Ja, Anyone?

AsUdUdE

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Jun 24, 2005
Posts
3,375
Reaction score
44
Trading the first pick in this draft would be a monumental disaster of epic proportions.

EDIT: After careful consideration, I would potentially be open to trading Zion if the Pelicans get the #2 pick and throw in Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, 8 future first rounders, a definitive cure to cancer, and a working clone of 1993 Michael Jordan. The Pelicans would have to add some cash considerations too, of course.

buhahaha... ok fair enough, I certainly don't want to die on this mountain
 

ColdPickleNachos

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Posts
2,578
Reaction score
1,659
That's a cool highlight, but most NBA players don't take three seconds to load up a corner three.

FWIW that's Virginia's best player, a potential lottery prospect, shooting. Mainly, I'm good friends with that other poster in real life and wanted to convey to him that he had figuratively gotten his shot blocked.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
36,872
Reaction score
16,682
FWIW that's Virginia's best player, a potential lottery prospect, shooting. Mainly, I'm good friends with that other poster in real life and wanted to convey to him that he had figuratively gotten his shot blocked.

This isn't real life? If so, that would call into question whether I actually have a life.

It was a bad pass which helped set up the block but still, that was a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.
 

Errntknght

Registered User
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Posts
6,342
Reaction score
319
Location
Phoenix
Unless Ja shows well against some stronger teams down the stretch, I'd go for a PF. Heck John Collins was picked in the 20's recently. The odds are there is someone who is a decent prospect at that position. Put the assistant coaches to work searching for him, if we have no actual scouts. They should do at least as well as we would. The odds are whoever they found would be available at our pick (2-5)
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
Unless Ja shows well against some stronger teams down the stretch, I'd go for a PF. Heck John Collins was picked in the 20's recently. The odds are there is someone who is a decent prospect at that position. Put the assistant coaches to work searching for him, if we have no actual scouts. They should do at least as well as we would. The odds are whoever they found would be available at our pick (2-5)

I concur. We need a veteran point guard, not another long term project.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
36,872
Reaction score
16,682
Unless Ja shows well against some stronger teams down the stretch, I'd go for a PF. Heck John Collins was picked in the 20's recently. The odds are there is someone who is a decent prospect at that position. Put the assistant coaches to work searching for him, if we have no actual scouts. They should do at least as well as we would. The odds are whoever they found would be available at our pick (2-5)

To be fair though, that was a very strong and deep draft. I liked Collins a lot and mentioned him during the college season but for some reason he was never considered a top prospect. I don't see anyone like him right now but hopefully a few will come to light during the tournament.
 

ColdPickleNachos

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Posts
2,578
Reaction score
1,659
Unless Ja shows well against some stronger teams down the stretch, I'd go for a PF. Heck John Collins was picked in the 20's recently. The odds are there is someone who is a decent prospect at that position. Put the assistant coaches to work searching for him, if we have no actual scouts. They should do at least as well as we would. The odds are whoever they found would be available at our pick (2-5)

And we can trade up...for a second top 10 pick...and draft the top TWO power forward prospects just to make sure. What could possibly go wrong? :)

If we don't luck out in the lottery, that pick may be our ticket to the veteran pf or pg we need. I wouldn't reach for position though...Most of the power forwards in this draft are tweener sf types or rim-runner types that would do nothing to solve our issues.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,599
Reaction score
12,819
Location
Tempe, AZ
No. Zion has LeBron like potential. It would be insane to take morant over him.

I don’t like these threads though. There is less than a 30 percent chance the suns get a top 2 pick.

Other than Zion going #1 there really isn't a lock to go #2. This isn't a 2 player draft where there are 2 prospects talked about going #1 like Ingram or Simmons or even Ayton or Doncic. I think there are a few teams that would pass on Morant because they already have a PG, Atlanta with Trae Young and Cleveland with Colin Sexton. There are other good prospects they could take like Barrett and Reddish, who are both wings, that make no sense for the Suns but do for teams like Atlanta and Cleveland if they land the #2 pick. It wouldn't surprise me if Ja fell to #4 or maybe even #5 so what's the issue with a thread discussing someone that may be available where we pick? Unlike Zion we won't need a whole lot of lottery luck to grab him either.
 

Errntknght

Registered User
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Posts
6,342
Reaction score
319
Location
Phoenix
And we can trade up...for a second top 10 pick...and draft the top TWO power forward prospects just to make sure. What could possibly go wrong? :)

If we don't luck out in the lottery, that pick may be our ticket to the veteran pf or pg we need. I wouldn't reach for position though...Most of the power forwards in this draft are tweener sf types or rim-runner types that would do nothing to solve our issues.

I have never bought into the idea that drafting just one of Chriss and Bender would have been a winning strategy. Now drafting zero of them would have been a smart move. Anyway give me two picks instead of one and I'll live with the occasional freakish result where they somehow cancel each other out.

I have no problem using the pick to acquire some more established PG or PF, if such an opportunity arose - and it well might. Now if Minny offered Tyus Jones for our pick before the lottery, that would be a tough decision. (A no brainer if you don't like Tyus, of course)
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
I have never bought into the idea that drafting just one of Chriss and Bender would have been a winning strategy. Now drafting zero of them would have been a smart move. Anyway give me two picks instead of one and I'll live with the occasional freakish result where they somehow cancel each other out.

