2014 Draft morphing

[Russ Smith]

A player I have taken an early liking is Jarnell Stokes. Rebounding usually translates to the NBA. The Suns need someone down low.

His problem is he plays like a 5 but he's only about 6'8".

 

[SunsTzu]

Bad combination.

Those knocks were from 1-2 years ago, by all accounts he's matured.

 

[Mainstreet]

His problem is he plays like a 5 but he's only about 6'8".

He can bang and rebound which is something the Suns need. I see him as a backup PF which is not bad if he is drafted later in the first round or probably early in the second round.

 

[Mainstreet]

Suns work out some top players today per azcentral.

Clint Capela, F, 6-11, 222, Elan Chalon (France)/Switzerland.

Gary Harris, G, 6-5, 205, Michigan State.

Rodney Hood, F, 6-9, 208, Duke.

Zach LaVine, G, 6-6, 181, UCLA.

Johnny O'Bryant, F/C, 6-9, 257, LSU.

James Young, G, 6-7, 213, Kentucky.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/spor...-latest-to-work-out-for-phoenix-suns/9871945/

 

[ProdigalSun]

At 14 I would be happy coming away with:

Young
Hood
Gordon
Stauskas

Avoid list:
McDermott- really great college player but I just don't think he's athletic enough to do it in the NBA
Lavine - raw super athlete that wants to be a PG and we already have Archie
Harris- undersized and wasn't as good last year
Smart- really talented but we are stacked at PG already and I worry about his mental makeup

Also the only guy I would chase if we are somehow able to get into the top 10 is Vonleh

 

[slinslin]

According to the Suns.com workout gallery Lavine finished #1 in the running drill with 28 laps.
That is the same as Archie and a high for all workout participants so far.

I don't care if LaVine wants to be a PG. That is a plus since he is SG size. The NBA trends more and more into the direction of having 2 guards with PG skills in the lineup when they can.

LaVine and Archie could play together.

Lavine also is a better shooter at this point than either Young or Harris.

 

[overseascardfan]

A player I have taken an early liking is Jarnell Stokes. Rebounding usually translates to the NBA. The Suns need someone down low.

His problem is he plays like a 5 but he's only about 6'8".

He can bang and rebound which is something the Suns need. I see him as a backup PF which is not bad if he is drafted later in the first round or probably early in the second round.

A rebounding/shot blocking project I am interested in Round 2 is Khem Birch. Averaged over 10 rebounds and almost 4 blocks a game last year. A little taller than Stokes, definitely less bulky at 220 pounds but very intriguing none the less.

 

[ProdigalSun]

According to the Suns.com workout gallery Lavine finished #1 in the running drill with 28 laps.
That is the same as Archie and a high for all workout participants so far.

I don't care if LaVine wants to be a PG. That is a plus since he is SG size. The NBA trends more and more into the direction of having 2 guards with PG skills in the lineup when they can.

LaVine and Archie could play together.

Lavine also is a better shooter at this point than either Young or Harris.

Lavine is a great athlete no doubt. I don't know how good of a shooter he is though. He started out last year shooting lights out but then made something like 6 out his last 31 three point attempts? Maybe Russ can help me out with that stat... Anyways, if we are looking to pair a guard with Archie out of this draft I am more intrigued by Elfrid Payton


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCij475dESw

 

[slinslin]

And Payton does not have the size, athleticism, youth or shooting that Lavine has. Unless Hornacek was lying he clearly said that he impressed how Lavine ran the pick and roll in the workout.

Payton's shot is a work in progress, was terrible in college and still looks flat.

sad how impressive the top of this draft is compared to last year

http://www.draftexpress.com/article...eo-4583#ooid=15NGs0bjo973dOkTOkcztCDOiHqc8i8C

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Noah-Vonleh-2014-NBA-Pre-Draft-Workout-and-Interview-Video-4582/

Parker and especially Vonleh at his size are fluid athletes.

 

[ProdigalSun]

If the staff was impressed with Lavine in his workout then I'd be on board with that pick. He certainly fits the athletic mold that McDonough seems to like in prospects. I agree though...this draft is not only impressive at the top but has lots of depth into the 2nd round. The Suns NEED to make this draft count

 

[JCSunsfan]

You know what I love most about this draft? We have Jeff Hornacek, who won't screw up the rookies. He will see their strengths and weaknesses and develop them. I finally have confidence that we have an organization that sees young players as assets to be developed rather than annoyances.

