2017-2018 Draft Prospects watch.

[Mainstreet]

I agree completely offensively that his ceiling is super high.

I think he's incredibly soft though and will play soft in the NBA. I'm not judging him solely by that game but more so as an epitome of his game right now.

After Ayton, I'm starting to think Bamba will have the bigger impact on a winning team than Bagley III.

I'd never put Bamba at number 2 in the draft. He may eventually become a good player in the NBA but it will take time. Minimally Bagley is ready to play now... at least offensively.

Are you saying Bamba should be drafted number 2 or where would you draft him?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Based off of family, friends, and anecdotal evidence (so take it with a grain of salt), I've always heard that back surgeries are like potato chips...you can't have just one.

This is 100% true.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Since you have first hand knowledge, is needing one surgery indication of potentially more problems down the line?

Or can it just be a one time issue that once fixed and rehabbed you are ok?

If we miss out on bagley or ayton, do we want the euro hype, a raw prospect in Jjj or bamb a or the pre injury number 1 prospect in porter.

I think it's a risk regardless, but how much more of a risk do you see porter?

He’s just soooo young to be having back surgery. It’s a huge risk to me. He might be okay for four to five years... but I’m betting there’s more problems to come, if not additional surgeries. Mostly because it’s not like the back ever really “heals”. Once you have cut part of the disk away, I.T doesn’t grow back. So, it’s not like a broken bone that heals. Can’t speak for knee injuries in regards to the back.

 

[DWKB]

I'd never put Bamba at number 2 in the draft. He may eventually become a good player in the NBA but it will take time. Minimally Bagley is ready to play now... at least offensively.

Are you saying Bamba should be drafted number 2 or where would you draft him?

I'm saying speaking exclusively about bigs, I think Bamba will have more positive impact on his team in the NBA than Bagley III will. I can't say take him 2nd, because I know nothing about the European guard.

I think Bamba's liability on the offensive end will harm him less than Bagley's on the defensive end because one plays C and one plays PF.

I also think Bamba (and Ayton) were limited by coaching in the NCAA. Bagley didn’t have that problem.

 

[Praxis]

Bagley also wasn't doubled much, whereas Ayton was double and sometimes triple teamed.

 

[pokerface]

He’s just soooo young to be having back surgery. It’s a huge risk to me. He might be okay for four to five years... but I’m betting there’s more problems to come, if not additional surgeries. Mostly because it’s not like the back ever really “heals”. Once you have cut part of the disk away, I.T doesn’t grow back. So, it’s not like a broken bone that heals. Can’t speak for knee injuries in regards to the back.

It's like this..if we draft top three we don't think Porter...number four we give him a serious look.. number five or six it's a no brainier.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's like this..if we draft top three we don't think Porter...number four we give him a serious look.. number five or six it's a no brainier.

I just don't think we can afford to gamble on him, even if it's one of our mid round picks.

 

[Ronin]

Jeff Goodman‏Verified account@GoodmanESPN 2m2 minutes ago
Marshall’s Jon Elmore is expected to declare for the NBA Draft, but will not sign with an agent, source told ESPN.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I just don't think we can afford to gamble on him, even if it's one of our mid round picks.

I think he’d be worth a flier with the later picks just because of his potential and because hopefully we nail the first pick we have.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I just don't think we can afford to gamble on him, even if it's one of our mid round picks.

How does Porter's injury compare to Embiid's back injury prior to the draft? Embiid had a stress fracture in his back I believe.

 

[AzStevenCal]

How does Porter's injury compare to Embiid's back injury prior to the draft? Embiid had a stress fracture in his back I believe.

I really don't know but if we were able to draft Embiid right now with our first pick, I'd pass. The guy is great and while healthy he'll be in the conversation for best player in the game but I still wouldn't take the chance. And with Porter, we have no clue what he'll become. He was great coming into college but that tells us very little about his NBA potential.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think he’d be worth a flier with the later picks just because of his potential and because hopefully we nail the first pick we have.

He probably is worth a flier if he's still available in the teens but I hope we're not the team to take that risk. We are so devoid of NBA level talent, we almost have to get at least 2 real players from this class.

 

[Ronin]

Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein

SMU's Jarrey Foster will declare for the NBA Draft, but won't hire an agent, per his Twitter page.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Doing some quick searching on the web for the success rate of a microdiscectomy it at least appears to be a long term fix in most cases.

"Estimates vary, but between 1% and 20% of people who have a microdiscectomy will have another disc herniation at some point."

Granted this is isn't specifically talking about athletes and 1-20% is a pretty big range, but either way it appears that it may not be much to worry about. Here is a little more on the subject.

https://www.spine-health.com/treatm...surgery-risks-complications-and-success-rates

 

[SirStefan32]

General population is also different than pro-athletes. If the medical staff gives the green light, I wouldn't worry about his back.

 

[Cheesebeef]

General population is also different than pro-athletes. If the medical staff gives the green light, I wouldn't worry about his back.

Pro Athletes are also different than Gen Pop because their job is so physically intensive.

 

[Cheesebeef]

How does Porter's injury compare to Embiid's back injury prior to the draft? Embiid had a stress fracture in his back I believe.

Stress fracture is a bone issue. Disks are a different ball game because the disc never regenerates or heals like a back.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I really don't know but if we were able to draft Embiid right now with our first pick, I'd pass. The guy is great and while healthy he'll be in the conversation for best player in the game but I still wouldn't take the chance. And with Porter, we have no clue what he'll become. He was great coming into college but that tells us very little about his NBA potential.

This also, because he hasn’t played, he’s a young guy with back concerns and no track record against better competition.

 

[SirStefan32]

Pro Athletes are also different than Gen Pop because their job is so physically intensive.

Yeah, I was thinking about that, though didn't explain it in my original post because I couldn't figure out if being a pro athlete is a helpful thing or not. On one hand you are in great shape, have professional medical staff working with you all the time, but on the other hand you put your body though stuff that would kill an average person. I am long way from my high school basketball days when I was in a decent shape, and playing pickup ball for ten minutes is about as much as I can handle. I can't imagine the stress that playing 30 minutes for 82 games in the NBA puts on your body. I am pretty sure I would pass out after 3 minutes in an NBA game. If my heart survived, I am sure my knees and back would need a month to recover.

 

[Cheesebeef]

General population is also different than pro-athletes. If the medical staff gives the green light, I wouldn't worry about his back.

Medical staffs greenlit Howard too.

Just saying... that’s REALLY young to be having back problems bad enough to require surgery and as someone who’s not only had three of them, but has talked at length with my father (who’s an orthopod) and my best friend who’s an orthopod at Mayo, it’s always a risk... that 1% number be damned.

And think about where those numbers come from... likely surveys of surgeons who NEED people to have back surgeries and don’t want to admit... or raeally know how someone feels post surgery.

 

[pokerface]

General population is also different than pro-athletes. If the medical staff gives the green light, I wouldn't worry about his back.

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.

 

[elindholm]

but has talked at length with my father (who’s an orthopod)

Man, I used to think my father was spineless too, but calling him an arthropod seems to be taking it a bit too far.

 

[Mainstreet]

If the Suns have two picks in the teens, I draft Michael Porter with one of them if he slides that far. The upside is too much to turn down. He is a shooter/scorer which the Suns really need. However, I would not draft him with the Suns pick.

 

[SirStefan32]

If the Suns have two picks in the teens, I draft Michael Porter with one of them if he slides that far. The upside is too much to turn down. He is a shooter/scorer which the Suns really need. However, I would not draft him with the Suns pick.

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

 

[Cheesebeef]

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.

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.