2015-16 Draft Picks to watch...

[AzStevenCal]

Bad shooting day. He's about to set an NBA high in assists for this season tonight probably.

Kobe's been passing a lot more this season.

??? He's shooting under 40% from two point range this season. It's fine if you want to judge him by one game but Tony Delk, Gilbert Arenas and Eddie House want to hear from you too. Kobe has always been a good passer though (not always willing) but he's usually at or near the 6 assist per game mark every season.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

??? He's shooting under 40% from two point range this season. It's fine if you want to judge him by one game but Tony Delk, Gilbert Arenas and Eddie House want to hear from you too. Kobe has always been a good passer though (not always willing) but he's usually at or near the 6 assist per game mark every season.

Steve

No he's shooting really bad this season but 3-19 is something he hasn't had a lot of this season.

 

[sunsfan88]

That was a fun game. Wanted the Lakers to win to help us with our pick but still, what a game. Kobe and LeBron both gave it everything they had.

People are so stupid these days when they bash one of them to praise the other...we're all witnessing greatness here. Reggie Miller send a great message. There will never be another Kobe or another LeBron anymore, we should enjoy greatness rather than looking at ways to diminish either of them.

Fun, fun game.

 

[sunsfan88]

Kobe: "I can understand if they want me to shut me down and sit me out of games. If they ask me do that, I will do what is asked of me."

http://www.nba.com/lakers/video/2015/01/16/150115cavsbryantmov-3492267
(starting at around the 12 min mark)

This just confirms that we won't get that LAL pick barring a miracle. If the Lakers aren't in the bottom 5 within a month or so, expect LAL to pull trigger on Kobe.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Kobe: "I can understand if they want me to shut me down and sit me out of games. If they ask me do that, I will do what is asked of me."

http://www.nba.com/lakers/video/2015/01/16/150115cavsbryantmov-3492267
(starting at around the 12 min mark)

This just confirms that we won't get that LAL pick barring a miracle. If the Lakers aren't in the bottom 5 within a month or so, expect LAL to pull trigger on Kobe.

It confirms nothing. Read about their TV contract. Maybe we get the pick, maybe we don't, but that franchise has to be torn when it comes to the idea of tanking.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

Their the Lakers, if they lose one TV contract they'll just land another billion dollar TV contract. The city of LA is just too damn powerful.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Their the Lakers, if they lose one TV contract they'll just land another billion dollar TV contract. The city of LA is just too damn powerful.

I'm sorry but this is an incredibly uninformed comment. They are locked into a 20 year deal and they stand to make 3 billion dollars if they bring in the numbers and it gets readjusted downwards if they don't. This is a huge upgrade over the 30 million a year they had been receiving. TWC created 2 networks on the strength of this deal and neither organization wants it to go south. There is a reason that Jeannie Buss (the business end of the Lakers front office) continues to adamantly oppose the idea of tanking.

Steve

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'm sorry but this is an incredibly uninformed comment. They are locked into a 20 year deal and they stand to make 3 billion dollars if they bring in the numbers and it gets readjusted downwards if they don't. This is a huge upgrade over the 30 million a year they had been receiving. TWC created 2 networks on the strength of this deal and neither organization wants it to go south. There is a reason that Jeannie Buss (the business end of the Lakers front office) continues to adamantly oppose the idea of tanking.

Steve

What she says is that they are going to have to give up the pick sometime, so it really doesn't matter when. For the most part, solid teams to bother with trying to manipulate the system.

Then there is the 76ers. Funny, 18 months ago, the Suns and 76ers were considered to be in exactly the same position. Now the Suns have lots of young assets and are over .500. Meanwhile, the 76ers are trying to trade away their rookie of the year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

What she says is that they are going to have to give up the pick sometime, so it really doesn't matter when. For the most part, solid teams to bother with trying to manipulate the system.

Then there is the 76ers.

She says more than that about tanking, here's a quote from an interview on ESPN.

The teams that use tanking as a strategy are doing damage. If you're in tanking mode, that means you've got young players who you're teaching bad habits to. I think that's unforgivable.

I'm sure the Buss family would like to tank as it's clearly in the team's best interest but for various reasons they need to maintain at least the appearance that they aren't doing it. They also need to bring in the audience and for some reason that I simply can't fathom, Kobe apparently still draws the big named celebrity fans and the TV viewers too.

