Article about the top prospects in the NCAA championship game.

[SO91]

He does seem to be the sexy pick lately after what he did during the Final Four. I heard some ESPN analysts describe him as a young Scottie Pippen, and could possible be the #3 pick. I thought that was a bit high, considering the other players that could come out and that NBA teams tend to favor size

 

[Cheesebeef]

He does seem to be the sexy pick lately after what he did during the Final Four. I heard some ESPN analysts describe him as a young Scottie Pippen, and could possible be the #3 pick. I thought that was a bit high, considering the other players that could come out and that NBA teams tend to favor size

i think Brewer definitely put his name in the national spotlight, but anyone who has watched the Gators all year long have seen that this kid is just nails - he's a seemingly good kid, who is pretty sick athletically and has serious fire and drive to win.

think about this - Noah and Horford both came back to win titles, but they also comes from very affluent families - it's an easier decision for them to have done what they did because there's no pressure on them to carry the load for their families. Then you look at Brewer - he had a good year last year, was great in the tourney, won a title and his mom is a Teacher's Asst. and his father is an amputee in a wheel-chair, not nearly from the same type of familiy financially as Horford or Noah, but the kid came back to win another title, eschewing the millions because he believed in the team. that's the type of kid I want on the Suns - the one who LOVES winning and will do almost anything to accomplish the goal.

this kid could be Scottie Pippen without being the douchebag/head-case that Pippen was. that's saying something. I'm actually starting to lean towards drafting him over Horford, simply because I think DA would LOVE him and he'd fit perfectly running, creating, eventually shooting and most importantly, playing DEFENSE.

a foursome of Leo, Brewer, Boris and Amare is a VERY GOOD start as this era fades away. All young, all fast, all athletic and all nightmare matchups.

 

[elindholm]

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in workouts. As of now Noah may have fallen to the middle of the lottery. But once prospects get into "solo" situations, certain things like height and athleticism start to take prominence again, at the expense of, say, desire and commitment to improvement. That could move Noah back up and make it more likely that an explosive wing like Brewer falls to the Suns (assuming, for no good reason, that they end up at #5 or #6).

 

[SO91]

It's going to be very interesting to see what happens in workouts. As of now Noah may have fallen to the middle of the lottery. But once prospects get into "solo" situations, certain things like height and athleticism start to take prominence again, at the expense of, say, desire and commitment to improvement. That could move Noah back up and make it more likely that an explosive wing like Brewer falls to the Suns (assuming, for no good reason, that they end up at #5 or #6).

I sure hope you are right. As I stated earlier, the NBA seems to love big guys, and assuming there are enough of them to impress teams, then he could very well fall on our laps.

 

[Cheesebeef]

hot damn, I REALLY hope we get that ATL pick - I mean if we do, at worst it's 4-6, right? If all the guys come out who I think are gonna come out, we really can't miss with that pick. With Oden, Durant, Horford, Noah, (Brandon) Wright, Brewer and Conley, there's 7 guys who'd I be completely stoked with if we got any of them - of course, we'll probably select that softy from China, but damn, a man can dream, can't he!?

come on ping pong balls - be good to us! give us a little luck PLEASE!!!!!

 

[TucsonDevil]

Wow, I am surprised by the love the Brewer is getting all of the sudden. I think he will be a nice wing player - But the next Scottie Pippen? Does everyone remember what Scottie Pippen was like in the mid-90s? He was amazing! I see Brewer as a more... Shane Battier type guy, maybe a little more mobile. Horford is a big, powerful guy that can protect the paint, set picks, and rebound. If the two were made available to Phoenix, I would take Horford everyday of the week. He moves well, he handles the ball well, he shoots well. Today, he is a poor man's Amare - less explosion, but good defender.

I guess I am getting tired of small ball - I would love to see us have two big men down low that can run, Horford is that guy.

 

[TucsonDevil]

I want Horford with #4 pick. THEN, package our two late first rounders with Diaw for the #9 pick and grab Conley

... while we are dreaming.

 

[elindholm]

I just watched a YouTube clip of "that softy from China," and his turnaround fadeaway jumper in the lane is pretty sick. I know that you want your seven-footer to do more than that, and he can, but that particular shot is completely unguardable.

It's probably been posted before, but: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6plJTvMW04

And yes, the soundtrack is lame.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Wow, I am surprised by the love the Brewer is getting all of the sudden. I think he will be a nice wing player - But the next Scottie Pippen? Does everyone remember what Scottie Pippen was like in the mid-90s? He was amazing! I see Brewer as a more... Shane Battier type guy, maybe a little more mobile.

wow - I don't believe you've really ever watched a lot of Brewer because no one in their right mind who has would ever compare him to Shane Battier. I don't mean that to be harsh, but the comparison above is just one of the worst comparisons between players I've ever seen.

better question is, do you remember what Scottie Pippen was in the mid-80's (when he was the same age Brewer is now)? He sure as hell wasn't Corie Brewer.

