2017-2018 Draft Prospects watch.

[Cheesebeef]

He is not sliding to #15 or #16. I will be surprised if he is available past #5.

Man... that’s just such a huge risk from both an injury concern and unknown ability concern with a Pick we just HAVE TO HIT. And not just hit, but hit out of the park.

 

[SirStefan32]

Man... that’s just such a huge risk from both an injury concern and unknown ability concern with a Pick we just HAVE TO HIT. And not just hit, but hit out of the park.

Oh just to be clear, I am not advocating taking him if Ayton or Bagley are available. Doncic and Young too, probably.

 

[Raindog]

I agree that we have to hit on two picks. It would be nice to nail all three, but can probably afford to take a flyer on a high risk/high reward on the Milwaukee pick... assuming we get it. And we can take some flyers with the handful of second rounders, too. Take Giannis's brother with one of them. That would be a smart shot in the dark.

 

[pokerface]

This is true... but didnt Nash’s back become an issue halfway through his career? And his game wasn’t dependent on athleticism like Porter’s game partially is.

His back was supposedly bad enough to where Cuban didn't want to give him max money. Cuban basically said Nash's back wouldnt hold up.

But yeah Porter relies on athletism more so point taken. Still, some team will take Porter on it just depends on the order of the draft. I don't think he drops below number six.

 

[Mainstreet]

He is not sliding to #15 or #16. I will be surprised if he is available past #5.

Yeah. All the mocks have Michael Porter going early. I prefer the Suns stay away from him with their first pick.

 

[Raindog]

I think if one of the "good" teams with a lotto pick (like Boston or Philly) ends up in the top six or seven, they might take a flyer on Porter and look at it as a great risk/reward move... which it would be for either of them. The outright bad teams may be a little more hesitant to pass on a safer choice for Porter.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I think if one of the "good" teams with a lotto pick (like Boston or Philly) ends up in the top six or seven, they might take a flyer on Porter and look at it as a great risk/reward move... which it would be for either of them. The outright bad teams may be a little more hesitant to pass on a safer choice for Porter.

What Pick does Boston have?

 

[pokerface]

Man... that’s just such a huge risk from both an injury concern and unknown ability concern with a Pick we just HAVE TO HIT. And not just hit, but hit out of the park.

Well Len didn't have a bad back and was a bust at #5. So ya know..we take our chances regardless.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Well Len didn't have a bad back and was a bust at #5. So ya know..we take our chances regardless.

Doesn’t mean we have to double down on dumb!

And Len had injury issues as well.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Well Len didn't have a bad back and was a bust at #5. So ya know..we take our chances regardless.

Sure but it's usually easy to identify the high risks and Porter is very high risk. Bender and Chriss were long term projects which is just another way of saying high risk. Len? Even without his injury problem, his selection was both a surprise and a big gamble. Other than one good game against Noel, he had a pretty unimpressive resume. So, we're in this mess right now largely because we've swung for the fences. Playing it safe might cost us a Giannis in the making but that's the hole we've dug.

 

[pokerface]

Sure but it's usually easy to identify the high risks and Porter is very high risk. Bender and Chriss were long term projects which is just another way of saying high risk. Len? Even without his injury problem, his selection was both a surprise and a big gamble. Other than one good game against Noel, he had a pretty unimpressive resume. So, we're in this mess right now largely because we've swung for the fences. Playing it safe might cost us a Giannis in the making but that's the hole we've dug.

I don't know...lot of variables going on. I mean Porter at one point was projected a number one pick. He has game but his back is a big unknown. One scenario is he plays with some pain but is still able to play...I don't think he's crippled. I still think his cellar in this draft is at number six.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I don't know...lot of variables going on. I mean Porter at one point was projected a number one pick. He has game but his back is a big unknown. One scenario is he plays with some pain but is still able to play...I don't think he's crippled. I still think his cellar in this draft is at number six.