I think eventually they will shut down Bryant for the season. But until then I wouldn't be shocked to see them use the suicide-by-Kobe method where they let him pretend to be a superstar every night and jack up 30 shots. They are at their best when he is part of the team rather than trying to be the Kobe of old. That way they can lose games without actually appearing to tank.

As for the 76ers, it will be interesting to see which team becomes a contender first and if either team makes it all the way to the top. It really could go either way but I like our chances and our journey better. We'll see.

Steve

 

[Ronin]

So what happens to the Laker pick next year? top 3 protected?
I'm assuming the Suns don't get it this year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

So what happens to the Laker pick next year? top 3 protected?
I'm assuming the Suns don't get it this year.

I think it's top 3 protected the next 2 years and then no protection afterward.

Steve

 

[JCSunsfan]

But, of course, that doesn't mean it will be a better pick. It could be the third pick this year and 14th next year. I still have painful memories of what happened to that #7 pick we traded to Chicago, or the Atlanta pick that we got as a result of the Joe Johnson trade. Atlanta lucks out in the lottery ends up with a good pick and then we get a much worse pick the next year.

I would prefer to have 6-8 this year than risk what might happen next year. Its out of our control anyway so, its probably not worth worrying about.

 

[AzStevenCal]

But, of course, that doesn't mean it will be a better pick. It could be the third pick this year and 14th next year. I still have painful memories of what happened to that #7 pick we traded to Chicago, or the Atlanta pick that we got as a result of the Joe Johnson trade. Atlanta lucks out in the lottery ends up with a good pick and then we get a much worse pick the next year.

I would prefer to have 6-8 this year than risk what might happen next year. Its out of our control anyway so, its probably not worth worrying about.

Didn't we lose a protected pick with Cleveland even before those? IIRC it involved Wesley Person but I'm not positive. Regardless, yes, we've had bad luck. All the more reason to believe this year will be different?

Steve

 

[slinslin]

http://espn.go.com/nba/lottery2015/mockdraft

Chard Ford has Stanley Johnson only at #9 right now.

If that is anywhere close to possible I would hope that the Suns are using some of their picks or Warren or the Morri to move up from #13 to grab Stanley.

SF-Stanimal
SG-Knight
PG-Bledsoe

Sounds good to me and would increase the skill level at our SF position considerably while not giving up defense.

I really think small forward despite our "depth" is a major position of weakness also. Tucker is so limited offensively, Morris is really bad defensively and also offensively just does not have smooth SF game and TJ Warren really needs a consistent 3pt jumper or else I'd see him better served as 6th man.

 

[GatorAZ]

Stanley isn't worth trading up for. I would like to see them pursue Willy Cauley-Stein to back up Len. Having two athletic towers on your roster under 22 years old. Sign me up.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Stanley isn't worth trading up for. I would like to see them pursue Willy Cauley-Stein to back up Len. Having two athletic towers on your roster under 22 years old. Sign me up.

I disagree with your first point, I think Stanley is going to be a star. But I agree, we'd be better off pursuing someone like Cauley-Stein.

Steve

 

[slinslin]

I disagree.

Cauley-Stein is dumb as rocks. Stanley Johnson is a guy who can be a leader in the NBA, he is also charismatic.

Stanley Johnson is star material. Wiley Cauley-Stein is Javale McGee material.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I disagree.

Cauley-Stein is dumb as rocks. Stanley Johnson is a guy who can be a leader in the NBA, he is also charismatic.

Stanley Johnson is star material. Wiley Cauley-Stein is Javale McGee material.

I'm not really sure about Willie, one way or the other. However, as much as I'd like to have Stanley Johnson on the Suns, I think it makes more sense to pursue a big man or two rather than pay a premium to get Stanley. I'd take him if he dropped to our spot but if we're drafting around 13th, I'd keep the pick and take someone like Portis. As for Johnson, he has a great work ethic and he'll need it as he aspirations of being the next Kobe Byrant or Michael Jordan. I don't know that he has that future ahead of him but I do think he'll be in the Jimmy Butler range at a minimum and that's not too bad.

Steve

 

[overseascardfan]

Bobby Portis or Christian Wood would be my pick. I like Woods length and shot blocking. Portis is a better jump shooter. Unlike Morris, both can rebound.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Bobby Portis or Christian Wood would be my pick. I like Woods length and shot blocking. Portis is a better jump shooter. Unlike Morris, both can rebound.

