The 2019 Draft

[elindholm]

That’s why trading this year’s pick is a good idea. We get more of a sure thing. We need to fill a need, not be thinking about BPA.

A case can be made for trading the pick, but the Suns would have to have a lot of confidence in who's coming back. Better is to hold it until the draft and package it then if there's no on one the board who's a good fit.

 

[Carolinacacti]

JJ needs to gain thirty freeking pounds and play some power forward. Trade that pick for some beef down low.

 

[JCSunsfan]

A case can be made for trading the pick, but the Suns would have to have a lot of confidence in who's coming back. Better is to hold it until the draft and package it then if there's no on one the board who's a good fit.

Oh, I totally agree about the return. I would not advocate trading it just to trade it. However, I do not think you have to wait until the draft to get a good return. If the Cavs had traded that Nets pick last year about this time they would have gotten a huge return for it. Now they have Collin Sexton and are wondering if he is a bust already.

 

[Raindog]

Or another way to look at it, is if one those wings available in next year's draft turns out to be really special (like say, Barrett), then you take him with the first pick and move the current wings we have for a PG or PF.

As some of us have postulated, it's probably too early right now to know what the better gambit will be. You have to wait and see a bit until things develop more.

 

[Mainstreet]

Oh, I totally agree about the return. I would not advocate trading it just to trade it. However, I do not think you have to wait until the draft to get a good return. If the Cavs had traded that Nets pick last year about this time they would have gotten a huge return for it. Now they have Collin Sexton and are wondering if he is a bust already.

I agree. If the Suns get the right trade, they should do it. Of course it has to be the right trade.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Or another way to look at it, is if one those wings available in next year's draft turns out to be really special (like say, Barrett), then you take him with the first pick and move the current wings we have for a PG or PF.

As some of us have postulated, it's probably too early right now to know what the better gambit will be. You have to wait and see a bit until things develop more.

Didn't we already do this?

Warren, moves to pf then Ariza moves to sf.
JJ moves to what, when he finally comes around?
Oh, and then there is Bridges, who at some point should be better than all the rest.

Didn't we learn this lesson from having oodles of point guards, no wait, I guess not.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Didn't we already do this?

Warren, moves to pf then Ariza moves to sf.
JJ moves to what, when he finally comes around?
Oh, and then there is Bridges, who at some point should be better than all the rest.

Didn't we learn this lesson from having oodles of point guards, no wait, I guess not.

I would never take a position of need over a known better player, even if it hurts in the short run. It isn't always that clear so need should be a consideration but you don't pass on a Kareem simply because you have an Ayton and you don't skip on Lebron because you have TJ or Bridges (or both). We just need to avoid the real projects. We need a point guard and a power forward but we also have a clear talent gap in general. Clear the books, draft the best player and hope to sign someone like Kemba Walker. JMO.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I would never take a position of need over a known better player, even if it hurts in the short run. It isn't always that clear so need should be a consideration but you don't pass on a Kareem simply because you have an Ayton and you don't skip on Lebron because you have TJ or Bridges (or both). We just need to avoid the real projects. We need a point guard and a power forward but we also have a clear talent gap in general. Clear the books, draft the best player and wait for your present players to pout and demand trades or leave them languishing on the bench. JMO.

Fixed that with my version.

Honestly. I do not mind picking a better player, but it better be a clearly better player than you have and you better be willing to demote or trade the player you have.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Fixed that with my version.

Honestly. I do not mind picking a better player, but it better be a clearly better player than you have and you better be willing to demote or trade the player you have.

Agreed. And that's the challenge although we've made it more of a challenge these past several years than it needs to be.

 

[Raindog]

Didn't we already do this?

Warren, moves to pf then Ariza moves to sf.
JJ moves to what, when he finally comes around?
Oh, and then there is Bridges, who at some point should be better than all the rest.

Didn't we learn this lesson from having oodles of point guards, no wait, I guess not.

No, you are misunderstanding - I mean move as in trade... don't trade the pick, trade the guys we already have (Warren, JJ, Bridges, etc.) for positions of need.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Fixed that with my version.

Honestly. I do not mind picking a better player, but it better be a clearly better player than you have and you better be willing to demote or trade the player you have.

No, it has to be a clearly better player than the alternative player you would draft.

There was no guarantee Jordan would be better than Drexler. Clyde was a proven commodity. But the vast majority of people believed Jordan would be much better than Sam Bowie. Don’t draft Sam Bowie.

 

[Phrazbit]

That court design is awful. It looked like a buffering video at first that wasn't quite done. Then I realized they actually meant to have their court look like that.


Bol Bol is an interesting prospect. I think he could play alongside Ayton but I'm not sure if that's the best way to use him.

It looks like a powered sander got away from someone and went on a rampage.

