Draft grades

[sunsfan88]

14. Phoenix Suns: T.J. Warren, North Carolina State, SG, 6-8, 215, So.
Jeff Eisenberg analysis: Since Syracuse, Duke and Virginia were the three strongest teams in the ACC last season, it's easy to forget that ACC player of the year honors didn't go to Tyler Ennis, Jabari Parker or Joe Harris. Instead, N.C. State forward T.J. Warren captured that award, making the transition from complementary scorer to go-to threat look absurdly easy. Warren led the ACC in scoring at 24.3 points per game and shot a league-best 53.2 percent from the field. He also closed the regular season with a pair of 40-plus-point outbursts against Pittsburgh and Boston College, becoming the first ACC player to put up back-to-back 40-point games since the 1956-57 season. Warren isn't a great long-range shooter and he's just an average defender, but the crafty 6-foot-8 forward should remain a formidable scorer at the NBA level because of his mid-range game and ability to score in the paint. Marc Spears' grade: C+.

18. Phoenix Suns (from Washington): Tyler Ennis, Syracuse, PG, 6-2, 182, Fr.
Jeff Eisenberg analysis: No point guard prospect displayed more control or composure this past season than Ennis, who excelled as a freshman. He averaged 12.7 points and tallied more than three times as many assists as turnovers for a team that made a run at an undefeated season deep into February before losing for the first time. The question facing Ennis is whether he's quick and athletic enough to thrive at a position that also includes the likes of Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Ennis will have to prove he can get past and guard NBA point guards. Marc Spears' grade: C.

27. Phoenix Suns: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), SG, 6-6, 200
Jeff Eisenberg's analysis:The man with the redundant name has intriguing skills. With a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Bogdanovic has excellent size for an NBA guard. His No. 1 asset is his perimeter shooting, though his shot selection can be maddening. He has good instincts defensively and his length allows him to get into the passing lanes and force turnovers. Bogdanovic has shown potential as a slasher and playmaker, suggesting he can handle some ball-handling duties down the road if he can improve his decision making and cut down his turnovers. There's a fair amount to like about his game but there's some doubt as to when he'll come over to the U.S. He could opt to sign with a bigger European team and stay there a few years. Marc Spears' grade: C.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/2014-nba-draft--first-round-grades-062427651.html

I think I'd give it a C overall right now. Obviously it will be years before we know how they pan out.

 

[Superbone]

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/draft/2014/06/27/20140626-draft-review-suns.nba//

 

[Superbone]

I'd give it a B right now but I think with time it could go up to an A or down to a C (or stay the same). For the range we drafted at I think we did really well and I believe we got the guys we targeted.

 

[Ronin]

I like the picks, so I'll give it a B-.

 

[SirStefan32]

Way too early to tell. I really like Superbone's approach, so I'll do the same thing- give them a B now, but reserve the right to upgrade to an A or downgrade to a C.

 

[Chaz]

For the picks they had to work with I think they did pretty well.

Some lament that they drafted 'role players' but most of the NBA is role players. Star players just aren't that easy to come by. Much of the success or failure of players is determined by the player and their willingness to work and accept coaching.

 

[BigRedRage]

6'2''? interesting.

 

[overseascardfan]

I give PHX a B+ because they took BPA and just so happened to fill 2 needs in the process, a SF who could replace Tucker and a capable back-up to Bledsoe / Dragic at PG.

I don't get why people had Hood rated higher than Warren, Hood can shoot and that is it. The guy cannot defend, rebound, or pass, whereas Warren can score (obviously averaging 24.9 ppg last year), rebound (particularly offensive rebounds) and is a capable defender (1.8 spg).

Ennis, whom I understand TOR is really trying to get PHX to trade him, I feel was the best PURE PG in the draft, the others are really combo guards which PHX already has.

The only way this draft could have gone better is if they could have swung a deal with SAC to get Vonleh at #8 after he slipped out of the Top 5 where he was projected to go. He will complement Jefferson really well on that CHA frontcourt.

Now all PHX has to do is find a starting PF as the Morris's are suited as role players / spot starters.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I gave them an A because I couldn't find an A+. Not because I think they did great but just because if I have to take a WAG it might as well make me happy. An F- might be just as likely but when you don't really know, why in the world would you vote for an F-? They didn't draft any of the players that I followed and liked and that left me a little disappointed. The good news, they also didn't draft any of the players I followed and disliked.

Steve

 

[ProdigalSun]

I gave them an A because I couldn't find an A+. Not because I think they did great but just because if I have to take a WAG it might as well make me happy. An F- might be just as likely but when you don't really know, why in the world would you vote for an F-? They didn't draft any of the players that I followed and liked and that left me a little disappointed. The good news, they also didn't draft any of the players I followed and disliked.

