2014 Draft morphing

[AzStevenCal]

Payne has huge bust potential with low ceiling. At least Lavine has incredible ceiling.

What's that based on? He looks pretty safe to me and most of the experts I've watched and read put him in that class too. Granted, he doesn't have a particularly high ceiling but I don't see how he fails in the NBA.

Lavine does have a high ceiling but few players ever reach that ceiling. His floor is somewhere below NBDL level. He started out strong but once the word was out on him, everyone started putting a body on him and his game disappeared. If he can't handle the physical play in college how do you think he'll do at the next level? He is a combine superstar but he needed two more years in college to learn the game and add some muscle.

Steve

 

[slinslin]

Lavine in Phoenix, Golden State or similiar team -> likely stud, people will rave about his potential and his value will only go up..

Lavine in Indiana, Minnesota -> likely bust

 

[HooverDam]

I'd take back Nash for #7 but what would the Suns have to include? It would be so perfect for Nash to finish his career with the Suns. It's hard to envision the Lakers swallowing such a bitter pill after trading so much for him. Maybe the Lakers would do it to get their first round pick back.

Giving LA their 1st rounder back is WAYYYYYY too much. LA would likely do that deal for the Suns own 1st next year or the pick we have from Indiana this year.

The Lakers want to move Nash b/c of the salary. Then they want to try to lure LeBron and/or Carmelo to LA w/ big salaries and the appeal of LA. The Suns taking 7/Nash frees up the salary cap room for the Lakers to do that, and thats all the help we need to be giving to LA.

 

[slinslin]

No way we decrease our caproom by 10M$ by taking Nash back.

 

[Mainstreet]

Giving LA their 1st rounder back is WAYYYYYY too much. LA would likely do that deal for the Suns own 1st next year or the pick we have from Indiana this year.

The Lakers want to move Nash b/c of the salary. Then they want to try to lure LeBron and/or Carmelo to LA w/ big salaries and the appeal of LA. The Suns taking 7/Nash frees up the salary cap room for the Lakers to do that, and thats all the help we need to be giving to LA.

The less the Suns give up the better, so I am with you there. However, if the Suns are not going to make any major moves, it would be nice to have Nash back on an expiring contract for that 7th pick plus throw-in just enough sweetner to make it work.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The less the Suns give up the better, so I am with you there. However, if the Suns are not going to make any major moves, it would be nice to have Nash back on an expiring contract for that 7th pick plus throw-in just enough sweetner to make it work.

Actually, I was really dreaming. I was thinking we could get their 7 pick and swap out the protection on their 2015 pick by swallowing his deal. And then, after our guys worked their magic on him and got him back to full speed we could trade him at the midseason deadline for a future 1st. It's probably too much to hope that it would be the Lakers that gave us another 1 for him at the all star break but it wouldn't make me sad.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

Actually, I was really dreaming. I was thinking we could get their 7 pick and swap out the protection on their 2015 pick by swallowing his deal. And then, after our guys worked their magic on him and got him back to full speed we could trade him at the midseason deadline for a future 1st. It's probably too much to hope that it would be the Lakers that gave us another 1 for him at the all star break but it wouldn't make me sad.

Steve

I like the idea.

Get it done!

I do think the Suns could rehab Nash and he could finish his career as a productive bench player for the Suns if he is willing to accept that role.

 

[devilalum]

I'd take back Nash for #7 but what would the Suns have to include? It would be so perfect for Nash to finish his career with the Suns. It's hard to envision the Lakers swallowing such a bitter pill after trading so much for him. Maybe the Lakers would do it to get their first round pick back.

If it meant they could free up enough money to get Melo...

I'd do this deal and make Nash a coach.

 

[slinslin]

Nash is done, there is nothing left to rehab.

 

[Mainstreet]

Nash is done, there is nothing left to rehab.

Said Dallas and the Lakers.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Lavine in Phoenix, Golden State or similiar team -> likely stud, people will rave about his potential and his value will only go up..

Lavine in Indiana, Minnesota -> likely bust

If you really want a shooting guard with great up-side, why not the much safer pick of James Young? Similar potential with a higher floor.

Steve

 

[slinslin]

Young does not have similiar potential, he is an average athlete, he also projects more as a SF while Lavine is a combo guard.

They could possibly still get Young at #18.

 

[slinslin]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2106613-2014-nba-draft-latest-phoenix-suns-big-board
chad ford

"Suns have been very active. They’ve talked to the Kings about moving up to 8. They’ve talked about moving their picks for veterans. Interestingly, they’ve been talking about point guards with teams which may reflect an uneasiness in re-signing Eric Bledsoe to a huge deal this summer. I’m told that the four prospects they seem to be focused on right now are Elfrid Payton, Zach LaVine, Rodney Hood and TJ Warren."

Suns big board probably looks like this based on the rumors coming out today
1. Lavine/Payton
2. Hood
3. Young
4. Warren and others

Payton said he expects to go to the Lakers or Kings.. so he is likely out of our range and won't drop past #12.

 

[Mainstreet]

DraftExpress has had the Suns picking SG Gary Harris for quite some time at #14.

