Phoenix Suns: 5 options for pick No. 6 in 2019 NBA Draft

2. Darius Garland

There are obvious concerns about Darius Garland, not the least of which is the fact that he played a grand total of five games in his freshman season due to a torn meniscus in his left knee.

In addition to the obvious health concerns, he’s undersized and thin at 6’2″, he’s not the best facilitator (2.6 assists per game, 3.7 assists per 40 minutes) and he’s not an exceptional athlete. He’d be a liability on defense, which would be a major problem in the same backcourt as Devin Booker. He might struggle to score against bigger defenders in the NBA, so the fit here isn’t ideal.

However, he’s projected by most experts to go somewhere in the top 10 for a reason. Though he’s a bit smaller than you’d like to see from a point guard in the modern NBA, he’s an undeniably electric scorer who averaged 16.2 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting from 3-point range at Vanderbilt. If he figures it out, he’s going to be good.

Five games is a microscopic sample size, but he’s got a silky shot, can shoot off the dribble and has shown glimpses of passing ability. Perhaps playing with a bunch of secondary creators would minimize the impact of his score-first mindset, since he’s capable of playing both on and off the ball.

Garland will be an intriguing option if he’s still on the board at No. 6, and taking him wouldn’t preclude the Suns from finding a superior point guard by adding an established vet in free agency. If Phoenix actually keeps its pick, this would be a frontrunner option — especially since he’d address a long-standing position of need for a franchise that could use a long-term solution to groom up.