How Great is the 2017 draft class?

[Mainstreet]

Tatum just dropped 25 vs Louisville.... his ceiling is paul george. I'm just hoping we don't fall below the 6 or 7 range to get him, issac or monk.

I'm hoping the Suns do not draft a guard outside the number 1-2 slots. Tatum would be fine. I like the potential of Isaac as well.

Anyone watch Zach Collins. I like the idea of a player that can play both PF/center. I like what I have read about him on DraftExpress. He could fill a couple of needs for the Suns if Len leaves.

 

[JCSunsfan]

There is something that concerns me about Isaac. He does not seem really flexible in his knees. He lifts his legs high when he runs rather than the shuffle that makes Booker so cat-like. He sort of pounds the floor with his feet when he runs and when he jumps he lands rather stiff legged. I just think that guy is going to have knee problems throughout his career.

 

[Russ Smith]

Fultz officially declared for the draft today.

 

[hsandhu]

I'm watching duke and Carolina right now, you can see glimpse of harry giles getting the bounce and fluidity back, his predraft workouts 3 months from now will be intersting

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm watching duke and Carolina right now, you can see glimpse of harry giles getting the bounce and fluidity back, his predraft workouts 3 months from now will be intersting

Apparently, the key is to not get a double digit lead of Duke, they're deadly when that happens. Giles is taking longer than hoped but you're right, there are glimpses now and then of the player he could once again be.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'd still be very happy if we came out of this draft with Lauri Markkanen. And I wouldn't be against trading one or more of our Miami picks to grab Trier in the teens and Chris Boucher with a late first round pick. There's talent all around but this is not a bad year to go all in on Pac 12 players, even maybe someone like Derrick White with a second round pick or Dillon Brooks with a late first rounder.

 

[slinslin]

We draft too high for Markkanen and took Bender last year. I like Markkannen but don't know how we could pick him over Fultz, Tatum and Jackson considering we drafted Chriss and Bender. Also Lauri is so flat-footed defensively, tge anti-Bender in that regard. Overall I think he is better than Bender though but hard to say Bender can make huge physical improvements still, -markkanen looks physically advanced.

Our frontcourt would be stacked though but no way you can take Markkanen in the top 6. 7-10 is his range, he is unlikely to be a star.

Lonzo Ball looked pretty bad in the pac12 tournament imo.

I had Trier as a late first round steal last year so I am not surprised, still like him.

 

[AzStevenCal]

We draft too high for Markkanen and took Bender last year. I like Markkannen but don't know how we could pick him over Fultz, Tatum and Jackson considering we drafted Chriss and Bender. Also Lauri is so flat-footed defensively, tge anti-Bender in that regard. Overall I think he is better than Bender though but hard to say Bender can make huge physical improvements still, -markkanen looks physically advanced.

Our frontcourt would be stacked though but no way you can take Markkanen in the top 6. 7-10 is his range, he is unlikely to be a star.

Lonzo Ball looked pretty bad in the pac12 tournament imo.

I had Trier as a late first round steal last year so I am not surprised, still like him.

Not for those of us that consider him one of the top two players in this class. I like Chriss, I see potential in Bender but I'd give up both of those guys for Lauri with no second thoughts. And yeah, an injured Ball didn't look very good in one game.

 

[JustWinBaby]

If we draft Markkanen then we will not sign Len to a dumb contract, correct?

If that is the case, I am all in.

I was thinking we should go Josh Jackson but with Warren and the potential I see in Jones Jr., the best move might be a big. What about TJ Leaf?

I really like Bender and Chriss going forward adding Markkanen could provide lots of flexibility with Chandler as their teacher.

I don't know if is he up to it but why not Williams as our "Enforcer"? Watson suggests that we need one I think he might already be on the roster.

Let Len go sign with the Nets or the Euro league.

 

[GatorAZ]

Be careful judging Markkanen after a stellar performance vs Leaf and Welsh who play no D whatsoever. He hasn't been playing well recently.

Trier is definitely making himself some money.

 

[slinslin]

Not for those of us that consider him one of the top two players in this class. I like Chriss, I see potential in Bender but I'd give up both of those guys for Lauri with no second thoughts. And yeah, an injured Ball didn't look very good in one game.

No scout considers Markkanen a top 2 player.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Be careful judging Markkanen after a stellar performance vs Leaf and Welsh who play no D whatsoever. He hasn't been playing well recently.

Trier is definitely making himself some money.

That's far from true, he's been playing very well. He has been shooting horribly from distance for the last month or so until last night but he's been playing well. I see no reason to devalue his performance, Lauri had dead legs and was not the same player he had been until the team took some time off. They'd only played one game in the previous 12 days. It's not like he wasn't getting good looks all along, they just weren't falling.

