high draft picks in Suns history

[JCSunsfan]

It seems like I have to go through this every time. There's no message or conclusion behind the list. It's just a set of facts. Make of them what you will.

Right. Not arguing with you. Just making of the facts what I will.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I learned something about myself going over this thread. I read the whole thing and twice I read a post and thought - he thinks just like me. Both times I looked at the poster and I was the poster. So right or wrong I think the same way consistently.

AND you have early onset Alzheimers.

 

[Errntknght]

AND you have early onset Alzheimers.

What do you mean, early onset... I'm a few weeks away from being an octogenarian...

 

[BC867]

What do you mean, early onset... I'm a few weeks away from being an octogenarian...

Wow, I thought I was the oldest. I am about three years behind you. Didja ever realize that Alzheimers and old-timers sound so much alike?

 

[elindholm]

Now that it's official, the 2018 update:

#1 overall
Joe Barry Carroll (drafted 1980)
Danny Manning (1988)
Shaquille O'Neal (1992)
Deandre Ayton (2018)

#2 overall
Wayman Tisdale (1985)
Armon Gilliam (1987)
Jason Kidd (1994)
Antonio McDyess (1995)
Stromile Swift (2000)
Tyson Chandler (2001)
Michael Beasley (2008)

#3 overall
Penny Hardaway (1993)
Grant Hill (1994)

#4 overall
Alvan Adams (1974)
Xavier McDaniel (1985)
Dennis Scott (1990)
Jim Jackson (1992)
Stephon Marbury (1996)
Wesley Johnson (2010)
Dragan Bender (2016)
Josh Jackson (2017)

#5 overall
Walter Davis (1977)
Charles Barkley (1984)
Vince Carter (1998)
Jason Richardson (2001)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili (2002)
Alex Len (2013)

 

[Yuma]

Inury really cut Manning's career short. He could have been an Ayton. People forget he really was a very good player, heading to great player. That's what scares me with Ayton. Just stay healthy big guy!!!

 

[Bobster]

Since 1966 (when the territorial draft was eliminated) you can add -

1967 #3 - Clem Haskins
1969 #2 - NEAL WALK
1972 #4 - CORKY CALHOUN
1974 #4 - JOHN SHUMATE
1978 #3 - Rick Robey

Suns' draft choices in CAPS.

 

[elindholm]

I never added Rubio to this list! Thanks to Bobster for the others.
Updated to include Chris Paul (#4, 2005)

#1 overall
Joe Barry Carroll (drafted 1980)
Danny Manning (1988)
Shaquille O'Neal (1992)
Deandre Ayton (2018)

#2 overall
Neal Walk (1969)
Wayman Tisdale (1985)
Armon Gilliam (1987)
Jason Kidd (1994)
Antonio McDyess (1995)
Stromile Swift (2000)
Tyson Chandler (2001)
Michael Beasley (2008)

#3 overall
Clem Haskins (1967)
Rick Robey (1978)
Penny Hardaway (1993)
Grant Hill (1994)

#4 overall
Corky Calhoun (1972)
John Shumate (1974)
Alvan Adams (1975)
Xavier McDaniel (1985)
Dennis Scott (1990)
Jim Jackson (1992)
Stephon Marbury (1996)
Chris Paul (2005)
Wesley Johnson (2010)
Dragan Bender (2016)
Josh Jackson (2017)

#5 overall
Walter Davis (1977)
Charles Barkley (1984)
Vince Carter (1998)
Jason Richardson (2001)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili (2002)
Ricky Rubio (2009)
Alex Len (2013)

 

[elindholm]

Apparently this thread is too old to be editable. Updated to include Durant.

Since someone always asks, these are high-drafted players who, at some point, were on the Suns. They are not (most of them) players that the Suns drafted. That would be a different list.