That could be, I just hope we aren't the one that takes the gamble.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Sure but it's usually easy to identify the high risks and Porter is very high risk. Bender and Chriss were long term projects which is just another way of saying high risk. Len? Even without his injury problem, his selection was both a surprise and a big gamble. Other than one good game against Noel, he had a pretty unimpressive resume. So, we're in this mess right now largely because we've swung for the fences. Playing it safe might cost us a Giannis in the making but that's the hole we've dug.

slight disagreement... Big white stiffs seems to be the definition of playing it safe.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't know...lot of variables going on. I mean Porter at one point was projected a number one pick. He has game but his back is a big unknown. One scenario is he plays with some pain but is still able to play...I don't think he's crippled. I still think his cellar in this draft is at number six.

never said he was crippled or would be crippled. there's a chance... a very good chance, he never has surgery again. But it will be something he deals with on some level throughout his career, IMO.

 

[Mainstreet]

That could be, I just hope we aren't the one that takes the gamble.

Fultz may turn into a great player but I thought he was a risky pick being selected #1 in the draft.

I sort of feel the same about drafting Michael Porter early.

Not enough college data for both.

 

[AzStevenCal]

slight disagreement... Big white stiffs seems to be the definition of playing it safe.

That may be but I'd love to get someone like a Sabonis with one of our later picks. But I don't think we have to chase a big white stiff just to get a safe pick.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That may be but I'd love to get someone like a Sabonis with one of our later picks. But I don't think we have to chase a big white stiff just to get a safe pick.

Or a Lauri, who I was wayyyyyy off about. Still wouldn’t feel great about taking one at 5 like we did with Len.

Eh... who am I kidding? I’d prob bitch at any one of the like in the first round.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Or a Lauri, who I was wayyyyyy off about. Still wouldn’t feel great about taking one at 5 like we did with Len.

Eh... who am I kidding? I’d prob bitch at any one of the like in the first round.

I wouldn't want Lauri in the top 5 of this draft either. He'd probably go in the early mid-teens in this class and that would be a steal. Bender probably goes in the teens in this draft but I doubt Len or Chriss would go before the 20's this year. We just picked some awful years to be selecting early.

I don't think we have to give up on ceiling with our first pick, we should be able to draft safely and still bring in star talent. It's our second pick that I want to see us focus on a fairly known quantity (even if he doesn't appear to have superstar potential).

 

[Raindog]

What Pick does Boston have?

They get the Lakers pick that we sent to Philly for Knight, if it falls between 2 and 5. Otherwise it stays with Philly.

 

[Raindog]

Also should have added Cleveland as a good landing spot for Porter if they get a high enough pick... another already good team that can afford to take a risk on him.

 

[BC867]

Nash had a bad back for years and still played. Everyone is different however and Nash isnt a big man....just saying. I agree though the suns need to investigate before any decision.

And was spent before the end of each season and the playoffs.

Remember, he had to lie on the floor when he wasn't on the court. Yes, he still played, but he wasn't the same player as the season wore down -- just like his back.

 

[pokerface]

And was spent before the end of each season and the playoffs.

Remember, he had to lie on the floor when he wasn't on the court. Yes, he still played, but he wasn't the same player as the season wore down -- just like his back.

He won two mvps with a bad back...jeesh.

 

[BC867]

He won two mvps with a bad back...jeesh.

And the team won what...jeesh.

It is sad when the best a team can accomplish is individual stats.

As I commented, he (MVSteve) wasn't the same player as the season wore down because of his back.

 

[SirStefan32]

I think that's an overly simplistic view, BC. D'Antoni was a factor, but Nash was also the Suns system. For that entire era, if Nash was on the bench, the Suns were a different team. It wasn't until Gentry created that second unit of Dragic, Lopez, Amundson, Dudley, and Barbosa, the Suns struggled without Nash on the floor. While his back likely was an issue, it was one of the issues, not THE issue.

 

[Mainstreet]

I wouldn't want Lauri in the top 5 of this draft either. He'd probably go in the early mid-teens in this class and that would be a steal. Bender probably goes in the teens in this draft but I doubt Len or Chriss would go before the 20's this year. We just picked some awful years to be selecting early.

I don't think we have to give up on ceiling with our first pick, we should be able to draft safely and still bring in star talent. It's our second pick that I want to see us focus on a fairly known quantity (even if he doesn't appear to have superstar potential).

I agree about the Suns getting a know quantity with their second first round pick.

However, knowing what we know now, I'd be thrilled to get Markkanen at #5 in this draft. I remember you were a huge fan of Markkanen and rightly so.