With the 4th pick, the Phoenix Suns Select

[JCSunsfan]

As a college player yes but it also means that he probably won't make the big development jumps that Leuer did later.

Like I said I dont compare Sabonis to Leuer as a college player, I compare him to Leuer right now and that is what Sabonis is projected to be.

That's really strange reasoning. He is not as good at this stage, so he will improve more later because he is not as good now.

People are really underestimating Sabonis. He will be a starter most of his career. He is an unusually gifted rebounder. Oh, and that easy schedule included A&M (ranked 25), Arizona (ranked 19), UConn (ranked 18), UCLA, SMU (ranked 16), Seton Hall, Utah, and Syracuse.

That is not an easy schedule. There is plenty of scouting video against top competition.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am not promoting the Suns draft Sabonis, although I am not opposed to it either (at #13). I like his motor and ability to rebound. The Suns could do much worse. The ability to rebound should carry over to the NBA.

 

[overseascardfan]

That's really strange reasoning. He is not as good at this stage, so he will improve more later because he is not as good now.

People are really underestimating Sabonis. He will be a starter most of his career. He is an unusually gifted rebounder. Oh, and that easy schedule included A&M (ranked 25), Arizona (ranked 19), UConn (ranked 18), UCLA, SMU (ranked 16), Seton Hall, Utah, and Syracuse.

That is not an easy schedule. There is plenty of scouting video against top competition.

Sabonis is considered a plug and play guy who is ready to contribute right now especially with his rebounding ability. I wouldn't mind PHX tabbing him, but I don't think he makes it to #13, maybe a slight trade down from #4 or hope a team like SAC would deal their lotto pick for Knight.

I honestly don't think a good, young PF will become available via trade so if PHX wants a PF who can start right away, Sabonis could be their best option.

 

[slinslin]

The only rookie who have any business starting right away are Simmons and maybe Hield but also only on bad teams.

If Sabonis is your starting PF going into the year, you already admit it is a lost season from the start.

 

[slinslin]

That's really strange reasoning. He is not as good at this stage, so he will improve more later because he is not as good now.

People are really underestimating Sabonis. He will be a starter most of his career. He is an unusually gifted rebounder. Oh, and that easy schedule included A&M (ranked 25), Arizona (ranked 19), UConn (ranked 18), UCLA, SMU (ranked 16), Seton Hall, Utah, and Syracuse.

That is not an easy schedule. There is plenty of scouting video against top competition.

Almost all his big game came against crap teams like San Francisco or Oakland.

Like you said ge only played against a hand full of ranked teams.

There are also plenty of players who rebounded well in college and it didnt translate.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

That's really strange reasoning. He is not as good at this stage, so he will improve more later because he is not as good now.

People are really underestimating Sabonis. He will be a starter most of his career. He is an unusually gifted rebounder. Oh, and that easy schedule included A&M (ranked 25), Arizona (ranked 19), UConn (ranked 18), UCLA, SMU (ranked 16), Seton Hall, Utah, and Syracuse.

That is not an easy schedule. There is plenty of scouting video against top competition.

Agreed. I would be all about Sabonis at #13

 

[Mainstreet]

The only rookie who have any business starting right away are Simmons and maybe Hield but also only on bad teams.

If Sabonis is your starting PF going into the year, you already admit it is a lost season from the start.

Are there any PFs in the draft that are ready to play (outside one of the top two picks) in the draft?

As you indicate, I don't think there are. So drafting a big man is going to be a project no matter who they draft. The Suns need to draft BPA going into the future. I think Ellenson and Sabonis are close to being ready to play.

 

[overseascardfan]

The only rookie who have any business starting right away are Simmons and maybe Hield but also only on bad teams.

If Sabonis is your starting PF going into the year, you already admit it is a lost season from the start.

As opposed to having Leuer or Teletovic as your starting PF, assuming they are re-signed.

News flash, PHX is a bad team so starting a rookie PF like Sabonis isn't going to make us any worse.

 

[slinslin]

As opposed to having Leuer or Teletovic as your starting PF, assuming they are re-signed.

News flash, PHX is a bad team so starting a rookie PF like Sabonis isn't going to make us any worse.

Leuer is almost certainly better option than Sabonis next year.

And what I am saying is that Sabonis has already fullfiled most of his potential.

He is a terrible athlete, has short arms, he is almost certainly a defensive liability and offensively he is clearly a center and not a PF. His jumpshot release is slow and he gets no lift.
I cant see him being a real PnR threat.

His ceiling is bench player.

Drafting Sabonis over Labissiere is even more stupid than Kaminsky over Myles Turner.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Almost all his big game came against crap teams like San Francisco or Oakland.

Like you said ge only played against a hand full of ranked teams.

There are also plenty of players who rebounded well in college and it didnt translate.

So you don't think going 17/9, 12/9, 18/16, 18/8, 36/16, 15/14, 18/14, 21/16, 19/10, 19/17 against the likes of Washington, UConn, Arizona, UCLA, Tennessee, BYU, Seton Hall, Utah and Syracuse are big games? You're argument is full of holes. You may be right about his potential, I just don't know, but it's ludicrous to suggest he was anything less than dominant in most of his games and that includes games against top teams. And Chriss had one of his worst games against Gonzaga going 4 and 3 compared to the 17 and 9 Sabonis put up.

