.

[Cap]

Take the BPA at any position. I am willing to upgrade anywhere, including starting shooting guard. Booker has not looked superstarrish lately. If there was a better prospect at 2 I would take him. We could trade Booker for something really nice if we wanted.

I don't think it will happen, but I am not against it in principle.

He's 20. C'mon now.

The 20@20 club includes Booker, a bunch of All-Stars, Andrew Wiggins and Tyreke Evans. Booker has the weakest PER in the class.

[In2ition]

Well, I don't think we need to worry about Booker becoming Tyreke Evans, IMO. I definitely think he will keep improving, hopefully his ballhandling if I'm going to critique him at this stage.

[O_Gardino]

Take the BPA at any position. I am willing to upgrade anywhere, including starting shooting guard. Booker has not looked superstarrish lately. If there was a better prospect at 2 I would take him. We could trade Booker for something really nice if we wanted.

I don't think it will happen, but I am not against it in principle.

Did you see him get 9 points in 3 possessions last night to keep us in the game at the end? 3, and 1, 3 He looked like a star then.

[carey]

Booker has some maturing to do but he is still extremely young. He can't even legally buy a drink. Tyreke Evans is the only one on that list that sort of flopped but that's because he can't shoot. 20 ppg SGs don't grow on trees and this kid has the ability to average that for the next decade. I wouldn't give up on that anytime soon. Also, I don't think there is an SG with his talent in this draft. Monk may be the best available but he is a combo guard and is listed at a generous 6' 3".

[carey]

Well, I don't think we need to worry about Booker becoming Tyreke Evans, IMO. I definitely think he will keep improving, hopefully his ballhandling if I'm going to critique him at this stage.

Right. His ball handling is fairly advanced for a SG with his size in my opinion. He is a willing passer that is better than I expected. He's shooting percentages aren't as good as I think he's capable of, but I expect them to rise when he makes the leap and we surround him with more talent.

[TOO]

Well, I don't think we need to worry about Booker becoming Tyreke Evans, IMO. I definitely think he will keep improving, hopefully his ballhandling if I'm going to critique him at this stage.

Right. His ball handling is fairly advanced for a SG with his size in my opinion. He is a willing passer that is better than I expected. He's shooting percentages aren't as good as I think he's capable of, but I expect them to rise when he makes the leap and we surround him with more talent.

Example, look at Bradley Beal now, he was shooting low 40s his first few years too. People get better with maturity and work, I dont see a reason Booker wont.