Dragan Bender

[1Sun]

Geez, they didn't choose Bender over Chriss. They got rid of Chriss because he was predicted to be a bad fit with Ayton. Theoretically, Bender should be a much better fit with Ayton than Chriss. I don't think any of the Suns front office are lamenting they got rid of Chriss and not Bender.

Since at this point it looks like we're destined to tank again, let's look forward to Zion Williamson at power forward (hopefully selected by a different GM).

 

[sunsfan88]

Since at this point it looks like we're destined to tank again, let's look forward to Zion Williamson at power forward (hopefully selected by a different GM).

What? Based on what we’ve seen thus far in pre season without our best player playing, you think we’re headed for another tank season?

 

[gimpy]

Don't ever use that word on here again. It's filth to my ears.

 

[Superbone]

The thing to focus on isn't the indulgence of being patient with Bender, but the foolishness of throwing Chriss away first.

Nah. Waste of time. The order in which you throw out junk is meaningless.

 

[BC867]

Since at this point it looks like we're destined to tank again, let's look forward to Zion Williamson at power forward (hopefully selected by a different GM).

Destined to tank again? Are you serious? With a nucleus of Booker and Ayton. And Jackson. What coach in his right mind would lead his players to the worst record in the league with the Suns horrible track record before he took over? Even with a deficiency at Point Guard and a need at Power Forward.

 

[Mainstreet]

What is sad, the Suns do not have young players already in place and ready to start at the point guard and power forward positions. The Suns shouldn't have two holes in their rebuild at this point. One hole might be forgivable but not two.

 

[BC867]

What is sad, the Suns do not have young players already in place and ready to start at the point guard and power forward positions. The Suns shouldn't have two holes in their rebuild at this point. One hole might be forgivable but not two.

I agree. That clearly highlights the folly of turning the team over to an inexperienced General Manager learning (???) on the job. You get what you pay for.

 

[Mainstreet]

I agree. That clearly highlights the folly of turning the team over to an inexperienced General Manager learning (???) on the job. You get what you pay for.

I will give McDonough this season. No more free passes or drafts if the Suns do not show significant improvement this season. The 2016 draft was a disaster.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

Yeah i wish somebody would compile a list of all the moves mcdonough has made. If he didnt get lucky with Book (word was he was trying to trade up for Kaminsky), he would have not one good thing...
The next closest i could think of would be TJ warren

 

[SirStefan32]

Yeah i wish somebody would compile a list of all the moves mcdonough has made. If he didnt get lucky with Book (word was he was trying to trade up for Kaminsky), he would have not one good thing...
The next closest i could think of would be TJ warren

Jackson, Ayton when it comes to draft, he got picks for Dragic and Morris, signed IT to a good deal, though that backfired, as did trading for Bledsoe.

 

[elindholm]

Geez, they didn't choose Bender over Chriss. They got rid of Chriss because he was predicted to be a bad fit with Ayton.

I hope you're wrong, because if that's really the reason, the front office is even stupider than I thought. No team should want only a single competent interior threat on its roster. For example, the Pelicans just handed out a nice contract to Julius Randle even though they have Anthony Davis.

Theoretically, Bender should be a much better fit with Ayton than Chriss.

That assumes that Bender has some intrinsic potential to be a better perimeter shooter than Chriss. They were both equally bad, and there's no reason to expect that one would be more likely to get good. Take away Bender's "theoretical" advantage on the perimeter, and there is zero reason to think that he'd be a better fit with Ayton.

I don't think any of the Suns front office are lamenting they got rid of Chriss and not Bender.

The only justification for that would be if they decided that Chriss's attitude was unsalvagable. And maybe it is, in which case, okay. But in terms of what they bring to the court, Chriss was the better option to retain, and it's not close.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I hope you're wrong, because if that's really the reason, the front office is even stupider than I thought. No team should want only a single competent interior threat on its roster. For example, the Pelicans just handed out a big contract to Julius Randle even though they have Anthony Davis.



That assumes that Bender has some intrinsic potential to be a better perimeter shooter than Chriss. They were both equally bad, and there's no reason to expect that one would be more likely to get good. Take away Bender's "theoretical" advantage on the perimeter, and there is zero reason to think that he'd be a better fit with Ayton.



The only justification for that would be if they decided that Chriss's attitude was unsalvagable. And maybe it is, in which case, okay. But in terms of what they bring to the court, Chriss was the better option to retain, and it's not close.

agree on all of the above.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah i wish somebody would compile a list of all the moves mcdonough has made. If he didnt get lucky with Book (word was he was trying to trade up for Kaminsky),

oh my lord... where did you hear that?