 

[Chaplin]

There are a good 8 or 9 players I like in the top 10, including Brewer.

That said, however, I think it might be a mistake to draft Brewer when a guy like Horford is still on the board. If the Phoenix Suns have a top 10 draft pick, a power player makes the most sense. Yes, our defense isn't the best, and Brewer might help that. But our worst quality is easily rebounding, and Al Horford will provide that. You can't pass that up. You just can't. It is an extreme need, whereas Brewer is not.

 

[elindholm]

But our worst quality is easily rebounding ... You can't pass that up. You just can't.

I agree with you, but apparently D'Antoni doesn't. We have a perfectly good rebounder sitting on the bench in Kurt Thomas, and not only does D'Antoni leave him there to rot, he tells the media it's a "mistake" to try to play him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

There are a good 8 or 9 players I like in the top 10, including Brewer.

That said, however, I think it might be a mistake to draft Brewer when a guy like Horford is still on the board. If the Phoenix Suns have a top 10 draft pick, a power player makes the most sense. Yes, our defense isn't the best, and Brewer might help that. But our worst quality is easily rebounding, and Al Horford will provide that. You can't pass that up. You just can't. It is an extreme need, whereas Brewer is not.

I don't know - we routinely get killed by Wing-players - Melo, Josh Howard, Stack and the like and we really have no one that can guard them all that well - Shawn does a decent job, but I think we all know that when his contract is up in two years, he's most likely gone and I think we can all agree that Marion's versatility is one of the main reasons this system works - I think Brewer's that guy who can learn from Shawn/give him a rest in the present and step up and be the man in the future.

not to mention, DA just loves his style. I'm not saying I wouldn't be happy with Horford - I think he's a stud also, actually he's like a really young, athletic version of KT - can shoot the mid-range, bang, set picks and board so maybe he is a perfect fit... I just think he'll be off the board by then and if not... well, I really don't think you can wrong with either one of them.

 

[SO91]

wow - I don't believe you've really ever watched a lot of Brewer because no one in their right mind who has would ever compare him to Shane Battier. I don't mean that to be harsh, but the comparison above is just one of the worst comparisons between players I've ever seen.

better question is, do you remember what Scottie Pippen was in the mid-80's (when he was the same age Brewer is now)? He sure as hell wasn't Corie Brewer.

Thank you. I believe people are referring to the young Scottie, who came into the league as a relatively unknown player. Whether Brewer becomes a player like that is yet to be determined, but you have to love the potential there.

 

[Cheesebeef]

you know what's going to REALLY suck, when the damn draft lottery is held and Atlanta somehow ends up with the freaking #1 pick!

man, I'll be PISSED if that happens!

 

[sunsfn]

If the suns are at #4 they have to take Horford I would think. He can play right away and that is rare to find. If they get #6 + I hope that they can get Brewer. And, Brewer is not replacing Marion! He will play with him and we will be fast and play defense!

Regarding Kurt Thomas and his rebounding, he is so slow that he can not keep up with the fast suns and it causes them a lot of problems when they want to run. In the playoffs against some teams he will be used more. I still say if they can trade him this off season, Thomas will be gone.

Lets all hope that Atlanta can win a couple games before the season ends!!

 

[Cheesebeef]

If the suns are at #4 they have to take Horford I would think. He can play right away and that is rare to find. If they get #6 + I hope that they can get Brewer. And, Brewer is not replacing Marion! He will play with him and we will be fast and play defense!

i'm not talking about him replacing Marion THIS year - I'm talking about when his contract runs out in a couple years - it's gonna be a Ben Wallace/Steve Nash scenario with a hometown Hero starting to get a little past his prime and not worth the contract they probably think they are and Marion's all about respect and if we offer him anything but the Max (which we won't), he's gonna go to the highest bidder IMO. THAT'S when Brewer will replace him if we were to get him.

 

[sunsfn]

i'm not talking about him replacing Marion THIS year - I'm talking about when his contract runs out in a couple years - it's gonna be a Ben Wallace/Steve Nash scenario with a hometown Hero starting to get a little past his prime and not worth the contract they probably think they are and Marion's all about respect and if we offer him anything but the Max (which we won't), he's gonna go to the highest bidder IMO. THAT'S when Brewer will replace him if we were to get him.

You may be right on Marion when his contract runs out.

But the thing is, with Horford or Brewer, these two guys will get lots of playing time on the suns immediately if the suns are lucky enough to get one of them.

 

[Joe Mama]

I like Brewer a lot, but he's going to have the exact same problem (probably worse) that Shawn Marion hands with guys like Anthony, Odom, etc. That is able easily back him down and overpower him. Right now Shawn Marion is 225+ pounds. Brewer is maybe 195.

I wouldn't be disappointed at all with Brewer, but he isn't going to come in and shut down the bigger 3's like Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony. They will simply take him down low and kill him. there's no chance he will be guarding 4's anytime soon.