 

[slinslin]

Our needs are

1. a pg or playmaker in the guard positions
2. a modern power forward / tweener forward

Unfortunately Zion is the only one that fits either description among the top picks.

And I am not sure yet how good of a fit Zion would be at the 4.


I need to see more of the guards like RJ Barrett.

If we could add another shooting guard with playmaking capabilities and good handle I don't think we necessarily need a PG.

 

[Chaplin]

My next thought is to look at teams with multiple picks in the first round, if there are any. 2019 may be a classic trade down scenario.

 

[JCSunsfan]

No, you are misunderstanding - I mean move as in trade... don't trade the pick, trade the guys we already have (Warren, JJ, Bridges, etc.) for positions of need.

OK. But I don't think I want to move Bridges. He is looking like the perfect player to put along side Booker. I am fine with trading JJ for a pf or pg and committing to JJ. The draft is not really that big of a deal right now to me.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Can this kid play pf? The long legs and arms remind me of Durant and Giannis. He is a very good shooter and shot blocker. 3 and D pf?

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[overseascardfan]

Can this kid play pf? The long legs and arms remind me of Durant and Giannis. He is a very good shooter and shot blocker. 3 and D pf?

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

He's growing on me because he is agile and fluid enough to play PF just needs strength. He can shoot, handle the ball, run and he is long. He can space the floor with his outside shot, which should help with spacing giving Ayton room in the paint and his shot blocking should also help Ayton. Williamson and Barrett don't excite me as potential franchise players. Bol right now projects at the end of the lottery but could move up if other guys ahead of him in mocks don't impress.

 

[Hoop Head]

Bol Bol reminds me of Thon Maker and not necessarily in a good way. I could see Bol busting the same way. I wonder what the training staff thinks of him because he's really skinny and would need to add more muscle to his frame if a team wanted him to play inside more. At his size I don't think pairing him with another big like Ayton is the best scenario.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Bol Bol reminds me of Thon Maker and not necessarily in a good way. I could see Bol busting the same way. I wonder what the training staff thinks of him because he's really skinny and would need to add more muscle to his frame if a team wanted him to play inside more. At his size I don't think pairing him with another big like Ayton is the best scenario.

The only thing that seems similar in those two to me is skin tone. Bol is more of an athlete, more skilled, better shooter. Remember the formula for effective bigs coming into the NBA. Quality measurables, established skills, quality shooting.

This kid is more like Porzingis than Maker--in playing style--style--not level.

 

[Milgod]

My next thought is to look at teams with multiple picks in the first round, if there are any. 2019 may be a classic trade down scenario.

Noooooooooo

It's one thing adding a high pick rookie, but we have got to move away from the adding multiple rookies situation. We're young enough as it is!

 

[overseascardfan]

Noooooooooo

It's one thing adding a high pick rookie, but we have got to move away from the adding multiple rookies situation. We're young enough as it is!

A good point was made on Gambo & Ash yesterday. PHX is not going to be able to lure big name FAs here how much money they have to spend until they start consistently winning. They’ll get guys like Ariza by overpaying mediocre free agents. So you need draft picks in attempts to find good players or use them in trades for legit stars.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Sure there may not be good 4s and PGs at the moment, but that can easily change as the college season progresses. Trae Young wasn't even projected to be drafted this time last year.

 

[Raindog]

A good point was made on Gambo & Ash yesterday. PHX is not going to be able to lure big name FAs here how much money they have to spend until they start consistently winning. They’ll get guys like Ariza by overpaying mediocre free agents. So you need draft picks in attempts to find good players or use them in trades for legit stars.

Yup, and that's the same reason you don't want to trade away draft picks for mediocre veterans, just because you are afraid of having too much "youth." It's foolish.

I get that fans want instant gratification, but Rome wasn't built in a day. You have to establish a foundation for the future, and the only way to do that is through drafting young talent - at least when you aren't the Lakers or some other destination franchise that can rely on attracting top FA talent no matter what.

It is an imperfect process, because at least some of the guys you draft high are inevitably going to be disappointments (as we all well know). But it's also the only thing that really works.

 

[BC867]

I get that fans want instant gratification, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

How about eight years of not making the playoffs and, as is the case, not building a winning team, with only two strong starters and one decent bench player on the whole roster. And no winnable approach yet. Eight years!

 

[AzStevenCal]

How about eight years of not making the playoffs and, as is the case, not building a winning team, with only two strong starters and one decent bench player on the whole roster. And no winnable approach yet. Eight years!

Sure but the first 4 or 5 years of that 8 year stretch saw us trying to compete WITHOUT rebuilding. Once we made the decision to rebuild, everything has to change. You can't try to bandaid your way out of a rebuild unless you want to start it all over again in a year or two when the bandaid falls off. Maybe it was the wrong call to strip the cupboard bare and go full on rebuild but abandoning it just 3 years into it will kill our future IMO.