#1 overall
Joe Barry Carroll (drafted 1980)
Danny Manning (1988)
Shaquille O'Neal (1992)
Deandre Ayton (2018)

#2 overall
Neal Walk (1969)
Wayman Tisdale (1985)
Armon Gilliam (1987)
Jason Kidd (1994)
Antonio McDyess (1995)
Stromile Swift (2000)
Tyson Chandler (2001)
Kevin Durant (2007)
Michael Beasley (2008)

#3 overall
Clem Haskins (1967)
Rick Robey (1978)
Penny Hardaway (1993)
Grant Hill (1994)

#4 overall
Corky Calhoun (1972)
John Shumate (1974)
Alvan Adams (1975)
Xavier McDaniel (1985)
Dennis Scott (1990)
Jim Jackson (1992)
Stephon Marbury (1996)
Chris Paul (2005)
Wesley Johnson (2010)
Dragan Bender (2016)
Josh Jackson (2017)

#5 overall
Walter Davis (1977)
Charles Barkley (1984)
Vince Carter (1998)
Jason Richardson (2001)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili (2002)
Ricky Rubio (2009)
Alex Len (2013)

 

[elindholm]

Updated to include Beal.

Since someone always asks, these are high-drafted players who, at some point, were on the Suns. They are not (most of them) players that the Suns drafted. That would be a different list.

#1 overall
Joe Barry Carroll (drafted 1980)
Danny Manning (1988)
Shaquille O'Neal (1992)
Deandre Ayton (2018)

#2 overall
Neal Walk (1969)
Wayman Tisdale (1985)
Armon Gilliam (1987)
Jason Kidd (1994)
Antonio McDyess (1995)
Stromile Swift (2000)
Tyson Chandler (2001)
Kevin Durant (2007)
Michael Beasley (2008)

#3 overall
Clem Haskins (1967)
Rick Robey (1978)
Penny Hardaway (1993)
Grant Hill (1994)
Bradley Beal (2012)

#4 overall
Corky Calhoun (1972)
John Shumate (1974)
Alvan Adams (1975)
Xavier McDaniel (1985)
Dennis Scott (1990)
Jim Jackson (1992)
Stephon Marbury (1996)
Chris Paul (2005)
Wesley Johnson (2010)
Dragan Bender (2016)
Josh Jackson (2017)

#5 overall
Walter Davis (1977)
Charles Barkley (1984)
Vince Carter (1998)
Jason Richardson (2001)
Nikoloz Tskitishvili (2002)
Ricky Rubio (2009)
Alex Len (2013)

 

[Yuma]

Wow! Corky Calhoun was #4 overall. I would have NEVER guessed that!

 

[Bobster]

Picks by Suns - next three picks

1 - Deandre Ayton (2018) - M.Bagley, L.Doncic, J.Jackson
2 - Neal Walk (1969) - L.Allen, T.Driscoll, L.Cannon
2 - Armon Gilliam (1987) - D.Hopson, R.Williams, S.Pippen
4 - Corky Calhoun (1972) - F.Boyd, R.Lee, B.Stallworth
4 - John Shumate (1974) - B.Jones, S.Wedman, T.Henderson
4 - Alvan Adams (1975) - D.Dawkins, L.Hollins, R.Kelley
4 - Dragan Bender (2016) - K.Dunn, B.Hield, J.Murray
4 - Josh Jackson (2017) - D.Fox, J. Isaac, L. Markkanen
5 - Walter Davis (1977) - K. Carr, B.King, J.Sikma
5 - Alex Len (2013) - N.Noel, B.McLemore, K. Caldwell-Pope

Best Picks - Davis, Adams
Worst Picks - Jackson, Bender

I would have included Calhoun among the worst because Paul Westphal and Julius Erving went later in the round, but Erving had already signed with the ABA and Westphal was coming off a knee injury in college. Plus, Calhoun wasn't terrible like Bender and Jackson were. People will point to Giannis being selected after Len, but he was a late first round pick that nobody was considering at the top of the draft.