Steve

lol this is how I feel

 

[JS22]

I gave it a C because...who the hell knows how they are going to turn out?

 

[devilalum]

I gave it a C not because of the players they chose but because they failed to trade at least one pick for a future pick or make a big deal. McDonough has been saying for months that he didn't want to draft 3 rookies, that he wanted to trade for a star or future first and he didn't get it done. I know if nobody is willing to deal they had to be ready to draft 3 players but they've created a problem. The Suns now have something like 8 players under 22 years of age. that is not part of the formula for winning a championship.

 

[devilalum]

Everything I read about Warren screams Ced Ceballos.

 

[devilalum]

Everything I read about Warren screams Ced Ceballos.

This guy is Ced Ceballos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbv92HJOmhM

 

[CardsFan88]

After sleeping on it, and realizing a few things.

1. We had 4 picks, they just weren't 4 picks in places teams normally get good talent at a fair rate.

2. Every guy we got, is premium at something.

Explosive scorer and conference player of the year. Might be the best scorer in the draft. Could be a steal and end up one of the best players in the draft.

Floor general to the extreme. Steve Nash like point guard (in terms of point guard skills). Extreme Assist to TO ratio. Reportedly didn't turn the ball over in the last 5 minutes of any game this season (that's simply amazing for a point guard). Took an improbable team as floor general to an unbelievable record including having late undefeated record aspirations. In other words, a winner, and he was a big reason why. Clutch. Could be the best point guard in the draft, or a few others, and could end up a star, and obviously if that happens, a major steal.

A euro player with skills, does nothing perfect, but alot really well. Was at the draft, so I think he'll be in the NBA at some point. It's one thing to say you want to go the NBA from your home country, it's another to go to that other country to watch you potentially be drafted. As with any Euro player with skills, he could turn out to be a bust or a star.

A late pick who may turn out to be nothing. But something tells me that if you tied your conference's record in block shots, are over 7 feet, yet are an amazing shooter from the 3 PT line, you have a spot in the NBA. I didn't say it at the time, but like other posters, I too think he fits the Frye/Plumlee deep shooting bigs, and has the chance to be the best shooting one. Getting a better Frye with such a late pick, would be a steal. Could he become more, perhaps, but it's waaay to early for someone picked this low.

I don't know how it will turn out, but given where we picked, and the upside of all these guys, I have to give it an A, and obviously if they fail, we can downgrade.

Of course if we could of made trades, to move up, or to get a veteran star/near-star, some fans might have been happier, and the lack of doing so is being factored into their judgment. I'm just looking at it from the angle that we had a lot of picks, but they were all pretty low. Others liked some different prospects.

But we also must remember this might be the best draft in more then a decade, and if so, these picks with all their upside, might

I think we added a ton of talent. A metric ton of talent. Let's see how it unfolds. We could of done alot worse.

The Lakers 1st pick is a guy who didn't make anything but a layup the last half of the year or so, and shot 17 percent on his jumpers. I don't think he's going to be messing up our draft pick next year, if anything, he may help cement it as pretty high.

 

[az jam]

I give it a B+, I like the players. Gives us nice depth.

 

[JCSunsfan]

After sleeping on it, and realizing a few things.

1. We had 4 picks, they just weren't 4 picks in places teams normally get good talent at a fair rate.

2. Every guy we got, is premium at something.

Explosive scorer and conference player of the year. Might be the best scorer in the draft. Could be a steal and end up one of the best players in the draft.

Floor general to the extreme. Steve Nash like point guard (in terms of point guard skills). Extreme Assist to TO ratio. Reportedly didn't turn the ball over in the last 5 minutes of any game this season (that's simply amazing for a point guard). Took an improbable team as floor general to an unbelievable record including having late undefeated record aspirations. In other words, a winner, and he was a big reason why. Clutch. Could be the best point guard in the draft, or a few others, and could end up a star, and obviously if that happens, a major steal.

A euro player with skills, does nothing perfect, but alot really well. Was at the draft, so I think he'll be in the NBA at some point. It's one thing to say you want to go the NBA from your home country, it's another to go to that other country to watch you potentially be drafted. As with any Euro player with skills, he could turn out to be a bust or a star.

A late pick who may turn out to be nothing. But something tells me that if you tied your conference's record in block shots, are over 7 feet, yet are an amazing shooter from the 3 PT line, you have a spot in the NBA. I didn't say it at the time, but like other posters, I too think he fits the Frye/Plumlee deep shooting bigs, and has the chance to be the best shooting one. Getting a better Frye with such a late pick, would be a steal. Could he become more, perhaps, but it's waaay to early for someone picked this low.

