Should The Suns Draft A PG?

[George O'Brien]

There has been a kind of underground debate over this subject for a couple of months. Some of this is a result of the fact that after Okafor and Howard, most of the best players are either small guards (Gordon is a 6'2" SG) or pure point guards. There are a lot of really good ones and the NCAA's really showcase them due to the short three point line.

Right now the Suns have two point guards on contract: Barbosa and Eisley. Barbosa has progressed enormously over the season but is hardly a top level PG at this point. Eisley has not really played well for the Suns, but he is almost impossible to get rid of due to his contract. At one time he was a good player. He might improve if the Suns worked with him over the summer and stopped him from shooting so much.

I is likely the Suns will sign Vujanic this summer to play point as well as some at SG. At the same time, the Suns have been experimenting with Joe Johnson at PG, a role that could be permanent if the Suns sign a top SG free agent.

Even if we assume the Suns could somehow unload Eisley onto the Bobcats or simply cut him, drafting a PG would mean the Suns would have two rookies and a second year man at PG to go along with JJ. This looks pretty crowded unless the new PG is ready to start from day #1.

I'm not sure any of the guys being discussed are ready to start right away. If the new guys isn't, the Suns could end up with three development guys backing up JJ (four if they don't get rid of Eisley).

Am I missing something?

 

[Ryanwb]

Leandro Barbosa will be a servicable PG in this league, drafting a PG in the 1st round next year will be a complete waste

 

[Joe Mama]

IMO Leandro Barbosa is only a point guard because he is 6'3" and can bring the ball up the court. He defends the other teams point guards as well. Even in the open court I haven't seen great passing skills from him. In the half-court he nationally next to nothing.

I like Barbosa, but I think he is more of a Tony Delk type guard. We'll see what Milos can do, but I don't think he's gone to be much of a traditional point guard either. Frankly it on early think this team needs a traditional point guard.

I hope the Phoenix Suns would not even consider drafting a point guard with their own draft pick this year. I would rather they traded down or out of the draft if there isn't a big man worthy of their pick. Now if they get and keep the Cleveland pick would be opposed to taking a point guard if he is the best player available.

Joe Mama

 

[SirStefan32]

I think they should draft the best player available regadless of the position. Milos will do a fine job running the point next year.

 

[scotsman13]

barbosa will keep the starting job next year with milos backing up at both guard spots. right now the offense is run by joe johnson and i think that it will continue to run that way. it doesnt matter who bring the ball up court once it gets into half court then it is up to jj to get the ball into the play and take it from there. the thing about barbosa is that he is showing so much talent at braking up the other teams offense by getting steal. in time he wont get as many fouls and will become even more valueable.

so no the suns shouldnt even think about drafting a point.

 

[sunsfn]

No the suns should not draft a point guard, even if they get the Cleveland pick.
(It is looking like CLeveland will not make the playoffs now)
I think Barbosa is improving all the time and next year he will be the starting point guard on this team. His passing is improving and after the summer league and a training camp this will improve a lot. His speed and quickness sets him apart from other point guards and in a couple years he could be outstanding.

 

[SweetD]

No we have Barbosa, and Milos?? Plus not drafting a PG will be able to play JJ more and more he is on the court the more chance he will have to improve.

 

[Chaz]

I don't think we are that thin at PG. We should get by just fine.

I think what they need most is some points off the bench at PG, SG, or SF.
There is no starting center so a BPA is what the Suns should be looking at in this draft.

 

[Chaplin]

IMO Leandro Barbosa is only a point guard because he is 6'3" and can bring the ball up the court. He defends the other teams point guards as well. Even in the open court I haven't seen great passing skills from him. In the half-court he nationally next to nothing.

I like Barbosa, but I think he is more of a Tony Delk type guard. We'll see what Milos can do, but I don't think he's gone to be much of a traditional point guard either. Frankly it on early think this team needs a traditional point guard.

I hope the Phoenix Suns would not even consider drafting a point guard with their own draft pick this year. I would rather they traded down or out of the draft if there isn't a big man worthy of their pick. Now if they get and keep the Cleveland pick would be opposed to taking a point guard if he is the best player available.

Joe Mama

He's ALSO a 21-year-old rookie who last year was playing in a vastly inferior Brazilian league. Maybe a single year (or actually, not even a year yet) is enough for you to pass judgement, but someone that young seems to me to have a huge learning curve.

 

[George O'Brien]

He's ALSO a 21-year-old rookie who last year was playing in a vastly inferior Brazilian league. Maybe a single year (or actually, not even a year yet) is enough for you to pass judgement, but someone that young seems to me to have a huge learning curve.

Leandro seems to be learning the offense a lot faster tha Eisley.

One of the things I expect to see next year will be for Leandro to be the trigger man on the break with JJ initiating the half court sets. Leandro is so fast that he should be able to create the same kinds of situations that Parker created against the Suns -- if the Suns are prepared to sprint down court on the break.

 

[F-Dog]

Two problems with drafting a PG this year:

1. The Suns still don't know what they have in Vujanic or even Barbosa. If the Suns 'don't need another prospect right now', PG is where they don't need him the most.

2. If the Suns draft a PG who looks to compete for playing time, we can probably kiss Vujanic goodbye.

That doesn't mean that the Suns absolutely can't draft a PG this year, but it would have to be a special case, or a player whose talent was so extreme that it justified dumping the team's current plans and starting over yet again.