Joe

 

[Cheesebeef]

I like Brewer a lot, but he's going to have the exact same problem (probably worse) that Shawn Marion hands with guys like Anthony, Odom, etc. That is able easily back him down and overpower him. Right now Shawn Marion is 225+ pounds. Brewer is maybe 195.

I wouldn't be disappointed at all with Brewer, but he isn't going to come in and shut down the bigger 3's like Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony. They will simply take him down low and kill him. there's no chance he will be guarding 4's anytime soon.

Joe

he's gonna get bigger Joe - and if he doesn't, he could still end up just as good, if not a better defender than Tayshaun, because of his length - 6'9, with a 7 footers wingspan.

 

[slinslin]

Well I hope we can get Brandan Wright and somehow Corey Brewer that would be perfect. Corey Brewer will probably be every bit as good as Josh Howard.

I wouldn't mind staying with the picks we have though, looks like Marcus Williams dropping to 22-27 is pretty likely.

 

[Chaplin]

Well I hope we can get Brandan Wright and somehow Corey Brewer that would be perfect. Corey Brewer will probably be every bit as good as Josh Howard.

I wouldn't mind staying with the picks we have though, looks like Marcus Williams dropping to 22-27 is pretty likely.

I'm an Arizona grad, but there is no way we should touch Marcus Williams. He was a mediocre player in college when he should have had the tools to be better. He won't be. He will be a bust in the NBA. Count on that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm an Arizona grad, but there is no way we should touch Marcus Williams. He was a mediocre player in college when he should have had the tools to be better. He won't be. He will be a bust in the NBA. Count on that.

agree to an extent - I really think he'll be a bust, but I don't think he really has that great of a skill set - he's a mediocre shooter at best and doesn't have great athleticism.

I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot-pole.

 

[TucsonDevil]

wow - I don't believe you've really ever watched a lot of Brewer because no one in their right mind who has would ever compare him to Shane Battier. I don't mean that to be harsh, but the comparison above is just one of the worst comparisons between players I've ever seen.

better question is, do you remember what Scottie Pippen was in the mid-80's (when he was the same age Brewer is now)? He sure as hell wasn't Corie Brewer.

OK, Cheese, we have ourselves a difference of opinion. I wasn't comparing Corey Brewer and Shane Battier as haivng an equal skill set, but rather their position for their teams in relation to their skill set. Corey, like Shane, is coming off a great tournament with a great program and having the benefit of playing with other great players. I think Shane is a good NBA player, not a bust at all. I think Corey will be a good player also... but no way is this guy going to be the next Scottie Pippen... no way! Scottie is a Hall-of-Famer. I guess we are going to have to revisit this is about 5 years.

My overall point is this - Horford is the guy the Suns need to pick if they land the #4... if they get a #7-10, then Conley is the guy. Those are the two largest needs for the Suns - rebounding/defense and backup PG.

 

[Cheesebeef]

OK, Cheese, we have ourselves a difference of opinion. I wasn't comparing Corey Brewer and Shane Battier as haivng an equal skill set, but rather their position for their teams in relation to their skill set. Corey, like Shane, is coming off a great tournament with a great program and having the benefit of playing with other great players. I think Shane is a good NBA player, not a bust at all. I think Corey will be a good player also... but no way is this guy going to be the next Scottie Pippen... no way! Scottie is a Hall-of-Famer. I guess we are going to have to revisit this is about 5 years.

My overall point is this - Horford is the guy the Suns need to pick if they land the #4... if they get a #7-10, then Conley is the guy. Those are the two largest needs for the Suns - rebounding/defense and backup PG.

you daft SOB. Seriously, if you really believe the above... just kidding. We can agree to disagree on Brewer, but I'd be pretty okay with any of those three - they're all pretty perfect for what this team needs, although truth be told, I think Conley has a lot more to prove in my eyes. He's been good as a Frosh, but I just don't drool all over him like everyone else for some reason.

 

[sunsfn]

My overall point is this - Horford is the guy the Suns need to pick if they land the #4... if they get a #7-10, then Conley is the guy. Those are the two largest needs for the Suns - rebounding/defense and backup PG.

TucsonDevil,

I certainly agree with your idea with the #4 pick.

But, the suns are not going to draft a backup point guard on #7-10, no matter who is avaliable!
They have the MVP at the point on this team and he plays big minutes. The backup right now is Barbosa and he is getting big minutes and next year will be even better than this year.
The suns need a VETERAN backup point guard that will play just about 5-10 minutes a game if needed. They do not want a young star to be right now. He would not get enough minutes to make the mistakes a young point guard would make on this team. The suns are trying to win a championship and training a Point guard to run the team is not what they want to do for the next couple years.
They had a great chance last year to draft a point guard on both of their picks and did not. They want someone that can contribute and be a future all-star on the Atlanta pick, and then if they keep the 24th pick they will draft the best player available which will probably be a sg/sf swing man that can shoot.