Hmmmmm Nik Stauskas?

[ChrisperJ10]

2014 NBA Mock Draft: Updated First-Round Picks After Latest Player Announcements | Bleacher Report

"The Phoenix Suns nearly made the playoffs this season and will look to add even more scoring early in the draft.

Michigan’s Nik Stauskas is one of the best shooters in this entire class, and he is a better-than-advertised finisher at the rim as well. He would find plenty of open shots in the Suns’ up-tempo offense and put up impressive numbers right away"

I know Bleacher Report is full of shit most of the time, but this is the first updated mock draft I've seen where the Suns draft the sharp shooter from Michigan.

Thoughts?

 

[ChrisperJ10]

He'd obviously come off the bench...

 

[Arizona_Sting]

He's the perfect type of role player to bring off the bench. He can shoot from almost anywhere on the court and he's actually an above-average defender. Kinda reminds me of Kyle Korver.

I wouldn't take him for this team, though. Imo, our last need is a guard... I really want to package our 14th and 18th picks and trade up to the top 8 and try to land Noah Vonleh from Indiana or Aaron Gordon from Arizona. Vonleh could play PF/C and Gordon could run at SF/PF. Both would be perfect fits for our offense and have tremendous upside.

 

[broncosmitty]

He's not an above average defender.

 

[The Derski]

I know his shooting percentages won't jump off the chart but I like James Young from UK. I think he can develop into a good scorer and improve his %. I also think we should try to snag up Zach Lavine with one of our picks.

 

[azsportsman6]

What do you think our odds could be of packaging some of our picks for a top 8?

 

[GMATCa]

2014 NBA Mock Draft: Updated First-Round Picks After Latest Player Announcements | Bleacher Report

"The Phoenix Suns nearly made the playoffs this season and will look to add even more scoring early in the draft.

Michigan’s Nik Stauskas is one of the best shooters in this entire class, and he is a better-than-advertised finisher at the rim as well. He would find plenty of open shots in the Suns’ up-tempo offense and put up impressive numbers right away"

I know Bleacher Report is full of shit most of the time, but this is the first updated mock draft I've seen where the Suns draft the sharp shooter from Michigan.

Thoughts?

For all that I know, he could be correct, but does this guy really know what the Suns "will look to add early in the draft"?

I think that at fourteen (potentially), you really just need to draft the best player available. If the best player available is a point guard, draft a point guard and figure out what to do with him later. Remember that the Suns drafted Steve Nash with the fifteenth pick in 1996, even though a point guard was seemingly their last need on a club that lacked off-ball perimeter shooters, athletic big forwards, and young centers. At point guard, Phoenix featured Kevin Johnson, and when healthy, K.J. was the best point guard in the game. In '95-'96, he had posted another season where he averaged at least 18.0 points, 9.0 assists, and a .600 True Shooting Percentage, and he was just the third player in NBA history to record that set of numbers in a season (years later, Nash would become the fourth, and there's been no one else).

Player Season Finder | Basketball-Reference.com

In his last 36 games of that season, despite playing with two undiagnosed sports hernias (tears in his abdominal wall), K.J. averaged 19.9 points, 10.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals, a 3.3:1.0 assists-to-turnover ratio, a .528 field goal percentage, a .368 three-point field goal percentage, and an .874 free throw percentage in 6.6 FTA per game, amounting to a .625 True Shooting Percentage. Over the last three months of that regular season, he was probably the second-best guard in the league, after Jordan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFE-HqwE7io

Of course, with those two undiagnosed hernias, K.J. was injury-prone, and he was also planning on retiring after the '96-'97 season, when his contract expired. But behind K.J., Phoenix possessed Elliot Perry. Perry was undersized, scrawny, and thus vulnerable defensively, but he was a good passer, he'd turned himself into a good shooter, he was quick and energetic, and he came up with plenty of steals. He was also twenty-seven, healthy, and had five more years on his contract after 1996, at an affordable annual average salary of $2M per season. Twice during the '95-'96 season, Perry had scored at least 35 points with at least 11 assists and 5 steals in the same game.

01/12/1996 NBA Box Score at phx - basketballreference.com

04/21/1996 NBA Box Score at hou - basketballreference.com

And Perry could perform under pressure. In the Suns' big win over the Bulls that season, Perry stepped in when Kevin Johnson (again, playing with two undiagnosed sports hernias) strained his hamstring in the third quarter, and delivered the goods in the clutch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtXbQ-JfZf8