 

[Mainstreet]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2106613-2014-nba-draft-latest-phoenix-suns-big-board
chad ford


Suns big board probably looks like this based on the rumors coming out today
1. Lavine/Payton
2. Hood
3. Young
4. Warren and others

Payton said he expects to go to the Lakers or Kings.. so he is likely out of our range and won't drop past #12.

The Suns might be able to move up a few notches if they are impressed with a player so who knows. I do think the Suns want to draft a PG or perhaps a combo guard. I wish I knew what the Suns have planned for the draft and free agency.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Young does not have similiar potential, he is an average athlete, he also projects more as a SF while Lavine is a combo guard.

They could possibly still get Young at #18.

I was watching a recording of CBS Inside Sports and just as your comment showed up on the forum, the host asked Steve Lappas about James Young and this was his response:

If I'm looking for a 2 guard in the NBA, this is the guy I'm taking because he's 6'7, he's a tremendous shooter, with big, big-time range....he puts the ball on the floor and can get to the basket. I think his up-side is tremendous, a potential all star that a lot of people aren't talking about"

Draftexpress lists him as a SG/SF and NBADraft.net shows him as a SG. Given that it's often hard to distinguish the two positions in the NBA I think it's a bit absurd to suggest hes not likely to be a shooting guard. He's not an out of the gym leaper but he has excellent body control and is a plus athlete. He's not the athlete that Lavine is (very few are) but this isn't track and field. Both of them are raw and risky but Young was the better player this season and his potential rivals that of Lavine's. He had a higher PER and better WS and WS/48. I don't know how relevant those are but it's a starting point.

Steve

 

[Russ Smith]

We will be lucky if he lasts to #14. Perfect run and gun athlete for us. Doesn't hurt he can shoot with range and score in transition. Just perfect for us - with huge upside.

The problem is he has terrible shot selection and no clue how to move without the ball. That's why once the Pac 12 got a scouting report on him he shot about 35% overall and worse from 3.

He missed the last 10 3's he took late in the season in the tougher games.

From pac 12 on he was 24-75 on 3's or 32%. There's a report out today that said scouts said at the combine he was the clear cut most impressive athlete, but that in the organized stuff he looked completely lost, had no idea what to do off the ball, that's precisely what we saw at UCLA last year.

I think he has a long ways to go I hope he finds a team that can afford to be patient with him and I hope he works much harder in the NBA than he did in college. It's tough to know with him he was in a very unusual situation where the coaches son was getting the backup PG minutes, at his age that might have been the reason he seemed to just bag it about 15 games in, maybe he figured no matter what he's going to play his son at PG not me so why bother?

 

[Mainstreet]

Going into tomorrow's draft, I think the tweet coming from Paul Coro says the most about the thinking of McDonough.

Paul Coro @paulcoro · 8h

McDonough on #Suns draft: "We'd rather get fewer good players or a veteran who could help or spread our picks out." http://bit.ly/1v5TkNv

This seems to be the most consistent theme that has been stated one way or another over and over again. I wonder what veteran type player he might have interest if the Suns do not trade into a future draft or stash a foreign player.

 

[az jam]

I just hope that they don't sell one of their first round picks as they did in the past. That would really be depressing.

 

[Mainstreet]

I just hope that they don't sell one of their first round picks as they did in the past. That would really be depressing.

I'd be shocked if they did because McDonough has put the Suns on a sound financial pathway. There is no need to sell a draft pick.

 

[devilalum]

I'd be shocked if they did because McDonough has put the Suns on a sound financial pathway. There is no need to sell a draft pick.

This is such a deep draft. There'll be teams willing to trade a future pick for the #27 if all other options fall through.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This is such a deep draft. There'll be teams willing to trade a future pick for the #27 if all other options fall through.

I thought so too until I heard more bout the Philly situation. They have 5 second round picks falling between 32 and 54 and most experts think there are NBA levels players available deep into this second round. Teams might not be all that willing to pay a premium for the 27th pick if the 32nd or 34th pick is available at a discount. We might have a better chance keeping that pick and moving the 18th for a future first rounder if we're determined to not bring in three or four new players.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

I thought so too until I heard more bout the Philly situation. They have 5 second round picks falling between 32 and 54 and most experts think there are NBA levels players available deep into this second round. Teams might not be all that willing to pay a premium for the 27th pick if the 32nd or 34th pick is available at a discount. We might have a better chance keeping that pick and moving the 18th for a future first rounder if we're determined to not bring in three or four new players.

Steve

I've thought about this as well. If the right player falls to the Suns at #14 or #18, that is not overly special to the Suns, they may trade that pick to another team who will pay a premium to get him. There is always a player a team is in love with. I think the Suns have been more studios about players deep in the draft for a reason.

 

[sunsfan88]

Lavine makes no sense unless we are sure that Bledsoe or Dragic or Goodwin won't be on the team next season.

Goodwin actually has more potential than Lavine imo.

No reason to draft a 3rd stringer in the lottery.

 

[SirStefan32]

Lavine is terrible. I don't understand why people are so in love with that kid. Yes, he is a bloody freak of nature, but he is a terrible shooter, and he is LOST if he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Take the ball out of his hands and you will not have to guard him, as he will essentially take himself out of the game.