Phoenix Suns: NBA Draft

Phoenix Suns: 2009 NBA Draft

Jon Teitel — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:55:37 -0700

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

- We’ll update our Team Capsules with more specific info once the lottery is complete.

Phoenix Suns

2008-09 Record: 46-36

Draft Picks: 14, 48, 57

Key Free Agents:
F Grant HIll
F Matt Barnes

How They Got Here:

After making the playoffs for 13 straight years from 1989-2001, the Suns have now missed the playoffs for the 3^rd time in the past 8 years. They started the season with Terry Porter, who won 5 more games then he lost, and finished the season with Alvin Gentry, who also won 5 more games then he lost. As usual, the Suns have no problem scoring (7 guys finished with 10+ PPG), but could use a better effort on defense (allowed 107.5 PPG). Their 3 oldest players (Shaq/Nash/Hill) were among the top 5 scorers on the team, so perhaps they will need to re-load on offense sooner than later.

What They Need:

There is not a single player in the rotation averaging over 16 minutes/game who is under age 26, so there is plenty of room to get younger. With J-Rich and Amare penciled in at the 2 and the 4, and several small forwards on the roster, the 2 biggest needs are at the point and in the post. Nash and Shaw might both end up in the Hall of Fame, but they are both well past their primes and will not be around forever. Of their 5 picks since 2000 who have a career average of 25+ minutes/game, exactly ONE is still with the Suns (Amare).

Who They'll Take:

After Lopez failed to shine as a rookie, while all the guards they have picked in the 1^st round recently have gone on to shine for other teams, the Suns would be well served to grab a point guard and a center. That being said, when you miss the playoffs, you should also strongly consider getting the best available player on the board. Based on recent history, the Suns will probably pick a small point guard in the 1^st round (Ty Lawson/Stephen Curry/Jeff Teague), and then trade him for cash to another team. If an in-state athlete like Chase Budinger is available, that would not shock me either. As Hasheem Thabeet will probably be a top-5 pick, the only other legitimate center prospect in the 1^st round is BJ Mullens, but I am not convinced that he will end up being that much better than Lopez. As far as their 2 picks late in the 2^nd round, I would suggest the best-available big man (Josh Heytvelt/Chris Johnson) and the best-available PG (Tyrese Rice/Josh Akognon).

Draft History (since 2000)

2008: Robin Lopez (15), Malik Hairston (48)
2007: Rudy Fernandez (24), Alando Tucker (29), DJ Strawberry (59)
2006: Rajon Rondo (21), Sergio Rodriguez (27)
2005: Nate Robinson (21), Marcin Gortat (57)
2004: Luol Deng (7)
2003: Zarko Cabarkapa (17)
2002: Amare Stoudemire (9), Casey Jacobsen (22)
2001: Alton Ford (50)
2000: Jake Tsakalidis (25)

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Top Prospects

Stephen Curry - PG/SG - Davidson

Tyreke Evans - PG/SG - Memphis

Blake Griffin - PF - Oklahoma

James Harden - SG - Arizona State

Jordan Hill - PF - Arizona

Ty Lawson - PG - UNC

BJ Mullens - C - Ohio State

Ricky Rubio - PG - DKV Joventut

Brandon Jennings - PG - Arizona

Hasheem Thabeet - C - UCONN

Suns Acquire Jason Richardson

Hoopsworld — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:48:25 -0800

By: Bill Ingram

The Phoenix Suns had to do something. Their big gamble, taking on the aging (and expensive) Shaquille O'Neal, wasn't paying off. In fact, a quarter of the way into the 2008-09 season the Suns were looking like a team in real trouble.

The Charlotte Bobcats were going nowhere fast. A coaching change was supposed to get their young team headed in a new direction, but a quarter of the way into the 2008-09 season that wasn't the case. They were even having trouble finding a trading partner to help get them out of the situation.

Well, on Wednesday evening a lot changed for both the Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Bobcats. The two teams worked a significant trade, with Charlotte sending Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a future second round pick to Phoenix for Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary.

The deal immediately helps both teams, with Phoenix getting a premier perimeter scoring threat who should help carry the scoring load during Shaq's frequent breaks. It also resolves the trade rumors that have flurried around Diaw and Bell since early last summer.

The Bobcats get some much-needed depth with a solid scorer and defender in Bell and a post threat in Diaw. As much as Bell and Diaw were part of a good defensive team in Phoenix, it's their offense the Bobcats are hoping to capitalize on. Charlotte was already the fourth-best defensive team in the league, but their 89.85 point per game is currently dead last in the NBA.