I have no problem using the pick to acquire some more established PG or PF, if such an opportunity arose - and it well might. Now if Minny offered Tyus Jones for our pick before the lottery, that would be a tough decision. (A no brainer if you don't like Tyus, of course)

I would take Tyus Jones over Ja Morant and not think twice.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
36,872
Reaction score
16,682
I have never bought into the idea that drafting just one of Chriss and Bender would have been a winning strategy. Now drafting zero of them would have been a smart move. Anyway give me two picks instead of one and I'll live with the occasional freakish result where they somehow cancel each other out.

I have no problem using the pick to acquire some more established PG or PF, if such an opportunity arose - and it well might. Now if Minny offered Tyus Jones for our pick before the lottery, that would be a tough decision. (A no brainer if you don't like Tyus, of course)

I agree, our problem was not that we drafted two combo bigs. It's that we drafted the wrong 2 combo bigs. I called them bigs because I'm still not sure what position either of them should have played.
 

ColdPickleNachos

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Posts
2,578
Reaction score
1,659
I agree, our problem was not that we drafted two combo bigs. It's that we drafted the wrong 2 combo bigs. I called them bigs because I'm still not sure what position either of them should have played.

I just don't see a power forward in this draft who solves our needs at all.

You've got the Reddish/Hachimura/Okpala/Little/Hunter types who are basically wings. We have way too many of those already.

You've got the Hayes/Fernando/Bassey/Gafford types who are all raw, big reaches, and likely bad fits next to Ayton.

The only guys who project to potentially rebound at a high level and space the floor at the 4 are Bol and Doumbaya...who may be the two rawest prospects in the entire draft.

I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick. Maybe they luck out...but they would have to do so with a huge reach in the top 6 or 7 picks.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,599
Reaction score
12,819
Location
Tempe, AZ
I just don't see a power forward in this draft who solves our needs at all.

You've got the Reddish/Hachimura/Okpala/Little/Hunter types who are basically wings. We have way too many of those already.

You've got the Hayes/Fernando/Bassey/Gafford types who are all raw, big reaches, and likely bad fits next to Ayton.

The only guys who project to potentially rebound at a high level and space the floor at the 4 are Bol and Doumbaya...who may be the two rawest prospects in the entire draft.

I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick. Maybe they luck out...but they would have to do so with a huge reach in the top 6 or 7 picks.

If Morant and Zion are off the board I think we need to call Chicago and try use our pick to get Lauri Markkannen. I'd throw in the Bucks pick as well. They're young and don't know what they're doing right now, at least by the looks of it. Lauri next to Ayton should work. It would offensively, I'm not sure about defensively but it's worth gambling on.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
22,115
Reaction score
6,551
I just don't see a power forward in this draft who solves our needs at all.

You've got the Reddish/Hachimura/Okpala/Little/Hunter types who are basically wings. We have way too many of those already.

You've got the Hayes/Fernando/Bassey/Gafford types who are all raw, big reaches, and likely bad fits next to Ayton.

The only guys who project to potentially rebound at a high level and space the floor at the 4 are Bol and Doumbaya...who may be the two rawest prospects in the entire draft.

I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick. Maybe they luck out...but they would have to do so with a huge reach in the top 6 or 7 picks.
Um. Zion?
 

ColdPickleNachos

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Posts
2,578
Reaction score
1,659
Um. Zion?

"I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick."

I said it correctly in the last paragraph.

Bad topic sentence on my part.
 

ColdPickleNachos

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Posts
2,578
Reaction score
1,659
If Morant and Zion are off the board I think we need to call Chicago and try use our pick to get Lauri Markkannen. I'd throw in the Bucks pick as well. They're young and don't know what they're doing right now, at least by the looks of it. Lauri next to Ayton should work. It would offensively, I'm not sure about defensively but it's worth gambling on.

That might work if we get the #3 pick or someone else emerges. I could see them trading Lauri for Barrett, but right now I think they'd value him much more highly than anyone past the top 3.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
36,872
Reaction score
16,682
I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick. Maybe they luck out...but they would have to do so with a huge reach in the top 6 or 7 picks.

I don't either but I want to see what comes out of postseason play before I write it off completely.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,599
Reaction score
12,819
Location
Tempe, AZ
Another angle:

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

That angle is more impressive, IMO. You see how high he gets from that side and also just how far he jumped. I wish it showed where he came down though. It looks like he was coming down out of bounds, which is crazy. That's at least 12 feet, maybe more? And that happened with Duke up 7 with over 4 minutes to play. That is not a play a lot of "star" players would be trying to make in those circumstances. Of course there aren't a lot of people that can make that play also.
 

JCSunsfan

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 24, 2002
Posts
22,115
Reaction score
6,551
"I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick."

I said it correctly in the last paragraph.

Bad topic sentence on my part.
My mistake. I missed that. I kinda thought that was you meant, hence the question mark.
 

BC867

Long time Phoenician!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
17,827
Reaction score
1,709
Location
NE Phoenix
"I just don't see where this draft offers a possible answer for the Suns at the power forward position if they don't win the #1 pick."

Does that not lead to the suggestion that we trade our top pick for a young, experienced Power Forward who would fit the rest of our roster?

As well as, of course, a separate trade of players for the same description in a Point Guard.

Booker is in his 3rd season. Ayton and Bridges are rookies. We need some mid-career players at the Point and Power Forward starting/finishing positions.

That would be a great foundation for moving up next season!
 
Top