02/06/1996 NBA Box Score at phx - basketballreference.com

In 26 starts in '95-'96, Perry averaged 15.5 points, 7.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals, a .517 field goal percentage, and a .587 True Shooting Percentage. In 51 starts in '94-'95, Perry posted a .601 True Shooting Percentage (.529 from the field, .417 on threes, .808 from the free throw line) and averaged 2.3 steals as the Suns went 38-13 (.745) in those games. He wasn't as heralded as many point guards around the league, but he was as effective, if not more so, than many bigger names. During the '95-'96 season, Phoenix head coach Paul Westphal and lead assistant Paul Silas agreed that they'd rather have Perry than 1994 All-Star Kenny Anderson (and Silas had coached Anderson in New Jersey). In the summer of 1996, Anderson—despite sporting a career .499 True Shooting Percentage at the time—managed to ink a seven-year, $49M contract with Portland. In the fall of 1995, following that summer's lockout, the Suns signed Perry to a six-year, $12M contract. Indeed, between Kevin Johnson and Elliot Perry, Phoenix almost certainly possessed the best point guard play in the NBA, with K.J. the best starting point guard when healthy, Perry the best backup and able to hold his own as a starter, and Perry ready to replace K.J. as the full-time starter once Johnson retired.

And as if they weren't enough, following the 1996 season, the Suns immersed themselves in trade talks with the Houston Rockets that involved Sam Cassell, like Perry a point guard on the rise (and one with two championship rings to his credit). Moreover, after hiring Danny Ainge as an assistant coach and "future head coach" in late May 1996, Phoenix began inquiring about Jason Kidd. Ainge was enamored of Kidd, and sure enough, by late December 1996, the Suns had acquired him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iYo84oYT-I

All along, Jason Kidd was the point guard that Ainge had targeted as Kevin Johnson's heir.

So with Kevin Johnson (even if just for one more season) and Elliot Perry already at point guard, and with trades for Sam Cassell and/or Jason Kidd looming as possibilities inside the organization, the Suns entered the 1996 draft with another point guard being the last of their needs. If Phoenix brought back Charles Barkley, then the Suns would be looking to make one last championship run and would need to bolster other areas of the roster in order to better complement Barkley. And if the Suns traded Barkley, as now seemed likely (because when Sir Charles learned that Phoenix was shopping him 'behind his back,' he became upset and demanded to leave, even though he really wanted to stay), then there was a good chance that the team would be acquiring yet another point guard—maybe Cassell, possibly Kidd. (As matters turned out, the Suns would trade for Cassell and, months later, use him to acquire Kidd.)

So there was no need for a point guard, and with the fifteenth pick, the incredibly deep 1996 draft offered all kinds of enticing possibilities that could address Phoenix's present and long-term needs: John Wallace, a high-scoring forward who, as a senior, had just led Syracuse to the national title game; Walter McCarty, an athletic, long-armed, high-jumping forward who could play defense and block shots, and who had just helped Kentucky defeat Syracuse for the NCAA championship; Roy Rogers, another athletic, shot-blocking forward who would help the Suns address their deficiencies in youth, defense, shot blocking, and athleticism at the forward spots, especially power forward; Jermaine O'Neal, who was entering the draft out of high school and would give the Suns a genuine big man prospect; Dontae Jones, like Wallace a high-scoring forward who had led his college (Mississippi State) to the Final Four in 1996. Potentially, the '96-'97 Suns could have used any of those players more than another point guard, especially one who was defensively dubious (the Suns had ranked twenty-third in Defensive Rating, or points allowed per possession, in '95-'96).

Nonetheless, the Suns deemed Nash the best player available and thus drafted him. And, yes, they could have also been motivated by the fact that Kevin Johnson was planning on retiring after the season, but even so, Phoenix still possessed Elliot Perry under contract for years to come, the Suns were involved in trade discussions that could net Sam Cassell, and under Danny Ainge's influence, they were interested in trading for Jason Kidd. Eventually, they would indeed trade for Cassell (Phoenix shipped Perry to Milwaukee as a result) and then later trade Cassell for Kidd. Drafting Nash thus seemed like an unnecessary luxury, the manifestation of a sweet tooth for point guards.

 

[GMATCa]

Depending upon who was available and healthy, Nash spent his rookie season, '96-'97, as either the Suns' backup point guard or their third-string point guard. But he could play. In his one game as Phoenix's number-one point guard (and his first NBA start), he posted 17 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 on threes, 6-6 FT), 12 assists, and 7 rebounds, albeit in a losing effort at Vancouver.

11/14/1996 NBA Box Score at van - basketballreference.com

Later that season, during a practice, Kevin Johnson told Nash that he was as good as any (point) guard that K.J. played against.

After the '96-'97 season, Phoenix offered Nash to his hometown Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for the fourth overall pick in the 1997 draft. Foolishly, Vancouver general manager Stu Jackson refused and drafted Antonio Daniels instead. But by selecting the best player available in 1996, the Suns possessed an asset on their hands. They could have used Nash to trade for Antonio McDyess in the fall of 1997, but Phoenix refused and instead dealt Wesley Person. By then, and certainly by the end of the '97-'98 season, the Suns were grooming Nash to start alongside Jason Kidd, as would be the case in their final playoff game that year.

Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs Box Score, April 29, 1998 | Basketball-Reference.com

Following the '97-'98 season, the Suns basically convinced Kevin Johnson not to return on the basis of Nash needing more minutes; K.J. concurred with that reasoning.