"We're excited about the opportunity to add these new pieces to our team," Bobcats GM Rod Higgins said in a statement. "While we're giving up two key members of our rotation, we feel like Raja, Boris and Sean can help us improve our team."

The best trade is one that helps both sides immediately, and on paper this trade meets that criteria. The Suns and Bobcats have addressed some glaring needs with this deal.

NBA: Weekend Review

Hoopsworld — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:13:08 -0700

By: Steve Kyler

The European Exodus : Add Carlos Arroyo to the list of NBA players crossing the pond, agreeing yesterday to a 3-year deal in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv filling the last roster spot for the Euroleague power house. The deal is worth roughly $7.5 million, or $2.5 million per year, almost half what Carlos earned in Orlando last year. Carlos was on Maccabi's radar for some time, and in landing him they locked up their roster. The appeal of the European offers is real – virtually tax free money, nice luxury apartments and cars to use while playing for the team, and a much shorter season with fewer games. The idea that a mega-star type player will one day very soon cross the pond is still a bit of stretch, for instance the idea that LeBron James would go to Greece in 2010 is almost insane. LeBron has not achieved any of the goals he set out to achieve and in the next two years it's unlikely he gets two championships, two league MVPs, a scoring title and a Defensive Player of the Year award before July 2010. The real European threat is the middle class in the NBA. The current NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement rewards top rookies and top tier players, at the expense of the middle class. This issue will come up again in the next round of collective bargaining talks. The current agreement expires after the 2010-11 season; the NBA has the option to extend the current deal through the 2011-12 season. The NBA must exercise its option to extend the deal by December 15, 2010. One of the core reasons star players like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade opted for shorter terms deals, was in part because their percentage of the salary cap rate increases after seven season in the league, but also in the event that the Collective Bargaining situation changes, if the league opts not to extend – which is unlikely - both players wanted to be able to negotiate on what is expected to be better terms for the top tier. The NBA's position on Europe grabbing NBA players is it's a global business and a global game that they helped develop. The agent's position is the NBA needs to address this issue and needs to do it quickly. Every time a NBA player leaves the league, especially players with name value, this issue gets closer to getting ugly. There are roughly 40 top tier NBA players; there are easily 170 middle class players each year in the NBA; combined that is the bulk of the league. The next round of labor talks could get very ugly and you can point to Europe as why.

Shaq Wants JWill: Shaquille O'Neal is urging the Phoenix Suns to get into the Jason Williams sweepstakes. Jason was with Shaq in Miami for the past three seasons, and is still unsigned. The Williams' camp is weighing some European offers that are above the NBA minimum and still holding out that Miami may make a better offer as well. The Suns are looking for a reserve point guard to back up Steve Nash, and are trying to get second-round draft pick Goran Dragic into a deal. Dragic has a $1 million Euro buyout - roughly $1.5 million US - of which the Suns can pay up to $500,000 towards without penalty towards the salary cap. Dragic is seeking a multi-year deal well above the NBA minimum begging the question, if the Suns are willing to spend $2 million on Dragic, would they get a better player in Williams at or near the same money? The Suns will likely be luxury tax payers in 2008-2009 unless they can find a taker for Boris Diaw's remaining four years and $36 million. The Suns have been active in trade talks involving both Diaw and Leandro Barbosa who they have been shopping since the draft, with very little interest in Diaw and very little value in return for Barbosa. With the Suns in Luxury Tax range now, every contract signed going forward could face a dollar for dollar penalty next summer. The tax is not computed until the end of the year, so it's possible the Suns could trigger a deal cutting some salary before the trade deadline and avoid the tax, but tax ramifications do factor into these final roster spots. Given the Suns infatuation in Goran Dragic, Shaq may have a rookie on the roster instead of the veteran he thinks the club needs.

Pride In Your Country?: Chris Kaman is getting a lot of heat for joining the German National team. He has been called a traitor and a turncoat on sports radio shows across the country, and it's expected he'll face some boos and catcalls when he returns to the NBA in October. The funniest part about all of this is this bogus expectation of national pride when it comes to the Olympics. The Olympics is the biggest joke in sports. The athletes on most of these teams are simply highly paid professionals, most do not live or train in the country they will compete for next week. The Olympics is far more about marketing and ad dollars than the games and sports being played. There are billions of dollars paid and spent on the Olympics, all under this guise of national pride. Don't get it twisted; I want to see the US teams bring home the gold, because I am caught up in it too. I am just not naive enough to buy into this "he's a traitor" stuff, because it's not like Chris Kaman is giving the Germans nuclear secrets or the source code to Windows Vista. The chance to win an Olympic medal is a special thing, a thing reserved for a select few and if a loophole somewhere gives you the chance to do that, I would support you in that endeavor. You don't think Jamaica really wanted to prove its Bobsledding dominance do you? They got in where they could fit in. Chris Kaman was never going to represent the US in Olympic play, he wasn't even on the top 50 list, so it's not like he is spurning his country to play for Team Deutschland. The Olympics is about business, and big business at that. And for the record, when the Scottish National Team is organizing its 2012 London roster, I will be ready.

