Official 2009 Draft Thread

[Folster]

Can we sticky this thread? The season is all but over. It's time to get our minds off the dismal season and start looking toward the draft.

nbadraft.net mock

draftexpress mock

RealGM lottery simulator

After looking at the odds and playing the lottery simulator about 25 times, I have come to the conclusion that we are a lock for the #14 pick barring a miracle. There is some good talent available at that spot. Here are some players that interest me:

Dejuan Blair: is undersized but a beast, similar to Paul Milsap

Stephen Curry: phenomonal scorer who has adjusted well to the point. Is he more Iverson or Reddick?

Ty Lawson: a speedy point with a game similar to Chalmers.

There are a few other players I'm unfamiliar with, but look interesting. One thing is certain. We need to stop drafting for need and start drafting BPA again.

 

[slinslin]

I like Thabeet at Center, Monroe/Griffin/Hill at PF, Buddinger/DeRozan at SF, Harden at SG and Jennings at PG.

That would make a talented young team.

I don't like Blair, undersized.

 

[Ronin]

Blair or Bust!

 

[shazaam6]

Groundhog Day



Adding Amare next year would make it a pretty successful draft right there.

 

[Bufalay]

Groundhog Day



Adding Amare next year would make it a pretty successful draft right there.

haha

 

[Chaplin]

Earl Clark

 

[FArting]

James Harden or Stephen Curry

 

[arwillan]

Let's get real. Thabeet, Curry, and Harden will be long gone by the time we draft at 14.

 

[asudevil83]

Let's get real. Thabeet, Curry, and Harden will be long gone by the time we draft at 14.

seriously....we are talking top 7 picks here.....not top 14.

 

[TheKid_1]

Tyreke Evans from Memphis, but it on the board.

 

[binkar]

I like Stephen Curry but unless he is a legitimate pg, I think he is a lot like Barbosa. I like Griffin (not gonna happen though), Thabeet, Hill, Craig Brackins, Harden, Clark, Jennings, Aminu, and Blair.

 

[Ronin]

I'm really hoping this kid falls to the Suns in the second round.....
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=31581

 

[Ronin]

Chase Budinger (2 for 12, 0/6 from the three point line, 5 points total) not looking to hot out there today against Arizona State.

 

[Ronin]

Damion Jones isn't having a good game either against KSU, but Pittman is...kudos to him for losing all of that weight.

 

[slinslin]

There is still a tiny chance we can get a top3 pick even with the worst odds.

There is also possibilities we can get a top3 pick by trading Amare, or other lottery picks by putting the expiring contracts of real quality players like Shaq and Nash on the table by taking on some longer bad contracts and a smaller expiring one, or by trading Barbosa for such a contract.

I believe if the Suns really want to totally rebuild they still have enough valueable pieces to go really really young.

It would have to be a radical approach however. Still having a team made up of 5 rookies or whatever and winning 10 games, would beat a season of mediocrity.

I would absolutely go for Buddinger, acquire a pick to take him where he falls. No he isn't going to be a superstar, no he probably isn't going to be a great player, but he will be a player that could be an absolutely valueable role player and starter for good teams and you need that. A Matt Harpring, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, players that are quality and do their jobs and won't take a huge part of your payroll.

This draft is considered very weak outside of the top 3 or top 4 but I am pretty excited about at least 1 player at each position. Every position is 2 deep as far as I am concerned at least.

C- Thabeet / Jordan Hill / Greg Monroe
PF - Griffin / Hill / Monroe
SF - Buddinger / DeRozan
SG - Harden / DeRozan / Buddinger
PG - Jennings / Rubio (if he comes out)

And then there are a bunch of players I don't have a strong opinion about like BJ Mullen, Tyreke Evans, Jeff Teague, Aminu..

 

[jandaman]

But you Suns would absolutely not want to suck next season... they dont have their own pick in 2010.

If anything, I see Kerr/Sarver salvaging 2009-2010 by keeping the core and just stay competitive and then let everyone go after the season. Start new for 2010-2011.


Would Thunder trade back Suns pick back to them, by maybe having Suns absorb a bad contract and send Suns 2009 pick to Thunder?