But by then, Nash wanted to run his own team, rather than playing in Kidd's shadow. By refusing to ink a contract extension, he forced the Suns to trade him. So Phoenix again offered Nash to his hometown Vancouver Grizzlies, this time for the second overall selection in the 1998 draft. Once again, Stu Jackson refused, and the Suns ended up shipping Nash to Dallas for the Mavericks' number-one pick in 1999, which again figured to constitute a fairly high lottery selection. Sure enough, the Suns received the ninth pick of the draft in 1999, their highest choice in eleven years, and were thus able to draft Shawn Marion. In essence, Phoenix had allowed a 'stock' (Nash) to appreciate, turning a number-fifteen pick into a number-nine pick (who would become an All-Star) three years later.

The moral of the story is that you draft the best player available. If you can't ultimately find a place for him, or he wants out because of a logjam (perceived or real), then you possess a better trading asset with which to complement your roster. But unless you're already a championship contender drafting late in the first round, never draft for need. Just draft the best player available, with need only entering the equation if you're trying to decide between two players that you project to be of approximate ability.

 

[Jonas_steven]

Depending upon who was available and healthy, Nash spent his rookie season, '96-'97, as either the Suns' backup point guard or their third-string point guard. But he could play. In his one game as Phoenix's number-one point guard (and his first NBA start), he posted 17 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 on threes, 6-6 FT), 12 assists, and 7 rebounds, albeit in a losing effort at Vancouver.

11/14/1996 NBA Box Score at van - basketballreference.com

Later that season, during a practice, Kevin Johnson told Nash that he was as good as any (point) guard that K.J. played against.

After the '96-'97 season, Phoenix offered Nash to his hometown Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for the fourth overall pick in the 1997 draft. Foolishly, Vancouver general manager Stu Jackson refused and drafted Antonio Daniels instead. But by selecting the best player available in 1996, the Suns possessed an asset on their hands. They could have used Nash to trade for Antonio McDyess in the fall of 1997, but Phoenix refused and instead dealt Wesley Person. By then, and certainly by the end of the '97-'98 season, the Suns were grooming Nash to start alongside Jason Kidd, as would be the case in their final playoff game that year.

Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs Box Score, April 29, 1998 | Basketball-Reference.com

Following the '97-'98 season, the Suns basically convinced Kevin Johnson not to return on the basis of Nash needing more minutes; K.J. concurred with that reasoning.

But by then, Nash wanted to run his own team, rather than playing in Kidd's shadow. By refusing to ink a contract extension, he forced the Suns to trade him. So Phoenix again offered Nash to his hometown Vancouver Grizzlies, this time for the second overall selection in the 1998 draft. Once again, Stu Jackson refused, and the Suns ended up shipping Nash to Dallas for the Mavericks' number-one pick in 1999, which again figured to constitute a fairly high lottery selection. Sure enough, the Suns received the ninth pick of the draft in 1999, their highest choice in eleven years, and were thus able to draft Shawn Marion. In essence, Phoenix had allowed a 'stock' (Nash) to appreciate, turning a number-fifteen pick into a number-nine pick (who would become an All-Star) three years later.

The moral of the story is that you draft the best player available. If you can't ultimately find a place for him, or he wants out because of a logjam (perceived or real), then you possess a better trading asset with which to complement your roster. But unless you're already a championship contender drafting late in the first round, never draft for need. Just draft the best player available, with need only entering the equation if you're trying to decide between two players that you project to be of approximate ability.

Holy shit, man! Did you have an hour to kill? I wanted to read it but it was just too damn long! Do you have the cliff notes?

 

[GMATCa]

Holy shit, man! Did you have an hour to kill? I wanted to read it but it was just too damn long! Do you have the cliff notes?

The moral of the story is that you draft the best player available. If you can't ultimately find a place for him, or he wants out because of a logjam (perceived or real), then you possess a better trading asset with which to complement your roster. But unless you're already a championship contender drafting late in the first round, never draft for need. Just draft the best player available, with need only entering the equation if you're trying to decide between two players that you project to be of approximate ability.

 

[johnson]

I like the idea of adding Stauskas. We may have enough guards, but there have been injury issues. Ish Smith is probably gone next year (I think he's a FA and should get slightly more money somewhere else).

They need to add a proven talent that's a difference-maker in Free Agency to get over that hump and make the playoffs next year.

 

[Sandman]

GMAT is great, he had some really good posts on the ESPN Suns boards. Regarding the topic though we should take best available or try to trading up.

 

[The Derski]

Just saw that Mitch McGary tested positive for weed and would be suspended for the whole season next season if he didn't declare... how ridiculous is that? Serious BS right there. I don't blame him for declaring after that shit. A college kid smokes pot and then gets suspended from athletics for a whole year. Retarded if you ask me. Makes me wonder about college athletes testing positive in WA and CO.