 

[slinslin]

So you don't think going 17/9, 12/9, 18/16, 18/8, 36/16, 15/14, 18/14, 21/16, 19/10, 19/17 against the likes of Washington, UConn, Arizona, UCLA, Tennessee, BYU, Seton Hall, Utah and Syracuse are big games? You're argument is full of holes. You may be right about his potential, I just don't know, but it's ludicrous to suggest he was anything less than dominant in most of his games and that includes games against top teams. And Chriss had one of his worst games against Gonzaga going 4 and 3 compared to the 17 and 9 Sabonis put up.

Chriss is 18. Chriss is a year younger than Amare when he was drafted.

Most of the teams you mentioned were not good this year. Even Arizona had no NBA caliber bigs.

https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other
Gonzaga ranked 61st in strength of schedule.

His best game was against Poetl sure, unfortunately I think Poetl is one of the most overrated players in the draft. I would have about 5 centers over Poetl if not more. Zizic, Zubac, Jones, Maker..

 

[AzStevenCal]

Chriss is 18. Chriss is a year younger than Amare when he was drafted.

Most of the teams you mentioned were not good this year. Even Arizona had no NBA caliber bigs.

https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other
Gonzaga ranked 61st in strength of schedule.

His best game was against Poetl sure, unfortunately I think Poetl is one of the most overrated players in the draft. I would have about 5 centers over Poetl if not more. Zizic, Zubac, Jones, Maker..

Arizona had one of the more formidable college front lines this season and 2 of those bigs will get a look in the pros. And 61 for SOS isn't great but it's far from horrible, it means you faced a tougher schedule than roughly 4/5ths of the teams competing for an NCAA tourney bid. I seriously doubt that any of the 4 players you named will have anywhere near the career that Sabonis has but I don't know a whole lot about the 2 Z's, just what I've read.

 

[Errntknght]

I like Jon Leuer but he doesn't bring it every night - and he's not that consistent on his good nights. He's more what you want in a backup because he's versatile - he's fine at either PF or C and he can step out and his the 3 ball and runs the floor pretty well. I hope we resign him.

Sabonis is a center... if the Suns believe that Len is best suited to PF, I'd say nab him at 13, no question. If Len is staying at C and Leuer returns then we have to take a PF at both 5 and 13 since they all seem to be such gambles.

 

[Mainstreet]

I like Jon Leuer but he doesn't bring it every night - and he's not that consistent on his good nights. He's more what you want in a backup because he's versatile - he's fine at either PF or C and he can step out and his the 3 ball and runs the floor pretty well. I hope we resign him.

I believe the Suns will re-sign Leuer or Teletovic as a backup PF depending who will accept the most reasonable amount of money.

Sabonis is a center... if the Suns believe that Len is best suited to PF, I'd say nab him at 13, no question. If Len is staying at C and Leuer returns then we have to take a PF at both 5 and 13 since they all seem to be such gambles.

IMO, the Suns will likely draft two PF/C types players in the draft although not necessarily at both #4 and #13. All are a gamble. The Suns need a PG and possibly a SF as well. It comes down to their draft board.

I'm expecting the Suns to make a trade for a PF if one becomes available.

 

[sunsfan88]

I am not promoting the Suns draft Sabonis, although I am not opposed to it either (at #13). I like his motor and ability to rebound. The Suns could do much worse. The ability to rebound should carry over to the NBA.

I wouldn't mind Sabonis but if we're going to choose a player based on just rebounding then I think I prefer Cheick Diallo over Sabonis.

 

[SirStefan32]

I thought JC was way off base with his assessment of Sabonis until I watched him play. No, not the games themselves, but Sabonis. Play the game, but just watch Sabonis. That kid is one of the smartest players I have ever seen. He (His IQ) really reminds me of a big man version of TJ Warren and to a lesser degree, even Booker.

Kid is an outstanding rebounder, which translates well into the NBA. He doesn't get rebounds by being tall, long, or athletic. He gets them by boxing out and getting a good position. He is very crafty in the low post, and he seems to be developing a jump shot, which will be very important if he is going to be a starter or even a solid rotation player in this league. His footwork is amazing, and he doesn;t have any trouble staying in front of quicker player.

I am all in for Sabonis at 13.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I like Jon Leuer but he doesn't bring it every night - and he's not that consistent on his good nights. He's more what you want in a backup because he's versatile - he's fine at either PF or C and he can step out and his the 3 ball and runs the floor pretty well. I hope we resign him.

Sabonis is a center... if the Suns believe that Len is best suited to PF, I'd say nab him at 13, no question. If Len is staying at C and Leuer returns then we have to take a PF at both 5 and 13 since they all seem to be such gambles.

It never crossed my mind that they would think he's better suited to power forward? IMO the PF experiment last year was far more failure than success and was only in place because of injuries and a need to get Len and Chandler on the court as much as possible.