 

[slinslin]

Even without our own pick, I would rather watch a team with young guys develop over a whole season and not winning instead of watching an old boring (without Amare) team like ours right now that is in the middle of nowhere.

I also don't understand the motivation for getting back our own pick from Oklahoma. Wether we give up a lot of value to get that back so we can start sucking next year, or wether we give up a lot of value to get a high pick in this years draft and Oklahoma steals our pick... In the end it makes no difference..

We don't have our own pick for 2010 anymore, wether we try to get it back, get a high lottery pick this year or the lottery pick of another horrible team in 2010..
It would probably be even better to get the lottery pick of someone else because in that case we wouldn't have to lose games in order to get a high lottery pick, which probably isn't a good thing to do while trying to build a young team.

 

[Mainstreet]

If anything, I see Kerr/Sarver salvaging 2009-2010 by keeping the core and just stay competitive and then let everyone go after the season. Start new for 2010-2011.

The Suns should have kept KT (plus the two first round picks) and let his contract expire. The same with Marion. These would have been the smart moves. So I don't think you can count on Sarver/ Kerr keeping the 2009-2010 core together.

 

[Mainstreet]

At this early stage, I like Darren Collison (PG) and Patrick Patterson (PF) based on where the Suns will probably be drafting. This is based mostly on what I've read. Yes, I like the players that have been mentioned earlier but I'm trying to keep it realistic. This draft is heavy on PGs and short on bigs.

 

[slinslin]

. This draft is heavy on PGs and short on bigs.

It's the other way around really...

The only "true" PGs are Jennings and Lawson (Rubio if he comes out). On the other hand you have Thabeet, Griffin, Hill, Monroe, Patterson, Blair, Mullen etc.

At #14 I will gladly take DeRozan if Jennings or Monroe doesn't drop. The rest of the guys are like a definately top 5 picks as it looks now. I'd take Buddinger between 20 and 25 I guess.

Though I definately want to get at least another pick or two to rebuild. DeRozan at #14 and Jennings at #~10 would give us a backcourt duo of extremely talented and athletic 19 year olds to build on.

 

[JoRain]

At this early stage, I like Darren Collison (PG) and Patrick Patterson (PF) based on where the Suns will probably be drafting. This is based mostly on what I've read. Yes, I like the players that have been mentioned earlier but I'm trying to keep it realistic. This draft is heavy on PGs and short on bigs.

I read that Patterson is staying in school
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/41142807.html
and from what I've seen - Collison is nothing more than a career back up in the NBA.

 

[JoRain]

It's the other way around really...

The only "true" PGs are Jennings and Lawson (Rubio if he comes out). On the other hand you have Thabeet, Griffin, Hill, Monroe, Patterson, Blair, Mullen etc.

At #14 I will gladly take DeRozan if Jennings or Monroe doesn't drop. The rest of the guys are like a definately top 5 picks as it looks now. I'd take Buddinger between 20 and 25 I guess.

Though I definately want to get at least another pick or two to rebuild. DeRozan at #14 and Jennings at #~10 would give us a backcourt duo of extremely talented and athletic 19 year olds to build on.

I believe Rubio has a pretty high buyout this year, so there is a good chance he won't be able to come to NBA for at least another year.

So Eric Maynor or Darren Collison for example, are not a 'true' PG's ? then what are they?
not that they're gonna be any good...

Personally I would go for Earl Clark at 14 if he's available there. At least the guy rebounds and play D.

 

[AceP]

If there is no bad news from Amare about his eyes, by draft day, we should be able to trade him for a top 5 pick.

The Cavs or Mavs will probably give us a pick for Shaq, but it will most likely to be second round.

Since we are going to blow up, I assume Nash won't be "untradable" by summer. Maybe we can trade him to Toronto for their 1st round pick?

 

[lou_skywalker]

Dump Nash to NY for Nate, Duhon and a pick!

 

[overseascardfan]

Dump Nash to NY for Nate, Duhon and a pick!

I would say Robinson & Lee for Nash but NY will not give up Lee in the deal.

If we stay at 14, then I say go for Curry, he may be more of a scorer but I feel he has some playmaking ability averaging 5.6 AST & 4.3 RBS a game along with 2.6 SPG which means he is no slouch on D. He reminds me of Nash when he was at Santa Clara. Only downside is he is 6'1.