Alex Len

[Mainstreet]

Oh dear God, no. Unless that contract comes with unprotected first round pick, I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole.

And the Suns can send all their bad contracts back as well, especially Brown and Beasley. The Suns do not have any terrible contracts. It would take a lot for me to support this trade unless the Suns medical staff gave a green light and then I would question it. Gordon has a terrible contract thanks to the Suns bidding it up. If the Suns wanted Gordon it would have to include more assets for the Suns.

 

[SirStefan32]

And the Suns can send all their bad contracts back as well, especially Brown and Beasley. The Suns do not have any terrible contracts. It would take a lot for me to support this trade unless the Suns medical staff gave a green light and then I would question it. Gordon has a terrible contract thanks to the Suns bidding it up. If the Suns wanted Gordon it would have to include more assets for the Suns.

Eh, Brown and Besley contracts are not THAT bad. Brown can be bought out this year and Beasley next. Gordon, even if 100% healthy will only be able to get the Suns just outside the top 10 in the next couple of drafts. There is really nothing on the New Orleans that the Suns might want. Swap Marshall for Vasquez, perhaps. Not really sold on Rivers, even if they were to offer him.

Outside of two unprotected first rounders, Vasquez, and Maybe Rivers, I wouldn't touch Gordon with a 10-foot pole.

 

[Mainstreet]

Eh, Brown and Besley contracts are not THAT bad. Brown can be bought out this year and Beasley next. Gordon, even if 100% healthy will only be able to get the Suns just outside the top 10 in the next couple of drafts. There is really nothing on the New Orleans that the Suns might want. Swap Marshall for Vasquez, perhaps. Not really sold on Rivers, even if they were to offer him.

Outside of two unprotected first rounders, Vasquez, and Maybe Rivers, I wouldn't touch Gordon with a 10-foot pole.

I was trying to up your ante.

Unless that contract comes with unprotected first round pick, I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole.

 

[Phrazbit]

McD has 3 years of info on Len. Much more than anybody else in the entire league, I'd bet. And it's highly probable they didn't have that much info about McLemore. They had recent interviews as well. Sure they didn't see Len work out, but they saw McLemore a few times at least, and EVERY report says he bombed.

And of course, the old adage of good bigs being harder to come by than guards and wings can apply as well.

Its not just a good wing. We had an elite athlete and an elite shooter fall into our laps. Teams NEED players with those attributes to succeed in the current NBA, having a 7 foot big man out there is no longer a necessity (and never really was). Teams get blinded by size, its why you see more teams reach on bust big men than anything else.

McLemore can shoot the lights out and jump out of a gym, he looked bad in some workouts... running between cones or some such nonsense. We pass him over to take a ballet dancer with bad ankles, oh and he also was a mediocre center by the standards of the ACC last year. Meanwhile Chairman Yi blew everyone away in workouts a few years back but turned out to be just another "skilled" big who actually sucked ass.

 

[Chaplin]

Its not just a good wing. We had an elite athlete and an elite shooter fall into our laps. Teams NEED players with those attributes to succeed in the current NBA, having a 7 foot big man out there is no longer a necessity (and never really was). Teams get blinded by size, its why you see more teams reach on bust big men than anything else.

McLemore can shoot the lights out and jump out of a gym, he looked bad in some workouts... running between cones or some such nonsense. We pass him over to take a ballet dancer with bad ankles, oh and he also was a mediocre center by the standards of the ACC last year. Meanwhile Chairman Yi blew everyone away in workouts a few years back but turned out to be just another "skilled" big who actually sucked ass.

IMO, "elite" does not describe any player in this draft.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I look at him as more of a Garnett type player, has a 12-15ft jumper and has some quickness to get around C & PF. He doesn't have the bulk, but with his length can defend and block shots.

wha? Garnett was one of the most athletic big men to ever come out of high school. acomplete freak of nature who already had handles, ridiculous athleticism and court awareness...and a mean streak. Len projects nothing like Garnett in any of those areas.

 

[JS22]

I don't understand why people still say Len is stiff & has no athleticism.

He moves incredibly well for someone of his size. Not Garnett coming out of high school. But definitely underrated as an athlete.