I'm not convinced that Sabonis will play center at the next level. His current skills suggest he can develop his range perhaps to the arc but if not, at least far enough to space the court. His inability to protect the rim makes him a poor project as a center IMO. If you don't think he can make it as a stretch forward, it's a pass AFAIC.

To me, Sabonis has a decent floor and his ceiling is Tim Duncan. I wish it were 24 year old Duncan but unfortunately it's more like 34 or perhaps 38 year old Duncan. But as we all saw, that Tim Duncan, the one that had lost much of his explosion, was still a pretty effective player. And he was functionally their stretch forward, at least until Aldridge was brought in.

 

[GatorAZ]

#4 is just too early for Chriss. Maybe if they want to trade back with Denver who need a shooter next to Mudiay. Chriss at 7, Skal at 13 and Qi at 19?

 

[slinslin]

#4 is just too early for Chriss. Maybe if they want to trade back with Denver who need a shooter next to Mudiay. Chriss at 7, Skal at 13 and Qi at 19?

What could possibly justify Qi at 19 besides a short-term influx of Chinese fans?

 

[Hoop Head]

What could possibly justify Qi at 19 besides a short-term influx of Chinese fans?

Qi at #19 isn't that much of a stretch. He's not a lottery pick and he won't be there at #28. Reaching for him with our 3rd pick in the first round isn't that bad, even if the pick is a little high. It's much better than spending the #13 pick on him.

 

[slinslin]

Qi at #19 isn't that much of a stretch. He's not a lottery pick and he won't be there at #28. Reaching for him with our 3rd pick in the first round isn't that bad, even if the pick is a little high. It's much better than spending the #13 pick on him.

I am not sure if Qi is a NBA prospect if it was not for his measurables and heritage which means marketing opportunities.

 

[3rdside]

..

 

[3rdside]

#4 is just too early for Chriss. Maybe if they want to trade back with Denver who need a shooter next to Mudiay. Chriss at 7, Skal at 13 and Qi at 19?

Assuming we don't trade for Love, meaning Murray comes into play, I'm starting to think the decision is going to be made for us - it's PF Chriss or PF bender, and I'm comfortable with that.

If it's chriss I'll look at it like it was Amare stoudemire; whether he was selected at 9 or 4, he's still amare stoudemire. And if it's bender I'll feel like we've got a good one even though I was against this guy previously...Have just read a pretty comprehensive scouting report on Realgm saying he should be included in the can't miss bracket with Simmons and Ingram which is as good as info as ive seen on anyone.

Have largely gone off brown - attitude and shooting are two pretty big turn offs for me.


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[slinslin]

If it is Bender we might very well just have drafted Nikoloz Tsikitsvilli, same draft as Amare none the less.

Strengths: Offensively there isn’t much Tskitishvili can’t do he is a versatile scorer capable of shooting from the outside or slashing in the lane ... Has great size for his position at 6-11 there isn’t many small forwards he won’t be able to shoot over ... Prefers to set-up his offense by receiving the ball out on the perimeter where he is a threat to penetrate or shoot from 18 ft out ... Due to his long arms he has shown the ability to be a adequate shot-blocker thanks to his long arms and decent leaping ability ... Runs the floor extremely well and is blessed with great agility ... Has excellent court vision and shows some above average passing skills ... Handles the ball very well for a player his size and is decently quick when doing a move off the dribble ... Owns great touch around the basket when getting the ball down low ... Tskitishvili is a competent rebounder thanks to his solid leaping ability and positioning when under the boards ... Plays well when under pressure due to his confidence and competitiveness ... Has loads of potential something which will drive his stock come draft day ... Solid free throw shooter ... Unlike many young players his age his is blessed with a great sense of the game that simply can’t be taught ...

Weakness: Is somewhat streaky from behind 3-point line where he has yet to develop consistency ... Defensively like most overseas players he is a step behind as he isn't the best perimeter defender not does he possess great anticipation skills when playing the passing lanes ... Doesn’t have the best upper body strength as he gets pushed off the blocks a lot and has some problems when guarded by physical defenders ... Not as comfortable offensively when playing with his back to the basket as his low post moves are still in their developing stages ... There have been some questions concerning his work ethic as some have said he is a little too confident for his own good ... Not as seasoned as some of his overseas counterparts as Tskitishvili is still learning the fundamentals part of the game ... Could stand to gain about 15-20 pounds of muscle which would benefit him when finishing around the basket ... Doesn’t handle double teams all that well as they seem to frustrate him rather easily ...

If I replaced Tsikitsvilli with Bender I guess that most people would not notice that it is not a Bender scouting report.

 

[3rdside]

I haven't seen much footage of him so it's hard to make my own decision - and from what I've seen i'm also sceptical - but the scouting report was pretty certain he's a goldmine, so at this stage it's a case of saying who am I to disagree.

Whoever we get, either Chriss or bender, we're hardly competing for the playoffs next year so we gamble on one or the other, they don't pay off, we go again next year.

They're both risks but they both have huge upsides - and we take Ellenson or Sabonis as insurance.


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