2017-2018 Draft Prospects watch.

[Russ Smith]

You know how good Young is when he has 20 and 9 assists with 12 minutes left and is having a "bad" game with 5 turnovers and is only 5-16. TCU was even face guarding him 40 feet away at one point to try and slow him down.

If I had a fear about him in the NBA aside from just being small and not strong, it would be his tendency to force shots trying to draw contact, but then that actually works in the NBA, they won't call that in college nearly as much as they will in the NBA if you're an established player.

I think his defense would be an issue at first because he's not very big but man is he good on offense.

 

[Mainstreet]

It depends who gets into the top 3. Boston might be willing to deal, for example. But I agree, the cost of moving up is especially steep in this draft.

The Nets pick was traded to the Cavaliers and the Lakers pick is complicated. See below.

2018 1st round pick from the Lakers (protected)

This one is very complicated due to the protection, but here’s what you need to know. If it falls between 2 and 5, the Celtics get the pick in 2018. If not, then the Celtics have to wait till 2019. Then they get the more favorable pick between the Sixers and Kings provided it isn’t the top overall pick (in which case, they’d get the lower of the two).

Outlook: The Lakers could very well be one of the 5 worst teams this year, so a shot at one of the top 5 players in next year’s draft is pretty decent. Otherwise, chances are pretty decent that either the Sixers or Kings (or both) will be bad in 2018-19.

The Celtics might be not be there to deal with... not that they are easy to deal with anyway.

We agree. The cost of moving up, especially into the top five, will be high.

https://www.celticsblog.com/2017/9/...s-nets-lakers-kings-sixers-clippers-grizzlies

 

[Superbone]

6. PAC 12 Network, 7 pm: Arizona (10-3) vs. Arizona State (13-0)

Anybody know how to stream this online? I don't get Pac-12 Network on my DirecTV.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

It's amazing how off projections can be. The argument early in the year was over which Freshman point guard was the best in the nation...Collin Sexton or Trevon Duval. Everyone questioned if Young's game would even translate to a higher level.

Switching between the Duke game and Oklahoma game, it's shocking that Duval was very recently considered a better prospect than Young. Imagine this Duke team with Trae Young at point guard!

 

[JCSunsfan]

The price to trade up won't be nearly as high if we are 7-8. If we are 9-10 it will get alot higher. There are 7 or so really coveted players in this draft. Porter will be a wild card too. Let's say that there is a team that REALLY REALLY wants Porter, but they hesitate drafting him at 3 or 4 because of injury. And then he slips to 7. Now they might trade Young to get Porter and the Suns #1 next year plus a young player.

Porter has the potential to be a alpha player on a team. Atlanta, Memphis, Charlotte, etc all might really be interested in something like that.

 

[Russ Smith]

Anybody know how to stream this online? I don't get Pac-12 Network on my DirecTV.

If you get Sling TV you can add Pac 12 with a sports package.

 

[Russ Smith]

39 and 14 for Young. I will say he's a bit demonstrative there at the end taunting the crowd with.2 seconds left but i am assuming he had a barrage of insults being hurled at him the whole game and that's why he did that.

Awfully impressive kid, he's so good off the dribble it's very difficult to even trap him he just gets wherever he wants to.

 

[Ronin]

Bagley....mother of god!

 

[JCSunsfan]

Bagley....mother of god!

32 and 21 in a win over FSU. Good news. Need more of these games from him. He needs to push ahead of Young.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Bagley is a beast...wish there was a way the Suns could get him

 

[JCSunsfan]

Here is hoping Ayton drops 40 and 20 in a UofA loss today.

1. Doncic
2. Ayton
3. Bagley
4. Bamba
5. Young
6. Sexton
7. Porter

To me, the top pick could be Doncic, Ayton, Bagley, Young, in any order.

Bamba follows.

Then Sexton and Porter (injury doubts).

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

I can't wait for the Suns to pick 8th!

 

[SirStefan32]

Judging by recent history, I'd be happier with the Suns' picks in the 13-14 range than I am with their top-five or top-ten.

 

[Raindog]

I can't wait for the Suns to pick 8th!

Yeah, that's the sad thing... there are probably going to be six or seven game changing prospects in this draft... and the Suns will finish just outside range to get any of them.

But keep on enjoying racking up those meaningless wins against the SacKings. This franchise is going to be perpetually stuck in purgatory, getting high picks in years where the prospects are crap, and middle picks in the years when there is real talent at the top of the draft. That's the story of your Phoenix Suns these days.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yeah, that's the sad thing... there are probably going to be six or seven game changing prospects in this draft... and the Suns will finish just outside range to get any of them.

But keep on enjoying racking up those meaningless wins against the SacKings. This franchise is going to be perpetually stuck in purgatory, getting high picks in years where the prospects are crap, and middle picks in the years when there is real talent at the top of the draft. That's the story of your Phoenix Suns these days.

Oh yeah. That's the story that has been happening these days. Racking up those #13 and #14 picks where they get nothing of value as opposed to those #4, #5, and #8 picks where they get their plug and play all-stars.