I don't know if that extra rest will be enough to continue to "fix" him throughout the tourney but when he's not tired he's the best shooting big man, perhaps ever, at this level. I agree it's a risk taking him really high as he might turn out to be no more than a rich man's Channing Frye but I'd take that risk unless Ball fell to us first. That 20+Ortg he's sporting is very alluring considering the need for a space creating big man.

 

[AzStevenCal]

No scout considers Markkanen a top 2 player.

And you asked them all? We're idiots on a keyboard, we have no idea what scouts are really thinking especially at this time of the year. They might start talking seriously around measurement time but all these sources we rely on now are just serious fans offering up opinions.

 

[Russ Smith]

Be careful judging Markkanen after a stellar performance vs Leaf and Welsh who play no D whatsoever. He hasn't been playing well recently.

Trier is definitely making himself some money.

Welsh is a terrific defender just not on guys who can shoot the 3. People constantly misjudge Welsh UCLA fans are always screaming for Ike over Welsh for "rim protection" but the stats all say Welsh is a MUCH better defender than Ike is. Markkanen is a bad matchup for UCLA, he's too big for Leaf, and he's too good of a shooter for Welsh. UCLA's man was actually better than the zone last night, we outscored UA's starters and stayed even with them in man, it was when we went zone and UA had Comanche and PJC in that the game got away but UCLA had Ike and GG in at the time.

Agree that Trier is making himself some cash he's been terrific of late. I am glad Walton finally said on tv what many have been thinking all along, the PED story was just an excuse, and I seriously doubt NBA teams care, outside of Mayo has an NBA player been suspended for PED's?

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I'm really starting to think that Tatum is certainly going in the top 5. A strong showing in the NCAA tournament should seal the deal on that. He may even work his way into the top 3-4 range.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Jayson Tatum has improved all year long. He was incredibly impressive in the ACC tournament. I'm with SlinSlin on this one. Sold. The Suns need to get a top 4 pick.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jayson Tatum has improved all year long. He was incredibly impressive in the ACC tournament. I'm with SlinSlin on this one. Sold. The Suns need to get a top 4 pick.

The Suns can't keep playing .500 basketball if they want a top 4 pick. The 76ers and Magic are knocking on the door and the Suns have two games remaining with the Kings.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Yeah. We might need to get lucky with the lottery. That's always worked out well in the past...

 

[BleedRed]

Haven't seen him mentioned much, but the Bam kid from Kentucky is a beast. Reminds me of a young Dwight Howard, what are you guys thoughts on him? I think he's a lock to be a top 10 pick if he comes out.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Haven't seen him mentioned much, but the Bam kid from Kentucky is a beast. Reminds me of a young Dwight Howard, what are you guys thoughts on him? I think he's a lock to be a top 10 pick if he comes out.

Not sure I've seen him considered a top-10 pick in any mock draft I've come across, and I've come across far too many. DraftExpress has him at 27 and nbadraft.net has him at 17. Of course, all of that could easily change.

I haven't done a lot of research into Bam other than watching a few Kentucky games and some highlight videos, but my concern would be his feel for the game on offense. I love his defensive upside and he can be a beast down low, but his lack of versatility means he needs to be elite at what he does to be worth a top 10 pick in this draft.

I think he might be more Bismack Biyombo than Dwight Howard. The Suns could definitely use a player like that, but not with our high pick imho.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I really wanted to watch more of Josh Jackson for Kansas but they lost. Not sure how much it hurts these kids if their teams get knocked out early in tournaments. Tatum, with the Arizona players stocks have gone up in my blind eyes.

Suns need a big, someone good is coming to the Valley of the Sun

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

I really wanted to watch more of Josh Jackson for Kansas but they lost. Not sure how much it hurts these kids if their teams get knocked out early in tournaments. Tatum, with the Arizona players stocks have gone up in my blind eyes.

Suns need a big, someone good is coming to the Valley of the Sun

It shouldn't hurt too much. I think we all tend to react to recency bias more than the professionals who choose where the players get drafted.

In Jackson's case, it might have helped his stock. He was suspended one game and his team, which has been elite all year, lost to an inferior opponent. Of course, the character concerns that stem from the suspension can't help.

I will definitely agree that Tatum and Trier have seen their stocks go up though.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'm really starting to think that Tatum is certainly going in the top 5. A strong showing in the NCAA tournament should seal the deal on that. He may even work his way into the top 3-4 range.

He was terrific the last 5 minutes that's for sure.

 

[Russ Smith]

Haven't seen him mentioned much, but the Bam kid from Kentucky is a beast. Reminds me of a young Dwight Howard, what are you guys thoughts on him? I think he's a lock to be a top 10 pick if he comes out.

He's a bit undersized and can't face up and shoot but yeah big strong kid. His stock has fallen this year at UK.

 

[Mainstreet]

It's worth a visit to DraftExpress to see their new mock draft layout.

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

I really like it.