Who do you want the Suns to select at #5 in the draft?

[sunsfan88]

Pretty self explanatory. This isn't who you think the Suns will draft, rather who do you want the Suns to draft at #5.

I'm sold on McLemore, Oladipo and McCollum.

But I have been on the McCollum bandwagon the longest so he's my guy. I love his character and swag. He's the most impressive guy in his interviews and he put a team like Lehigh on his back and carried them to some impressive incredible wins. I think him and Dragic could work out a great offensive back court and be the eventual successor to Dragic as the PG of the Suns. Defensively they won't be as good but its not the Suns if they their not great on offense and suck on defense :wink: haha no but I think a good defensive SF, PF and C could make up for their backcourt's defensive lapses.

My #2 is a tie between McLemore and Oladipo.

So who do you want the Suns to draft at #5? Vote for that who you want most at #4 and then post your two other favorite prospects at #5.

 

[Errntknght]

Olapido, Len, Porter in that order. Actually I'm not worrying much about who we draft this year because I think McD and crew will know a lot more than me and they'll make a sound decision - I also think they value defense highly so they won't draft someone who's useless on D.

 

[SirStefan32]

McLemore, Oladipo, Porter, Len, Bennett, in that order. I am assuming someone will take Greg Oden Jr. (Noel) before the fifth pick, so we should have one of my top 4 when we pick.

 

[elindholm]

I have no enthusiasm for Porter at all, so that's who I assume the Suns will wind up with.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I have no enthusiasm for Porter at all, so that's who I assume the Suns will wind up with.

agreed. a below the rim SF? pass.

 

[elindholm]

agreed. a below the rim SF? pass.

Yeah, for me it's, if the ceiling is Tayshaun Prince, that doesn't work for me at #5. Sure, Prince is a fine player, but if that's the absolute most you can hope for, look somewhere else.

 

[Folster]

Yeah, for me it's, if the ceiling is Tayshaun Prince, that doesn't work for me at #5. Sure, Prince is a fine player, but if that's the absolute most you can hope for, look somewhere else.

Agreed.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah, for me it's, if the ceiling is Tayshaun Prince, that doesn't work for me at #5. Sure, Prince is a fine player, but if that's the absolute most you can hope for, look somewhere else.

man, I don't even see Prince. Prince was VERY athletic when he came out of college. to be honest, if he was going to be a Tayshaun, I'd be okay with drafting him in this weak draft. A 14 ppg scorer who can defend three positions would be a get here, but Potter just doesn't have Prince's athleticism to make good on his offensive skills and I think he'd be a big liability on defense guarding the 3.

I don't know who to compare Potter to.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I want to pop some tags so give me McLemore

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Amazing article on ESPN Insider about the NBA Secret Board.

Since I can only post part of the article:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...rd-reveals-debut-edition-secret-nba-big-board

1. Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 85.0 (of 100)




High Score: 9 (of 10)




Low Score: 7 (of 10)




Ford's comments: While Oladipo's ranking may surprise some, I'm not shocked. The key to his ranking is that his low score is only 7. With a narrow range between his low score of 7 and his high score of 9, Oladipo is widely regarded as the safest pick in the draft. While he doesn't garner a 10 from anyone, teams believe he's unlikely to fail. A number of GMs have privately confided in me that he's their favorite player in the draft -- not necessarily ranked No. 1 on their boards, but their favorite player. His range looks like it's from No. 2 to No. 5 on draft night.





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2. Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 82.5




High Score: 10




Low Score: 4




Ford's comments: With the exception of one 4 rating (does this guy have info we don't have?), Noel received an 8, 9 or 10 from every voter. Clearly someone in the NBA thinks he'll be a bust, but the majority have him ranked as the top player in the draft. While Noel certainly has question marks thanks to ACL issues and a thin frame, most scouts and GMs still see him as an elite prospect. Right now we're projecting his draft range as 1 to 2.





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3. Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 81.7




High Score: 10




Low Score: 7




Ford's comments: McLemore, like Oladipo, is seen as a sure thing by most GMs. He didn't garner as many high scores as Noel, but he also didn't have anyone rank him as a potential bust. While teams have been recently concerned about his agent issues, his combination of athletic ability and shooting touch seem to have made them confident that he's a can't-miss prospect. Despite his high ranking here, McLemore's off-court situation could push him down slightly in the draft. That's why he is currently projected in the 2 to 7 range.





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4. Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 81.5




High Score: 9




Low Score: 6




Ford's comments: Bennett landed one 6 rating and one 7 rating and scored an 8 or 9 on every other ballot. He finished just a tick under McLemore and is also seen by most as a very safe pick. Yes, he's a bit of a tweener, but most NBA GMs and scouts see versatility. He's projected to go between 1 and 7 on draft night.





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5. Otto Porter Jr., SF, Georgetown




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 80.0




High Score: 10




Low Score: 6




Ford's comments: Porter was one of only three players to get a 10 rating (Noel and McLemore were the other two). But he also received several 6 ratings, showing a significant split between voters on Porter's future in the NBA. Where some see the next Scottie Pippen, others see Tayshaun Prince. It looks like his draft night range is 1 to 6.





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6. Alex Len, C, Maryland




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 77.5




High Score: 9




Low Score: 4




Ford's comments: While Len has a legitimate shot at going No. 1, our voters overall weren't nearly as high on him. He didn't garner a 10 from anyone and was rated as low as 4 by one voter. That lack of consensus from our panel shows up around the league as well in private conversations. Some GMs love him, while others are very wary. But his overall rating of 77.5 puts him just five points behind Noel. Like the five players above him, he's expected to be one of the top six picks on draft night.