 

[Yuma]

Picks by Suns - next three picks

1 - Deandre Ayton (2018) - M.Bagley, L.Doncic, J.Jackson
2 - Neal Walk (1969) - L.Allen, T.Driscoll, L.Cannon
2 - Armon Gilliam (1987) - D.Hopson, R.Williams, S.Pippen
4 - Corky Calhoun (1972) - F.Boyd, R.Lee, B.Stallworth
4 - John Shumate (1974) - B.Jones, S.Wedman, T.Henderson
4 - Alvan Adams (1975) - D.Dawkins, L.Hollins, R.Kelley
4 - Dragan Bender (2016) - K.Dunn, B.Hield, J.Murray
4 - Josh Jackson (2017) - D.Fox, J. Isaac, L. Markkanen
5 - Walter Davis (1977) - K. Carr, B.King, J.Sikma
5 - Alex Len (2013) - N.Noel, B.McLemore, K. Caldwell-Pope

Best Picks - Davis, Adams
Worst Picks - Jackson, Bender

I would have included Calhoun among the worst because Paul Westphal and Julius Erving went later in the round, but Erving had already signed with the ABA and Westphal was coming off a knee injury in college. Plus, Calhoun wasn't terrible like Bender and Jackson were. People will point to Giannis being selected after Len, but he was a late first round pick that nobody was considering at the top of the draft.

I remember him playing. He was serviceable. Was a dirt worker. I would have never guessed he went third overall. He wasn't actually a bad player. Obviously NOT a Julius Erving, or Paul Westphal.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Wow. EK and BC posts on this thread. I wonder if those guys are still kickin'.

 

[Phrazbit]

Wow. EK and BC posts on this thread. I wonder if those guys are still kickin'.

I stumbled across an Errntknght post recently and wondered "where has that guy been", and was sad to see his last few posts seemed to be a genuine 'see you on the other side'. Always seemed like a chill guy, hope he recovered and just moved beyond the silliness of internet debates.

BC, I hope he is still kickin, he said his eye sight was getting too bad to keep up with the internet, so hopefully he is in a nursing home, nagging his staff on end about Alvin Adams being too small and the Suns need to draft a real powerful big. I didn't agree with his grievances often but I never doubted that he was a die hard fan.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I stumbled across an Errntknght post recently and wondered "where has that guy been", and was sad to see his last few posts seemed to be a genuine 'see you on the other side'. Always seemed like a chill guy, hope he recovered and just moved beyond the silliness of internet debates.

BC, I hope he is still kickin, he said his eye sight was getting too bad to keep up with the internet, so hopefully he is in a nursing home, nagging his staff on end about Alvin Adams being too small and the Suns need to draft a real powerful big. I didn't agree with his grievances often but I never doubted that he was a die hard fan.

I have been posting on this board for 21 years. Hard to believe.

 

[Mainstreet]

IMO, relationships are frequently more important than who is right in a discussion.

We could all do well to remember this. Lots of posters are no longer with us.

 

[SeattleCardinal]

#2 overall
Wayman Tisdale (1985)
Armon Gilliam (1987)
Jason Kidd (1994)
Antonio McDyess (1995)
Stromile Swift (2000)
Tyson Chandler (2001)
Michael Beasley (2008)

Man, those two will always be linked together in my mind. Suns fans who are over, say, 40 will remember the fiasco when Kidd, Rex Chapman and others went to Denver in blizzard conditions to try and keep “Dice” on the Suns roster. A few years of Kidd and McDyess would have been fun.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Man, those two will always be linked together in my mind. Suns fans who are over, say, 40 will remember the fiasco when Kidd, Rex Chapman and others went to Denver in blizzard conditions to try and keep “Dice” on the Suns roster. A few years of Kidd and McDyess would have been fun.

Yup. And we were rumored to be a pippen destination as well. A kidd-Rex-pippen-mcdyess foursome would’ve been fun.