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Phoenix Suns Draft: Expect Sparklers, Not Fireworks

By Michael Dunlap

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announces the picks during the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announces the picks during the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery just days away, every team — no matter the ping-pong balls — has hope that they can make that huge jump into the No. 1 overall spot. The problem for the Phoenix Suns is, their odds are poor (just a .6 percent chance at the top spot) and their history is even worse.

This isn’t meant to be a pessimistic take, as the Suns have a solid core and cap space to use, but it’s more of a dose of reality, based on simple mathematics and an objective look at history.

Who were the Suns stars last season? Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, both of whom were acquired via trade. How about historically? Steve Nash, Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson were acquired via either free agency or trades.

In fact, it was 2002 when the Suns last drafted a true impact player, when Amar’e Stoudemire fell to Phoenix at No. 9. The Suns actually drafted Luol Deng (2004) and Rajon Rondo (2006), but traded them immediately.

Instead, the Suns have swung and missed with startling consistency over the better part of the last 13 years, bringing in duds like Rudy Fernandez (2007), Robin Lopez (2008), Earl Clark (2009) and Kendall Marshall (2012).

However, all hope is not lost. General manager Ryan McDonough is a smart man — and he realizes that championship squads can be built by filling specific needs through the draft. The 2015-16 Suns have solid talent, but they have glaring holes. Instead of taking a big swing in order to land a future superstar, they can go after solid rotation guys.

Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) dunks the ball in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Alex Len (21) dunks the ball in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Over the last two seasons, the Suns have done just that. In 2013, they knew they had a glaring hole at the center position, as Marcin Gortat was going to demand a big salary that Robert Sarver and company weren’t willing to pay. At No. 5, the Suns surprised the NBA by taking Alex Len out of Maryland. Although he’s been injured too often for anyone’s tastes, he’s got the potential to turn into a top-10 center.

In 2014, Phoenix wanted to bring in a wing scorer to help bolster their second unit. T.J. Warren took a while to get substantial playing time, but once he got it, he made the most of it. He’s not strong enough defensively to knock a guy like P.J. Tucker out of the lineup, but it’s those offense-for-defense substitutions that coach Jeff Hornacek has lacked in the past.

Of course, they also brought in Tyler Ennis, despite having Dragic and Bledsoe — and then just weeks later made a trade for Isaiah Thomas. To be fair, McDonough acknowledged that the makeup of the roster was awfully imbalanced, which brought a “yeah, we could have told you that” from most of us.

So, will we see fireworks at pick No. 13 for the Suns? Probably not. Instead, the Suns will look to fill a specific hole — like another defensive big or a backup point guard who can take care of the ball. Seriously, how did we go from too many point guards to needing one? That’s neither here nor there. Maybe lightning will strike and the Suns will win the lottery…only to create a new logjam at the power forward spot.

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Phoenix Suns

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