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7. C.J. McCollum, PG, Lehigh




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 75.0




High Score: 9




Low Score: 6




Ford's comments: Along with Oladipo being ranked No. 1, McCollum may be the biggest surprise of our survey. McCollum is ranked as the third-best point guard in my Top 100, but here he comes up ahead of Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams by a nose. Like Oladipo, he ranked highly because he's considered a solid, reliable pick. While Carter-Williams and Burke garnered higher votes, they also had lower ones too. McCollum's narrow voting range of 6 to 9 was identical to Bennett's and similar to Oladipo's. He may not have as much upside as others, but he's seen as a safer pick. McCollum's draft night range is 5 to 14.

Zeller is 8.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

And today's Mock Draft from Chad Ford:

5


Ben McLemore

Phoenix Suns



COLLEGE: Kansas

AGE: 20

HT: 6-5

WT: 189

POS: SG






Analysis: I'm struggling with where to place McLemore. He has had inconsistent workouts in Cleveland, Orlando and Phoenix. Everyone loves the talent, but teams are clearly wary, and the workouts have given them pause. I know the Suns would prefer Oladipo, and sources say there's strong support in the front office for Cody Zeller and Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams, as well. We're keeping McLemore here at No. 5, but I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up going a few spots lower in Mock 7.0 on Thursday.

It seems it will be one of these 4:

Olidapo, McLemore, Zeller, or Williams.

My guess is that all Suns fans hearts are broken as the Suns majorly reach for the second straight year in a PG in Micheal Carter-Williams.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

BTW...here is the secret big board for Williams:

10 (tie). Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse




Secret NBA Draft Big Board Rating: 69.2




High Score: 9




Low Score: 3




Ford's comments: Carter-Williams has been chasing Burke in the point guard rankings for months, and once again he's right behind Burke. Some teams love him and others think he'll be a bust -- he received an 8 or a 9 from about half the teams in our survey (more than Burke) but also was rated as low as 3 and 4 on other ballots. As one of the most polarizing players on the board, his draft night range appears to be wide as well -- he could go as early as No. 5 or as late as No. 14.

This is the pick that would most piss me off.

 

[AzStevenCal]

For me it's Bennett, Noel, Porter, Len, Oladipo, Mclemore. I'd be fine with any of them although I still think Bennett and Noel have the highest ceiling by quite a bit.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

BTW...here is the secret big board for Williams:



This is the pick that would most piss me off.

Agreed, same here. He's basically a more athletic Kendall Marshall without Mashall's vision.

 

[elindholm]

It seems it will be one of these 4:

Olidapo, McLemore, Zeller, or Williams.

It can't possibly be Zeller. I'll be surprised if he goes in the top 10. I call smoke screen on those Suns "sources."

 

[Chaz]

McLemore seems so polished and it would be great if they can get him.
Oladipo is probably the safest pick and I would like it he was the pick.

My guy is really Bennett though. I see so much upside there.
I love his offensive game and his length is good despite his height.

For the rest of the top guys nobody really stands out to me.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

It can't possibly be Zeller. I'll be surprised if he goes in the top 10. I call smoke screen on those Suns "sources."

I don't think so. I have heard Zeller's name locally a couple times as well, especially if they plan on trading Gortat. We already had his brother in before. It would completely mesh with a "trade back to #9" scenario.

It would be a pure "meh" move in my opinion.

 

[Cheesebeef]

my lord...if we draft Zeller.

 

[SirStefan32]

my lord...if we draft Zeller.

I'd be fine with Zeller as our secondary pick. Trade Gortat for a pick and use the pick on Zeller if Dieng, Adams, etc are not available. I am going to flip out if we draft him with our pick. I don't see it happening though. I think our new GM knows what he is doing.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'd be fine with Zeller as our secondary pick. Trade Gortat for a pick and use the pick on Zeller if Dieng, Adams, etc are not available. I am going to flip out if we draft him with our pick. I don't see it happening though. I think our new GM knows what he is doing.

i guess i'd be okay with that. but if he's our only pick, it's vomit time.

 

[SirStefan32]

i guess i'd be okay with that. but if he's our only pick, it's vomit time.

Agreed.

 

[elindholm]

I'd be fine with Zeller as our secondary pick.

Depends where that pick is. Spending a top-ten pick on him seems like a waste to me, whether that pick is "secondary" or not. If you allow your first pick to influence your second, you're drafting for need.

 

[SirStefan32]

Depends where that pick is. Spending a top-ten pick on him seems like a waste to me, whether that pick is "secondary" or not. If you allow your first pick to influence your second, you're drafting for need.

Well, I'd say it also depends on who else is available. If Len, Adams, Dieng are gone, I'd take him, regardless what pick you have. At that point though, it might be worth taking a chance on Bazz, Gobert, etc.
As far as drafting for need goes, sure you draft for need. When you need everything but a starting point guard, drafting for need is not that different from drafting the best player available. I'd say if they trade Gortat for a pick, a big man becomes a greater need than a SF/ SG.

I guess at the end of the day, I am glad I am not in charge of this. There are some serious decisions to make during this draft.

 

[Griffin]

I'm not particularly high on anyone in this draft, but my top five would look like:

1. Ben McLemore
2. Victor Oladipo
3. Alex Len
4. Anthony Bennett
5. C.J. McCollum

McLemore has the highest potential to become a star, imo. At #5, he could be a steal. Could also be a bust, of course. Oladipo is safer, but lower ceiling. I like McCollum, but not at #5.

Noel scares me, but if he is still there at five, can the Suns afford to pass?

 

[Chaplin]

IF Noel is still there at #5, we will definitely pick him. If not for us, certainly in context of a trade.