Summer League Player Grades: Picks 11-20

Hoopsworld — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:30:55 -0700

By: Jessica Camerato

HOOPSWORLD graded the top ten picks during summer league action, but the lottery players weren't the only ones making a splash this month. From standouts to let downs, see how draft picks #11-20 performed at Orlando and Las Vegas Summer League as well as the Rocky Mountain Revue.

11. Jerryd Bayless - Portland Trail Blazers (via trade from Indiana Pacers)
Noteworthy Performance: 36 points, 14-26 FG, 3 steals against the Phoenix Suns
Grade: A+

Review: Simply put, Bayless was the best. The 19-year-old garnered MVP honors after averaging nearly 30 points and five rebounds per game and proved to be more than just a ball handler. He demonstrated fearlessness at the basket and NBA readiness in the backcourt. More importantly, he proved himself to be a reliable clutch performer. Bayless sent one game into overtime and won two others with key last-second shots. It's baffling how he fell to the 11th pick and Trail Blazers' GM Kevin Pritchard came out like a bandit yet again the in the draft.

12. Jason Thompson - Sacramento Kings
Noteworthy Performance: 20 points, 10 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors
Grade: A-

Review: Thompson entered summer league as a relative unknown and headed back to Sacramento as one of the most talked about big men of the rookie class. At 6-11 he possessed one of the more intriguing games, exhibiting skills common for a big man like rebounding while also showcasing the ability to run the fast break. Like Bayless, Thompson also hit two-game winning shots. The Kings need all the front court help they can get with Brad Miller suspended for the first five games of the regular season, and Thompson could fill in nicely.

13. Brandon Rush - Indiana Pacers (via trade from Portland Trail Blazers)
Noteworthy Performance: N/A
Grade: N/A

Review: Rush did not participate in the Orlando Summer League with the Pacers as the trade that brought him to the Pacers was not completed until July 9th.

14. Anthony Randolph - Golden State Warriors
Noteworthy Performance: 26 points, 16-18 FT, 12 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors
Grade: A-

Review: Don't let Randolph's gangly frame fool you -- he packs a lot of game in that 6-10, 205 pound body. Randolph is quick and aggressive, a combination that fits perfectly into the Warriors run-and-gun system. He averaged nearly 21 points (fifth highest among all players) and eight rebounds per game while shooting better than 45% from the field. On his last day in Las Vegas, Randolph hustled his way to the basket and got to the line 18 times. He added 16 points in his Rocky Mountain Revue debut and will play three more games before the Warriors wrap up their summer league schedule.

15. Robin Lopez - Phoenix Suns
Noteworthy Performance: 19 points, 9-11 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks against the Houston Rockets
Grade: B-

Review: Lopez isn't out of his twin brother Brook's shadow yet, but he's on his way. The 7' center (who is even more towering with a few extra inches of floppy hair) looked strong offensively in the first three games. He scored 19 points in his debut and averaged 14 during summer league, but shot 2-for-10 in his summer league finale. Despite averaging nearly eight rebounds per game, Lopez's defense was weaker than expected as well. He blocked a total of just seven shots over four games and was often late to help on D. He needs work and is not going to be an instant starter, but for now he will be more than just "Brook's brother."

16. Marreese Speights - Phildelphia 76ers
Noteworthy Performance: 24 points, 13 rebounds against the Washington Wizards
Grade: A-

Review: Kudos to the Philadelphia 76ers for hitting it big once again with their mid-first round draft pick. Speights was a beast at the basket and showed off his unexpected ball handling skills on a few fast breaks. They weren't up to par with Bayless by any means, but it showed his determination to win. Head coach Mo Cheeks raved about Speights' potential and it's easy to see why. He fed off of second-year Sixers Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith, creating a chemistry that will help his rookie transition during the regular season. Not to mention, Cheeks looks forward to Speights learning from Elton Brand on the post. Brand isn't the only reason to keep an eye on the 76ers this season.