I don't know how it will turn out, but given where we picked, and the upside of all these guys, I have to give it an A, and obviously if they fail, we can downgrade.

Of course if we could of made trades, to move up, or to get a veteran star/near-star, some fans might have been happier, and the lack of doing so is being factored into their judgment. I'm just looking at it from the angle that we had a lot of picks, but they were all pretty low. Others liked some different prospects.

But we also must remember this might be the best draft in more then a decade, and if so, these picks with all their upside, might

I think we added a ton of talent. A metric ton of talent. Let's see how it unfolds. We could of done alot worse.

The Lakers 1st pick is a guy who didn't make anything but a layup the last half of the year or so, and shot 17 percent on his jumpers. I don't think he's going to be messing up our draft pick next year, if anything, he may help cement it as pretty high.

I tend to think this way too. I also don't think it will be years to find out. TJ is nba ready right now, and I think we will know about him next year. He could very well be a ROY candidate because some of the other more highly regarded prospects are so young or injured.

Honestly, Ennis does give us something we lacked, and that is a pure pg. The option of playing him along side of Goran, Bledsoe, or even Green, is really intriguing. He is also probably worth a ton in trade value to Toronto. They really want him bad. The addition of TJ and Ennis probably makes Green expendable (you would want to make sure they can actually deliver before you trade him).

About Brown. To me its kind of too good to be true. There is so much to like about him, so there must be some draw back I am not seeing.

 

[sunsfan88]

Everyone keeps saying that we needed a pure PG. Well in that case why did we trade Marshall? He was a pure PG too. Hell he even had games with us where he put up a ton of assists.

 

[KloD]

Everyone keeps saying that we needed a pure PG. Well in that case why did we trade Marshall? He was a pure PG too. Hell he even had games with us where he put up a ton of assists.

Maybe because Marshall is a complete annoying d-bag. I don't think it only had to do with his lack of game, I think he didn't fit in the locker room.

 

[KloD]

I'm not sure how to grade this draft? I thought after sleeping on it I'd lean one way or the other, but I'm neither excited, nor disappointed in their picks. I am disappointed that no trades went down, but I'm sure it's not a for lack of effort. McD kind of put himself in an unfair position after last summers trades. Expectations are high and after several years of disappointment, I expected something. Obviously this is early in the offseason and so much can happen, but I need to remember that if nothing more does it's not necessarily because he didn't try. I'll just wait to see what happens with these guys in their development or lack of and keep putting my trust that this staff knows what their doing.

 

[Errntknght]

Too bad we didn't have the 51st pick as well, we could have gotten Giannis Antetokoumnpo's younger bro. Would have had to give that an A! As it was I give them a B, based on the comments of others and some optimism.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Everyone keeps saying that we needed a pure PG. Well in that case why did we trade Marshall? He was a pure PG too. Hell he even had games with us where he put up a ton of assists.

Marshall was a pure passer, but not a pure pg. He did not do very well at protecting the ball, he was a more than poor shooter, and a horrible defender. While Ennis isn't a sharpshooter, he is a passable shooter, and a pretty decent defender at least in the passing lanes etc. He is also absolutely ice-cold in his ability to focus in crunch time. I heard someone saying that he did not have a turnover in the last 5 minutes of any game this season (I cannot verify that). So, the idea is that Ennis is just a much much better version of Marshall.

Who knows, he was the 18th pick.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading the Ish Smith position and getting insurance for Goran and Eric in case something unforseen happens in free agency or with a trade opportunity.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'm not sure how to grade this draft? I thought after sleeping on it I'd lean one way or the other, but I'm neither excited, nor disappointed in their picks. .

I remember feeling like this when the Suns drafted Steve Nash. Danny Ainge stood in front of the crowd and called Steve the "safe pick." That sounded a bit nauseating to me.

Its funny how things change with time.

 

[splitsecond]

I gave it a C, would have been a B+ but Ennis was a poor choice. Almost Kendall Marshall bad.

 

[elindholm]

One thing this episode should reinforce is that mid-first round picks really don't have that much value, even in an allegedly deep draft. We were told that the Suns were trying to make a deal, and there's good reason to believe that they were -- yet apparently no one was all that interested in what the Suns had available.

The same is true for the players already on the roster. Having a cadre of interchangeable 7th-through-10th men is good for depth and insurance, but is worth very little in the trade market. The Suns are going to have to make their own magic in free agency, rather than expect anyone to trade them a dollar bill for a sockful of small change.