| 30 Teams, 30 Days: Phoenix Draft Preview (24th) Authored by Jason M. Williams - June 23, 2007 - 1:06 pm
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Draft Picks: 24th, 29th, 59th
What they do well
The Phoenix Suns were one Robert Horry body check away from potentially winning their first ever NBA title. They were less than a minute away from evening the Western Conference second round playoff series at two games apiece that would have swung momentum in their favor heading back to Phoenix, when Horry collided with team leader Steve Nash. Everyone knows what happened next. The Suns were stripped of their best player and a key rotation guy, and nearly squeaked out an improbable Game 5 victory. However, they were never the same after the league suspensions and were once again robbed of an opportunity to stake claim on the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Suns have one of the most dynamic teams in league history, with two-time MVP Steve Nash coming off another dominant season with 18.6 points and 11.6 assists per game. This season also saw the emergence of Leandro Barbosa as a true weapon for the high-octane Suns, as he put up 18.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting an incredible 43.4% from downtown.
Superstar power forward/center returned from micro fracture surgery and showed no ill-effects as he regained his dominant form, averaging 20.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.34 blocks per game. Their other two starters had great seasons as well, with Shawn Marion averaging 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.95 steals, and 1.53 blocks per game, while Raja Bell added 14.7 points per on an efficient 41.3% three-point shooting.
The Suns were arguably the best team in the league this season and had the title taken away from their grasp because of an unnecessarily stringent league rule. They need to regroup this off season, add some depth with their three draft picks, and fill in the holes that continually leave them unable to get over the playoff hump.
Where do they need improvement?
One of the more difficult assessments to be made when discussing the NBA is how to improve the Phoenix Suns. They have two first team All-NBA players, marginal All-Stars at nearly every other position, key role players off the bench, but yet haven’t been able to make it to the Promised Land. Looking at their depth chart, it is obvious that they are missing two key components: a team-leading pass-first point guard to allow Nash to rest and an athletic rangy big man who can run the floor, score in transition, hit the midrange jumper, block shots and play tough defense on power forwards like Tim Duncan. Basically, adding Kevin Garnett without giving up Amare Stoudemire is what the Phoenix Suns need to do this summer to be able to storm past the Powers that reside at the top of the Western Conference.
Who should they target?
- Tiago Splitter, PF – Brazil:
Since the Suns have two picks in the first round and are already a legit threat to win the title, they can take a gamble on a very talented player who might not be available to immediately come over to the NBA. With the recent success of Brazilian players like Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa, it is not unreasonable to assume that he can make a similar transition into the league for Phoenix. With a dire need for an athletic big man with a jumper and tenacity on defense, Splitter could be the perfect fit, especially if he comes over to America this season.
- Taureen Green, PG – Florida:
With the experience of being a team leader on the back-to-back national champion Florida Gators, there couldn’t be a better fit for a backup to Steve Nash. His size and athleticism are the only knocks on his game, but he’s able to demonstrate composure while under pressure, make players around him better, knock down the open shot, and penetrate and get to the foul line when it’s needed to calm the flow of the game. Does that sound familiar to anyone?
- Sean Williams, PF/C – Boston College:
While Sean Williams offers the Suns the athleticism, shot blocking, and defense, he is very likely to be long gone by the 24th selection. However, his immaturity and past drug issues might be enough to deter teams from taking a gamble on this freakish athlete. Despite the Phoenix policy of picking up guys with strong character, he is just a mere polished offensive game away from being a monster in this league. Scouts who have watched him work out this spring with John Lucas in Houston have even been bold enough to compare him to Amare Stoudemire. Image that front line…two Amare Stoudemires. However, he is likely to be gone, but would be an absolute steal at the 24th pick.
Picks since 2000
Phoenix fans must scratch their heads when they look back at the past four first-round selections that the Suns have made and dealt away on Draft Day. Rondo and Rodriguez are poised to become eventual starters in the league, Nate Robinson has become an effective sparkplug scorer off the bench, and Luol Deng made a jump towards stardom this season and seems to become a fixture as an Eastern Conference All-Star.
Rather than keeping one of the two top-flight 21 year-old point guards from last year at a discounted late round rookie price, they decided it was a better idea to dump $21M over 5 years on Marcus Banks to deliver 4.9 points and 1.3 assists in 11.1 minutes per game to spell the aging Steve Nash. However, their one solid pick of the past five years was nabbing Amare with the 9th pick in 2002.
2006
Rajon Rondo, 21st (traded to Boston)
Sergio Rodriguez, 27th (traded to Portland)
2005
Nate Robinson, 21st (traded to New York)
Marcin Gortat, 57th (traded to Orlando)
2004
Luol Deng, 7th (traded to Chicago)
2003
Zarko Cabarkapa, 17th
2002
Amare Stoudemire, 9th
Casey Jacobsen, 22nd
2001
Alton Ford, 51st
2000
Jake Tsakalidis, 25th
Who do you want the Suns to draft at number 24? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions. |