17. Roy Hibbert - Indiana Pacers (via trade from Toronto Raptors)
Noteworthy Performance: N/A
Grade: N/A

Review: Hibbert did not participate in the Orlando Summer League with the Pacers as the trade that brought him to the Pacers was not completed until July 9th..

18. JaVale McGee - Washington Wizards
Noteworthy Performance: 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks against the Philadelphia 76ers
Grade: C

Review: It's disappointing when a 7' big man with arms that seem to go on forever averages less than five rebounds a game against players who have never even made it to the NBA. McGee has the physique to be a pest in the paint but didn't utilize it in summer league play. He averaged 8.4 points and 4.6 boards per game while taking just 11 free throws over five match ups. Head coach Eddie Jordan seems to be high on McGee, though, so he probably will get some playing time but this long center has a long way to go.

19. J.J. Hickson - Cleveland Cavaliers
Noteworthy Performance: 26 points, 9 rebounds against the New York Knicks
Grade: B+

Review: Hickson was not in New York City on Draft Night but he made his presence known in Las Vegas. He exploded for 26 points in his debut and averaged nearly 20 points and eight rebounds over five games. GM Danny Ferry was impressed by his offensive arsenal and was also pleased with his efforts on the glass. Hickson shot 53% from the field but just 50% from the line, so free throws will be key to his development. The Cavs have not drafted a big in the first round in over five years and the addition of Hickson will be a welcome change in Cleveland.

20. Alexis Ajinca - Charlotte Bobcats (via trade from Denver Nuggets)
Noteworthy Performance: 11 points, 4 rebounds against the New Orleans Hornets
Grade: D-

Review: Ajinca showed a glimmer of hope with an 11-point performance in his second game but then … it was gone. First came inconsistency and then a knee sprain, leaving Ajinca a near-bust in Vegas. International players usually take longer to transition to the NBA than rookies from the U.S., so there is some wiggle room, but there is more to be said for three straight scoreless games than just an adjustment period. Ajinca simply struggled. The Bobcats can only hope that an MRI will not reveal a significant injury because he needs all the time he can get on the court before the start of the season.

Phoenix Suns: NBA Draft Team Needs

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

2007-08 Record: 55-27; 2^nd Pacific

Draft Picks: 15, 48

Key Free Agents

G Grant Hill (player option)

How they got here and what they need

The Suns went out on a limb and sent Shawn Marion and others to Miami in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal. While the deal made by GM Steve Kerr was with good intentions, I think he underestimated just how bad the majority of Shaq's teammates were/are on the defensive end of the floor. The days in which Diesel could bail out teammates on the back line and start a break in the opposite direction are over, yet the Suns couldn't comprehend that. The end result: another playoff exit at the hands of the hated Spurs and the departure of head coach Mike D'Antoni to New York.

With Terry Porter coming to take over the head coaching duties, look for Kerr to work to put a little of his imprint on the squad now that he's got "his guy" in the chair. That will most likely mean a stronger commitment to the defensive end of the floor, even if that means slowing down their breakneck pace a little bit. And with Steve Nash not getting any younger, the window to a title is slowly closing in Phoenix. The areas that the Suns could use help in: players committed to the defensive end of the floor and a backup point guard.

Who they take

In this spot I agree with Shawn's mock draft and like Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts. While he may not have the smoothest game, he's extremely effective at what he does well and has a good understanding of who he is as a basketball player. And while he wasn't a great lockdown defender in college, he's better than just about anyone else on the Suns roster other than Raja Bell and D.J. Strawberry.

Draft History (since 2000)

2007: Rudy Fernandez (24), Alando Tucker (29), D.J. Strawberry (59)
2006: No Picks
2005: Nate Robinson (21), Marcin Gortat (57)
2004: Jackson Vroman (32)
2003: Zarko Cabarkapa (17)
2002: Amare Stoudemire (9), Casey Jacobsen (22)
2001: Alton Ford (51)
2000: Jake Tsakalidis (25)

2007 NBA Draft: Biggest Surprises

Jeff Fox — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:40:18 -0700

Another NBA draft is in the books, and as usual there was a ton of activity with even more rumors flying around. The biggest surprise of the night is the trades that didn’t go down, as opposed to what actually did transpire. Here are the top shockers from the evening:

Kevin Garnett is still in Minnesota

With all of the rumors flying about KG, and all the prospective teams interested in his services, it is a bit of a surprise that he is still with the Timberwolves the morning after the draft. Minnesota’s brass seemed determined to ship him out before or during the draft but apparently couldn’t get a deal done.