 

[Phrazbit]

IMO, "elite" does not describe any player in this draft.

I'm not saying McLemore as a total package was elite, but he has some elite skills. He can shoot and he is absolutely an elite athlete. Len has no particular skill that you can hang your hat on... except maybe his pirouette on the dance floor... when his bones are not broken.

 

[Magnus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AEj3LA2vSo

Geez, you guys... Give the kid a chance to prove himself on the court, then we'll see what kind of pick this was. Some of you seem to have a negative opinion about everything this organisation does.

It's not just the Suns that passed on Mclemore, it's 6 teams that passed on supposedly the 'best' player in the draft. So we'll see who's wrong or not in a couple of years.

 

[Bufalay]

If you think about it, the ONLY positive things we've heard about McLemore were from this recent season. Every draft event had him be average or below average. And that workout must have been really bad. Everybody here was convinced it was a smokescreen (myself included), but they must have been telling the truth.

You're saying that the only positive thing we've heard about a basketball player is how well he plays in basketball games? What more do you want?

 

[Superbone]

People comparing Len to Lopez need to stop watching basketball. Len is a very good face to face player who uses quick jab steps and moves to get around big men. He's way faster than Lopez and he also passes extremely well out of the post. He's better than Lolopez who crouches like a 6 foot guard and can't get any rebounds.

I'm not saying he is going to be a star but he's better than Lopez.

Not to mention, Len knows how to stand up straight.

 

[sunsfan88]

The Suns do not have any terrible contracts.

Whoa, forgot about Frye? Injury prone, all he does is chuck 3s....making $6M/yr...

 

[Mainstreet]

Maybe it's already been posted but I will put up this tweet in regards to drafting Len.

Paul Coro ‏@paulcoro 2h

@johnmarzan The Suns said Len was No. 1 on their draft board. They don't share the entire board but Oladipo was above Zeller.

https://twitter.com/paulcoro

Well we know how the Suns felt about Noel and McLemore.

 

[AzStevenCal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AEj3LA2vSo

Geez, you guys... Give the kid a chance to prove himself on the court, then we'll see what kind of pick this was. Some of you seem to have a negative opinion about everything this organisation does.

It's not just the Suns that passed on Mclemore, it's 6 teams that passed on supposedly the 'best' player in the draft. So we'll see who's wrong or not in a couple of years.

Well, it's not like we're organizing a sit-in to keep him from entering the arena or anything. We're just offering our opinions based on what little familiarity we have with this guy, no different than the many fans here who are voicing their support of this selection. But, there isn't a person here that won't give Len (or Goodwin) a fair chance when the season rolls around.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

You're saying that the only positive thing we've heard about a basketball player is how well he plays in basketball games? What more do you want?

Haha.

 

[Phrazbit]

Well, it's not like we're organizing a sit-in to keep him from entering the arena or anything. We're just offering our opinions based on what little familiarity we have with this guy, no different than the many fans here who are voicing their support of this selection. But, there isn't a person here that won't give Len (or Goodwin) a fair chance when the season rolls around.

Steve

Yeah, while I am ripping this pick, I am not giving him the guarantee disaster stamp that I laid on Measley.

If the top 4 had gone as expected and we were looking at Len or Burke or Zeller (uuuuuhhhgg) then I would merely have low expectations, but given that I feel we had opportunity fall in our laps and then shoved it away, I have low expectations combined with bitterness.

 

[Mainstreet]

Whoa, forgot about Frye? Injury prone, all he does is chuck 3s....making $6M/yr...

I don't you're giving Frye enough credit. However, insurance paid Frye's last season salary. If I were him, I wouldn't want to risk my health and family to return to the game. If Frye cannot play this season he might be removed from the CAP.

 

[sunsfan88]

I don't you're giving Frye enough credit. However, insurance paid Frye's last season salary. If I were him, I wouldn't want to risk my health and family to return to the game. If Frye cannot play this season he might be removed from the CAP.

He's likely gonna play this season though man :/

Someone asked him if he's gonna retire and he said far from it. And then later he said hopefully he'll be playing this season.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah, while I am ripping this pick, I am not giving him the guarantee disaster stamp that I laid put on Measley.