 

[elindholm]

This franchise is going to be perpetually stuck in purgatory, getting high picks in years where the prospects are crap, and middle picks in the years when there is real talent at the top of the draft. That's the story of your Phoenix Suns these days.

"These days"? I must have missed the time when it wasn't like that.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

The young core pieces of the team are the biggest reason we are winning games right now. Thus can’t be too upset about getting wins. I could understand if the old guys were the reason we were winning, but their not.

 

[Mainstreet]

The young core pieces of the team are the biggest reason we are winning games right now. Thus can’t be too upset about getting wins. I could understand if the old guys were the reason we were winning, but their not.

Exactly. If the Suns start winning it's because their draft picks are working out... and their coaching.

It's been awhile since the Suns had an experienced head coach.

 

[Ronin]

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[hsandhu]

Yeah, that's the sad thing... there are probably going to be six or seven game changing prospects in this draft... and the Suns will finish just outside range to get any of them.

But keep on enjoying racking up those meaningless wins against the SacKings. This franchise is going to be perpetually stuck in purgatory, getting high picks in years where the prospects are crap, and middle picks in the years when there is real talent at the top of the draft. That's the story of your Phoenix Suns these days.

Um, they ended up with 4 pick in last year's stacked draft, and got the guy many on this board would have taken higher than 4

I agree though, Probably need to start rooting for losses here and there before then, like tomorrow will hope we lose to philly. Good news is other bad teams, except pathetic lakers, are winning. Only 2 games separate 10th from 2nd in tank standings.

So far I haven't been actively rooting for losses this year, good to see young guys get some wins.

I was hoping those standings stayed bunched up, then post all star suns have brutal schedule, and I go all in rooting for tank. we combine tough schedule with our expert tanking strategy of last year (sit booker or Warren against bad teams we play) and go something like 5-19.

Hopefully conley comes back for memphis soon, russell comes back for bkn and lakers stopping being gutless.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I don't think the league is going to tolerate what we did last year. Healthy scratches of starting caliber players will net hefty fines.

 

[Raindog]

Except the Suns aren't really winning, or rather, turning the corner to becoming "winners." They are just beating other pathetically bad teams... ones that are very likely going to be better than them next year after those teams do cash in those higher lottery picks on the likes of Ayton, Bagley, Young, Doncic, etc... while the Suns are adding someone like Mikal Bridges with 13th pick.

And, yes I know we got (very, very) lucky nabbing Booker with a 13th pick. But that was a long shot that worked out. We would probably have to wait another ten years to draft a player of that caliber in that range. Unless our lottery luck changes significantly, we will continue only getting top 5 picks in drafts with likes of Len and Bender as the prizes, and spin our wheels as a 40 win also ran.

 

[SirStefan32]

Oh yeah. That's the story that has been happening these days. Racking up those #13 and #14 picks where they get nothing of value as opposed to those #4, #5, and #8 picks where they get their plug and play all-stars.

Exactly. Len, Bender, Chriss, and JJ are clearly better than Booker and Warren.

 

[SirStefan32]

Except the Suns aren't really winning, or rather, turning the corner to becoming "winners." They are just beating other pathetically bad teams... ones that are very likely going to be better than them next year after those teams do cash in those higher lottery picks on the likes of Ayton, Bagley, Young, Doncic, etc... while the Suns are adding someone like Mikal Bridges with 13th pick.

And, yes I know we got (very, very) lucky nabbing Booker with a 13th pick. But that was a long shot that worked out. We would probably have to wait another ten years to draft a player of that caliber in that range. Unless our lottery luck changes significantly, we will continue only getting top 5 picks in drafts with likes of Len and Bender as the prizes, and spin our wheels as a 40 win also ran.

Got Warren at #14, too.

Aditionally, there is nothing wrong with beating bad teams. That's part of the process too.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Except the Suns aren't really winning, or rather, turning the corner to becoming "winners." They are just beating other pathetically bad teams... ones that are very likely going to be better than them next year after those teams do cash in those higher lottery picks on the likes of Ayton, Bagley, Young, Doncic, etc... while the Suns are adding someone like Mikal Bridges with 13th pick.

And, yes I know we got (very, very) lucky nabbing Booker with a 13th pick. But that was a long shot that worked out. We would probably have to wait another ten years to draft a player of that caliber in that range. Unless our lottery luck changes significantly, we will continue only getting top 5 picks in drafts with likes of Len and Bender as the prizes, and spin our wheels as a 40 win also ran.

First. You start competing.
Then, you start beating bad teams regularly.
Then, you start competing against good teams regularly.
Then, you start beating good teams regularly.

In order to turn the corner, you have to beat bad teams. We are doing it with our young players. Not much more you can do about that except trade more of your future away so you can get players who will develop even farther into the future.

If we were losing to these bad teams, then the sky would be falling and the complaining about how bad we draft and how there is no chance we could possibly get anyone good in this draft because McD is such a horrible drafter--it would be horrible.

This type of thinking can have no joy.