 

[JCSunsfan]

According to the Suns.com workout gallery Lavine finished #1 in the running drill with 28 laps.
That is the same as Archie and a high for all workout participants so far.

I don't care if LaVine wants to be a PG. That is a plus since he is SG size. The NBA trends more and more into the direction of having 2 guards with PG skills in the lineup when they can.

LaVine and Archie could play together.

Lavine also is a better shooter at this point than either Young or Harris.

I certainly see the athleticism and skills with LaVine. What scares me is whats between his ears, and I am not talking about intelligence. Earl Clark had all the talent in the world with the work ethic of a sloth. I would just hate to end up in that situation again. Early indications are that LaVine has work ethic issues. Now, that kind of rep is not always deserved. I remember that Karl Malone slipped because people were saying the same thing about him. Its just my concern.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns worked out the following players today:

Paul Coro @paulcoro · 5h

Today's #Suns workout: Syracuse F J. Grant, UConn PG S. Napier, Michigan F G. Robinson, Mem G J. Jackson, St. Jo F Roberts, NM F C. Bairstow

https://twitter.com/paulcoro

Some writers say the Suns should not draft another PG. I disagree although Napier may not be the right player. I like Ish Smith for the money but IMO the Suns could use another player with PG skills behind Dragic and Bledsoe. If Dragic or Bledsoe were to get hurt, the Suns would struggle like last season when one was out. Also the Suns must look at if they are going to pay Dragic when he becomes a FA.

 

[Russ Smith]

He can bang and rebound which is something the Suns need. I see him as a backup PF which is not bad if he is drafted later in the first round or probably early in the second round.

He's a tough kid that's for sure. he's also young for his class he entered college early because he was declared ineligible in HS for transferring.

 

[Russ Smith]

Lavine is a great athlete no doubt. I don't know how good of a shooter he is though. He started out last year shooting lights out but then made something like 6 out his last 31 three point attempts? Maybe Russ can help me out with that stat... Anyways, if we are looking to pair a guard with Archie out of this draft I am more intrigued by Elfrid Payton


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCij475dESw

Zach can shoot although his shot looks a bit odd, but yeah after scorching the next the first 12 or so games once he decided to go pro he shot about 35% the rest of the year. I think in the conference games he was a simple case of they had a scouting report on him and he didn't adjust because he didn't plan on being there next season anyways so he didn't really take coaching well.

I get why scouts love him but in his first situation dealing with adversity he didn't handle it well at UCLA. It's tough, he wanted to play backup PG and Alford played his son there, but frankly his son outplayed Zach the last half of the season. Neither one could guard anybody, but Bryce at least made shots Zach didn't.

If you watch the game against UA in the conf tourney final, Zach played 13 minutes and frankly if he had played any more, UA would have won. he was abysmal, bad defense, turnovers, forced shots and just completely lost out there. There's one play where he's jogging back on D, Gordon has the ball and Nick Johnson runs right by Zach. Clear as day Zach looks at him, Adams was guarding him but Adams had been knocked down and had to get up so he's way behind. Zach looked right at Nick and did the "not my man" thing and stepped forward to guard his man, Gordon lobs it Nick dunks it and Adams just glares at Zach. Freaky athlete but IMO he wasn't very competitive at UCLA, shied away from contact.

If he ever puts it together look out but hard to say if he ever will. The Westbrook comparisons are bad, Westbrook is a freak athlete and was raw but he was one of the more competitive kids I've ever seen at UCLA, if anything he plays too hard you have to calm him down, Zach is the exact opposite he just doesn't seem to compete hard enough.

 

[Mainstreet]

He's a tough kid that's for sure. he's also young for his class he entered college early because he was declared ineligible in HS for transferring.

Changing the subject, how do you feel about Nick Johnson? He appears to be a hard worker. Do you think he can transition to PG in the NBA.

Just tell me he is not a another Shannon Brown.

 

[ProdigalSun]

Nick Johnson is a great kid and a hard worker but the concern with him is what position is he going to play? He's an undersized shooting guard who isn't overly quick and is an inconsistent shooter. He's got a great vertical leap for a guard ala Shannon Brown but the comparison's really end there. Shannon shot too much and Nick isn't really aggressive about getting his own shots. I think ultimately his ceiling is going to be a PJ Tucker defensive type off the bench who can hit the 3 and finish on the break. I'm rooting for Nick but I don't see a spot for him on the Suns

 

[Errntknght]

The Suns worked out the following players today:



https://twitter.com/paulcoro

Some writers say the Suns should not draft another PG. I disagree although Napier may not be the right player. I like Ish Smith for the money but IMO the Suns could use another player with PG skills behind Dragic and Bledsoe. If Dragic or Bledsoe were to get hurt, the Suns would struggle like last season when one was out. Also the Suns must look at if they are going to pay Dragic when he becomes a FA.