Ray-Ray is a Celtic

There were rumors heading into the draft that Seattle was open to trading Ray Allen. The fact that he ended up in Boston to team up with Paul Pierce was a surprise. The Celtics realize that games are played with only one ball, right?

Brandan Wright’s Stock Drop

For the longest time heading up to the draft, UNC’s Wright was the consensus pick for the #3 slot in the draft. Even after it became apparent that Atlanta was going to go with Al Horford with the third pick, Wright wasn’t expected to drop all the way to the eighth spot. Wright is a steal at pick eight – he is probably the third best prospect in this loaded draft class.

Charlotte’s Wrong Trade of Wright

Apparently the Bobcats didn’t realize how lucky they were to get the above-mentioned Wright with the eighth pick. While Jason Richardson is a decent player, he is owed around $50 million still over the next four years and has never made an all-star team. He is getting paid franchise-player money but isn’t one. Golden State got a steal in this deal. Michael Jordan made the wrong deal with Wright.

Josh McRoberts Monumental Drop

Duke’s talented McRoberts was projected as a future lottery pick when he entered college. After two so-so seasons at Duke, his stock dropped a bit. But the fact that he lasted until pick #37 is a shock. Portland got a steal at this pick and came out of this draft smelling like roses (the Rose City – get it!).

Phoenix’s Inability to Make Moves

The Suns stated that they had deals in place that would get them into the top 10 of the draft. They were so certain that they had many of the top lottery prospects work out for them recently. So it came as a surprise that the only first round moves Phoenix ended up making was selling it’s #24 pick to Portland and drafting Alando Tucker at pick #29.

Sean Williams Went at #17

There is no way that Boston College’s Williams should have gone that high (excuse the pun) in the draft. While he is a great physical specimen, athlete and shot-blocker, his off-court issues were ongoing in college – he didn’t just get into trouble once. Plus he averaged around 5 points per game for his college career. Shot blocking specialists with drug problems who were reluctant to work out for teams leading up to the draft should not be picked at #17.

All-Time Draft Studs & Duds: Part Two

Jeff Fox — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:19:25 -0700

Part One of All-Time NBA Draft Studs & Duds contains Atlanta through Miami.

Milwaukee Bucks

Stud:

1969-#1- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Dud:

1988-#13- Jeff Grayer

Could have had: Dan Majerle, Rod Strickland, Anthony Mason

Minnesota Timberwolves

Stud:

1995-#5- Kevin Garnett

Dud:

1999-#6- Wally Szczerbiak

Could have had: Richard Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest

New Jersey Nets

Stud:

1977-#7- Bernard King

Dud:

1987-#3- Dennis Hopson

Could have had: Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller

New Orleans Hornets

Stud:

1996-#13- Kobe Bryant

Dud:

1989-#5- J.R. Reid

Could have had: Tim Hardaway, Shawn Kemp

New York Knicks

Stud:

1964- 2^nd round - #10 overall - Willis Reed

Dud:

1962-#2- Duke Hogue

Could have had: Dave deBusschere, Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek

Orlando Magic

Stud:

1992-#1- Shaquille O’Neal

Dud:

2003-#13- Reece Gaines

Could have had: Josh Howard

Philadelphia 76ers

Stud:

1984-#5- Charles Barkley

Dud:

1997-#2- Keith Van Horn

Could have had: Tracy McGrady, Chauncey Billups

Phoenix Suns

Stud:

1996-#15- Steve Nash

Dud:

1987-#2- Armon Gilliam

Could have had: Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller

Portland Trailblazers

Stud:

1983-#14- Clyde Drexler

Dud:

1984-#2- Sam Bowie

Could have had: Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Charles Barkley

Sacramento Kings

Stud:

1970-#19- Tiny Archibald

Dud:

1956-#1- Si Green

Could have had: Bill Russell

San Antonio

Stud:

1999- 2^nd round - #57 overall – Manu Ginobli

Dud:

1984-#7- Alvin Robertson

Could have had: John Stockton

Seattle Sonics

Stud:

1987-#5- Scottie Pippen

Dud:

2001-#2- Vlad Radmanovic

Could have had: Richard Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest

Toronto Raptors

Stud:

1997-#9- Tracy McGrady

Dud:

1999-#5- Jonathan Bender

Could have had: Richard Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest

Utah Jazz

Stud:

1985-#13- Karl Malone

Dud:

1980-#2- Darrell Griffith

Could have had: Kevin McHale

Washington Wizards

Stud:

1968-#2- Wes Unseld

Dud:

1984-#6- Melvin Turpin

Could have had: John Stockton

Return to Part One of All-Time NBA Draft Studs & Duds