If the top 4 had gone as expected and we were looking at Len or Burke or Zeller (uuuuuhhhgg) then I would merely have low expectations, but given that I feel we had opportunity fall in our laps and then shoved it away, I have low expectations combined with bitterness.

How can you feel so strongly about McLemore when he dropped to #7. You don't have to answer that, but something was going on with him in a weak draft. Burke will be a very good player.

 

[Phrazbit]

How can you feel so strongly about McLemore when he dropped to #7. You don't have to answer that, but something was going on with him in a weak draft. Burke will be a very good player.

It was a weird draft, I dont understand why McLemore, a guy who demonstrated more potential and athleticism than arguably anyone in this draft slipped, and I dont understand why a play as limited as Zeller went 4th when there were several vastly superior players behind him.

And like I said earlier, its not just about McLemore being there, I would rather have traded back and picked up someone like Burke or McCollum than draft Len. IMO Len is a limited and low ceiling prospect. Our team has basically nothing to build around. We should be swinging for the fences and taking chances at this point.

 

[sunsfan88]

Yeah, while I am ripping this pick, I am not giving him the guarantee disaster stamp that I laid on Measley.

Thank god, last thing we needed was to see you bi**h about Len in every thread this off season like you did Beasley last year.

 

[sunsfan88]

How can you feel so strongly about McLemore when he dropped to #7. You don't have to answer that, but something was going on with him in a weak draft.

He dropped to #7 because none of those 6 teams had a need for him. The Cavs already have the young Waiters who they just drafted top 5 like a year or two ago, the Wizards have Bradley Beal whose looking like a bright young future star, it would be stupid to draft McLemore for them when they have a huge need at SF, and then the Bobcats are the freaking Bobcats, they picked Zeller of all people and they also have Gerald Henderson who isn't that bad. The Magic took Oladipo cause they need defense more than offense at this point and Oladipo may very well turn out to be better than McLemore too and had CLE taken Oladipo #1 then ORL would have probably taken McLemore at #2.

There are very valid reasons why the 4 teams before the Suns passed on McLemore so don't even for a second try to turn this into "Well McLemore has a big problem that's why 4 teams before us passed on him."

 

[Mainstreet]

And like I said earlier, its not just about McLemore being there, I would rather have traded back and picked up someone like Burke or McCollum than draft Len. IMO Len is a limited and low ceiling prospect. Our team has basically nothing to build around. We should be swinging for the fences and taking chances at this point.

Obviously we disagree about Len's upside. I think in time he will be a very good player. He is so raw right now. I see what he can become. You see a 20 year that has yet to develop. I was excited the Suns were able to draft him. This draft was so weak, it was a good time to draft a development center who still has enough skills to help contribute now.

Maybe you will get the same happiness in watching Goodwin as you would watching McLemore.

 

[tobiazz]

Obviously we disagree about Len's upside. I think in time he will be a very good player. He is so raw right now. I see what he can become. You see a 20 year that has yet to develop. I was excited the Suns were able to draft him. This draft was so weak, it was a good time to draft a development center who still has enough skills to help contribute now.

The guy who put up nearly identical college stats to Len and has similar build, athleticism, and "motor" is Patrick O'Bryant. Just saying. Like O'Bryant, Len has potential to be a very versatile center. His ceiling is a more mobile Ilgauskas, which is good but not great, and his floor is being the next Patrick O'Bryant.

Maybe you will get the same happiness in watching Goodwin as you would watching McLemore.

McLemore shot 49.5/42.0/87.0%
Goodwin shot 44.0/26.6/63.7%

I think the former would lead to much more happiness. But I like the Goodwin choice at #29 since the Suns need a slasher in the worst way so he can probably get lots of touches and begin developing early.

Not to make preemptive excuses, but McLemore really landed on the worst team as far as his future success is concerned.

 

[hcsilla]

He pretty much came out of nowhere after the season was completely over. During the season I honestly don't remember anyone projecting him even in the low lottery. He was always considered an incomplete player with a lot of work to do, the kind of guy you grab near the end of the draft and hope he pans out in a few years.

Not at all.

Len was projected a surefire lottery pick after his very first game of the season against Kentucky and Noel.