 

[1Sun]

oh my lord... where did you hear that?

I remember that being reported heading into and during that draft as well, and I recall being relieved when it didn't happen but still concerned that they might do a post-pick swap of Booker and Kaminsky. Once Charlotte selected Kaminsky, the reports were that McDonough had his heart set on whichever of Myles Turner and Trey Lyles made it to the Suns pick. When Turner went to the Pacers, it was reported that Lyles would be the pick if he made it past the Jazz. Thankfully, he didn't.

 

[95pro]

I said it before...Bender bad. Chriss better.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yeah i wish somebody would compile a list of all the moves mcdonough has made. If he didnt get lucky with Book (word was he was trying to trade up for Kaminsky), he would have not one good thing...
The next closest i could think of would be TJ warren

He's done good things and bad things, it's tough to say which side best describes his tenure. But, sad to say, the primary reason he still has a job, IMO, is not because of Booker. It's because he didn't screw up with absurd salaries when the TV contract came into being. Sarver wants to win but, most importantly, Sarver needs the team to not leak money. Ryan was smart AND got lucky with the timing of the big money TV deal, otherwise he'd have been out the door a couple of seasons ago.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I said it before...Bender bad. Chriss better.

I'd say...Chriss bad, Bender much worse.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I remember that being reported heading into and during that draft as well, and I recall being relieved when it didn't happen but still concerned that they might do a post-pick swap of Booker and Kaminsky. Once Charlotte selected Kaminsky, the reports were that McDonough had his heart set on whichever of Myles Turner and Trey Lyles made it to the Suns pick. When Turner went to the Pacers, it was reported that Lyles would be the pick if he made it past the Jazz. Thankfully, he didn't.

IMO you're being overly generous with your use of the word "reported". In today's world, that often means "rumored" or "speculated" or even just "clickbait". Since Ryan is extremely tight lipped, I'd give zero credibility to sites or sources that are supposedly ''reporting" pre-draft information.

That aside, I also remember it being mentioned and thought it was a good idea at the time. We desperately needed a Frye replacement and he looked like the best bet. I never saw Booker coming. Not as our pick nor as a future star. But we have no idea what the front office was actually planning.

 

[Mainstreet]

IIRC, I had my eyes set on Myle Turner or Trey Lyles. I'm not sure many thought Devin Booker would be this good.

 

[1Sun]

IIRC, I had my eyes set on Myle Turner or Trey Lyles. I'm not sure many thought Devin Booker would be this good.

I didn't think Booker would be this good so much as I thought Kaminsky and Lyles were destined to be busts.

 

[Mainstreet]

I didn't think Booker would be this good so much as I thought Kaminsky and Lyles were destined to be busts.

I definitely didn't want the Suns to draft Kaminsky. The Hornets drafting him was a blessing. However, I liked what I knew about Lyles.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I definitely didn't want the Suns to draft Kaminsky. The Hornets drafting him was a blessing. However, I liked what I knew about Lyles.

I really wanted Myles Turner until someone posted some medical concerns about his legs and the way he was forced to run. Then, I switched to Portis as my dream target. I was also comfortable with the idea of making a move for Kaminsky. As I recall, the first poster I heard pushing for Booker was Chris Sanders. Anyway, it would have been a bad draft that year had I been running it. But OTOH, a year later I wouldn't have touched Chriss and I was totally ignorant on Bender so I probably would have avoided that mess too.

 

[Errntknght]

I wasn't following the draft when Booker was selected. I figured McD drafted him because he was a Kentucky guard. I think he was the teams sixth man... who was their two guard playing ahead of him, or is he long forgotten?

 

[SirStefan32]

I wasn't following the draft when Booker was selected. I figured McD drafted him because he was a Kentucky guard. I think he was the teams sixth man... who was their two guard playing ahead of him, or is he long forgotten?

Harrison twins were starters, no?

 

[AzStevenCal]

I wasn't following the draft when Booker was selected. I figured McD drafted him because he was a Kentucky guard. I think he was the teams sixth man... who was their two guard playing ahead of him, or is he long forgotten?

Although it's often reported that way, he wasn't really their 6th man. Calipari had too much talent for 5 starters so he opted to run two squads out there. I think one of the Harrison brothers, as a returning player, manned the 2 spot for the vets and Booker came in with the other platoon.