Near the end of the year it looked like Ish was the best playmaker among the PGs - and he runs the break about as well as Eric and Goran, too. So play him more and keep the two starters from wearing down like they did last year. (It reduces the chances for injuries as well, of course.) It keeps the average tempo higher, especially if you pair Goodwin with Ish. With better rebounding from our bigs we could score 35-40% more on fastbreaks!

I'm not opposed to drafting another PG as long as he can push the fastbreak and shoot better than Ish but I think we'll be fine the way we are if we ask more of him and give him Archie as a side kick - removing the fetters from the latter so Ish doesn't have to worry about shooting much.

 

[PhxGametime]

Nick Johnson could be a Derek Fisher type but I worry about lack of speed, PG skills, etc. I was favoring him or Jahii Carson at #27 but Patric Young interests me at #27 (along with others) and there's probably a few PG's better than either... I didn't watch much CB but probably Zach LaVine, Elfrid Payton, Tyler Ennis, Shabazz Napier, etc. could be options with #14 or #18.

I looked and looked for game film on Johnny O'Bryant III - I could've sworn I had a game he dominated in post but he's one of a few good post players in Draft; Suns worked him out.

Rodney Hood I've liked since he played at MSU! IMO, he could be Gerald Green like at SG. I wish I knew the potential Trade options but Hood comes much cheaper than Trevor Ariza. Then Tucker could stay in starting line-up and make big upgrade at PF with any of the other First Rounders ('14 or '15 Picks).

 

[Mainstreet]

Nick Johnson could be a Derek Fisher type but I worry about lack of speed, PG skills, etc. I was favoring him or Jahii Carson at #27 but Patric Young interests me at #27 (along with others) and there's probably a few PG's better than either... I didn't watch much CB but probably Zach LaVine, Elfrid Payton, Tyler Ennis, Shabazz Napier, etc. could be options with #14 or #18.

I looked and looked for game film on Johnny O'Bryant III - I could've sworn I had a game he dominated in post but he's one of a few good post players in Draft; Suns worked him out.

Rodney Hood I've liked since he played at MSU! IMO, he could be Gerald Green like at SG. I wish I knew the potential Trade options but Hood comes much cheaper than Trevor Ariza. Then Tucker could stay in starting line-up and make big upgrade at PF with any of the other First Rounders ('14 or '15 Picks).

I think both will be available in the second round. I wouldn't take either at #27. Carson might even be available at #50 although I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[Russ Smith]

Changing the subject, how do you feel about Nick Johnson? He appears to be a hard worker. Do you think he can transition to PG in the NBA.

Just tell me he is not a another Shannon Brown.

Nick was a better college player than I expected but I don't see him ever being a quality NBA starter. I think he'll stick because he's a good kid, plays hard and defends, but I don't think he has an NBA position. He's undersized for a 2 even with his hops, and despite the hops he's not a great lateral athlete he's not overly quick he sort of overpowers people. Great kid, plays his butt off but I don't see him ever being a starter. But again I didn't think he was going to be as good as he was at UA,

 

[PhxGametime]

I'm having to go back 2 years (game film) but Nik Stauskas, K.J. McDaniels, and Glenn Robinson III impressed me as well. Stauskas has sneaky athleticism and McDaniels blocked a lot of shots against U of A 2 years ago...

Draft is deep!!

 

[PhxGametime]

Nick Johnson would most likely be a Teams 3rd PG, I'm cooling off a little on him and Jahii Carson but ideally he plays with wing that can create. I'm in favor of keeping both Dragic/Bledsoe for many a year, so my thinking was an upgrade to Ish Smith, after next year. Zach LaVine makes a lot of sense because he can eventually play SG and some PG - with shooting ability can make decent, big backcourt with Archie Goodwin (bench).

 

[Matt L]

Any chance we can trade up to 5 and snag Noah Vonleh?

 

[Gaddabout]

Any chance we can trade up to 5 and snag Noah Vonleh?

I would be ecstatic to land Vonleh. Probably my favorite player in this entire draft.