Yeah Wood would be in that group of bigs that could help us and might fall to us. There's a lot of them.

Steve

 

[GatorAZ]

I disagree with your first point, I think Stanley is going to be a star. But I agree, we'd be better off pursuing someone like Cauley-Stein.

Steve

Neither Johnson or Cauley-Stein are star material. Johnson just rumbles his way around without control but he's so physically imposing that it works at the college level. It's cringeworthy when he dribbles.

WCS is the perfect backup C. He can run the floor and finish oops like Tyson Chandler. One of Len or WCS on the court at all times would take the D to another level.

 

[slinslin]

Stanley's dribble is not that bad, he is 19. If you compare him to other SFs at the same age than he is way way ahead.

Of course he is not perfect yet but he does not really have a glaring weakness in his game.

+great defense
+great motor
+great tenacity
+hard worker
+rebounds
+good athlete
+winner
+lives and breaths basketball
+ultimate competitor

ok jumpshot, ok handles

There is no way Stanley Johnson will be a bust and at small forward he does not have to be a ball handling magician. His jumpshot is already ok, nothing great but something to improve on.
He is kind of like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist except his jumpshot is not broken and he is way stronger and better intangibles.

If we could move the Morri and Warren or preferably Tucker for a pick to get him and then pick Montrezl Harrell with out pick that would really consolidate our starting lineup with defense and energy.
Now I don't think that Montrezl Harrell is starter material in the NBA but at worst he is going to be Bo Outlaw kind of valueable backup that rebounds, dives on the floor, gets some garbage points and all that stuff.

 

[hcsilla]

Some excellent observations.

Jimmy Butler came also to my mind as a comparison when I saw Stanley Johnson to play.

Cauley-Stein will be a servicable pro but I think that he will be a poor man's Tyson Chandler best, however his game is pretty much Chandler's, I agree. Maybe Scott Pollard is a more realistic comparison.

The zero improvement that he has shown in college would be a concern, and I do hope that the Suns will come up with someone better than WCS.

I'm not convinced that Christian Wood is a good pick. He is very skinny and his movement is a bit awkward.

As a shotblocking center Robert Upshaw is much more of a sure thing but he already faced with multiple suspension due to drog problems.

 

[slinslin]

I like Christian Wood but he will need 2-3 years in the weight room if he can get stronger he can be very very good. If not he is best case Channing Frye or Perry Jones or something like that.

Anyway I want Stanley Johnson and Montrezl Harrell despite his lack of height or perimeter game (if the background checks on him are good).

Add two high motor guys, hard workers to our team.

Stanley Johnson (#2-5), Myles Turner (#10-20), Montrezl Harrell (#10-20) are the guys I like.
So Stanley Johnson as trade target and Turner or Harrell with our own pick.

Btw I am not a fan of Karl Towns. He just does not look like a smooth athlete to me. He has some Joakim Noah in his game in a bad herky-jerky way. It makes it hard for me to imagine that he can develop a good offensive game. He is athletic but at the same time he seem to lack coordination.

 

[overseascardfan]

I like Christian Wood but he will need 2-3 years in the weight room if he can get stronger he can be very very good. If not he is best case Channing Frye or Perry Jones or something like that.

Anyway I want Stanley Johnson and Montrezl Harrell despite his lack of height or perimeter game (if the background checks on him are good).

Add two high motor guys, hard workers to our team.

Stanley Johnson (#2-5), Myles Turner (#10-20), Montrezl Harrell (#10-20) are the guys I like.
So Stanley Johnson as trade target and Turner or Harrell with our own pick.

Btw I am not a fan of Karl Towns. He just does not look like a smooth athlete to me. He has some Joakim Noah in his game in a bad herky-jerky way. It makes it hard for me to imagine that he can develop a good offensive game. He is athletic but at the same time he seem to lack coordination.

Wood wouldn't start Day 1 so he doesn't need to be 250 at the start of the season. Markieff or either a trade acquisition or FA most likely will start next year. Wood oozes with potential and you can't teach size or length as the cliche goes. Portis is more NBA ready in terms of size. I really don't feel Turner would help us. He's too perimeter oriented who like Morris doesn't rebound well despite having the size.