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Phoenix Suns: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Dragan Bender (right) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Dragan Bender (right) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phoenix Suns
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 02: Jared Dudley #3 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after scoring three in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2012 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. The Knicks defeated the Suns 106-99. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Overall

Heading into the draft, the Phoenix Suns needed help at the power forward spot, they needed to cut down on the four draft picks they owned, but most of all, they needed to commit to the emerging youth movement centered around Devin Booker.

By using two top-eight selections on perhaps the draft’s biggest boom-or-bust candidates, by trading two of their four picks to move up to No. 8, and by selecting two stretch-4s, the Suns checked off every box.

In fact, with the selections of Bender and Chriss, the Suns may have found the perfect yin and yang to complement each other. Bender is a terrific defender, skilled player and more well-rounded shooter; Chriss is a high-flyer who will rely on his quickness and athleticism to begin his NBA career.

They are only 18 and 19 years old, both project as versatile players who can play multiple positions, and both will be stretch-4s who can learn from the returning Jared Dudley.

While McDonough wouldn’t fully commit to changing his strategy to revolve around youth, it seems hard to believe that drafting two teenage power forwards is the path back to the playoffs in 2017.

"“We didn’t want to be too young,” McDonough said. “I think people look at our team and the 23-and-under crowd and we have five or six guys in that group now, but we wanted some veteran leadership, we wanted some experience. We expect to be a lot more competitive next year than people outside of our organization feel.”"

With that in mind, bringing aboard Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa won’t help Phoenix bump up their win total, nor will it resonate around the league in a summer filled with blockbuster trades and marquee free agency signings.

More hoops habit: Denver Nuggets: 2016 Offseason Grades

But even if the Suns fruitlessly chase the eighth seed next season rather than bottom out for another high draft pick in a loaded 2017 NBA Draft class, they’ve set themselves on the right course for a proper rebuild between Booker, Bender, Chriss, Ulis, T.J. Warren and Alex Len.

Grade: A-

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