The only player that might be worth it IMO is Shaun Livingston. His passing is supposed to be a cut above anybody on the Suns' roster, and his size suggests that he could play in the same lineup with Vujanic or Barbosa instead of blocking both of them. The fact that Livingston is too light to play much next year is a good thing from the Suns' perspective, since they're going to have a tough time finding minutes for the other guards as it stands.

 

[elindholm]

it would have to be a special case, or a player whose talent was so extreme that it justified dumping the team's current plans and starting over yet again.

This is a good point. The Marbury trade, for all the Suns gave up, was supposed to have three main advantages:

1. Getting out of Hardway's contract
2. Getting Maciej Lampe
3. Getting Milos Vujanic

The value of (1) has, we can now see, been dramatically reduced by the presence of Eisley -- who makes nearly half as much as Hardaway, over the same period of time, while contributing zero.

So if the Suns abandon (3), that basically leaves them with Lampe and a modest salary dump for Marbury and two (or was it three?) draft picks, which is a pretty damn ugly deal.

In other words, the Suns had better get something out of Vujanic.

 

[George O'Brien]

it would have to be a special case, or a player whose talent was so extreme that it justified dumping the team's current plans and starting over yet again.

This is a good point. The Marbury trade, for all the Suns gave up, was supposed to have three main advantages:

1. Getting out of Hardway's contract
2. Getting Maciej Lampe
3. Getting Milos Vujanic

The value of (1) has, we can now see, been dramatically reduced by the presence of Eisley -- who makes nearly half as much as Hardaway, over the same period of time, while contributing zero.

So if the Suns abandon (3), that basically leaves them with Lampe and a modest salary dump for Marbury and two (or was it three?) draft picks, which is a pretty damn ugly deal.

In other words, the Suns had better get something out of Vujanic.

You forgot to mention Dice. I don't think anyone expected anything from him, yet he is playing pretty well and has said he'd be willing to stay in Phoenix for less money.

 

[elindholm]

You forgot to mention Dice. I don't think anyone expected anything from him, yet he is playing pretty well and has said he'd be willing to stay in Phoenix for less money.

1. True, I did forget.

2. He is playing "pretty well" if you compare his offense to Voskuhl and White. He is not doing any better than the other two on the defensive end -- in fact I'd say he's doing quite a bit worse, and I find him wholly inadequate as a center.

3. He said he might be willing to stay in Phoenix for less money, which I took to be standard free-agent posturing, the same way Bryant went through a phase of describing every road team the Lakers visited as a potentially attractive option. As far as his actually staying with the Suns for significantly less than market value goes, I'll believe it when I see it.

4. I thought you were ignoring me.

 

[George O'Brien]

You forgot to mention Dice. I don't think anyone expected anything from him, yet he is playing pretty well and has said he'd be willing to stay in Phoenix for less money.

1. True, I did forget.

2. He is playing "pretty well" if you compare his offense to Voskuhl and White. He is not doing any better than the other two on the defensive end -- in fact I'd say he's doing quite a bit worse, and I find him wholly inadequate as a center.

3. He said he might be willing to stay in Phoenix for less money, which I took to be standard free-agent posturing, the same way Bryant went through a phase of describing every road team the Lakers visited as a potentially attractive option. As far as his actually staying with the Suns for significantly less than market value goes, I'll believe it when I see it.

4. I thought you were ignoring me.

Only when you are mean to me.

Dice has been rebounding better than Voskuhl and is much better on offense. I don't think he is in top shape, but I think he could be marginally adequate next season if his knee stands up. The fact that he can play center at all is encouraging because it means less "small ball".

 

[Hired Goon]

I like Barbo

 

[Chaplin]

Only when you are mean to me.

Dice has been rebounding better than Voskuhl and is much better on offense. I don't think he is in top shape, but I think he could be marginally adequate next season if his knee stands up. The fact that he can play center at all is encouraging because it means less "small ball".

I don't understand why Dice playing center means less small ball. If anything, it means MORE small ball. Dice still isn't a true center, and no matter how tall you all think he is, he isn't center-size. So a lineup with Dice, Amare and Shawn, while maybe not "small" certainly isn't big, or even "normal".

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

maybe not "small" certainly isn't big, or even "normal".

It isn't big, but is most defintely normal.

Over 50% of teams in this league use forwards as their normal starting center. Also, depending on the backcourt, we could have all players above 6'8. So while no position is overly large, the entire lineup would be quite big.

 

[Chaplin]

It isn't big, but is most defintely normal.

Over 50% of teams in this league use forwards as their normal starting center. Also, depending on the backcourt, we could have all players above 6'8. So while no position is overly large, the entire lineup would be quite big.

That's not what I meant. Normal is defined on this board as having clear-cut positions, that's what I meant.

 

[George O'Brien]

It isn't big, but is most defintely normal.

Over 50% of teams in this league use forwards as their normal starting center. Also, depending on the backcourt, we could have all players above 6'8. So while no position is overly large, the entire lineup would be quite big.

That's my point. Small ball means having Shawn at PF and Amare at center.

In any case, I see starting Dice at center as a transitional phase as Lampe develops into a starting center. After Lampe becomes the starter, Dice backs up both PF and center depending on the matchup.

 

[slinslin]

Drafting a PG with the Cavs pick might be better and cheaper than signing Vujanic.

Keep him another season in europe and bring him over when his contract is up and we are over the cap next season and can offer part of the exemption.