Mock draft links Suns to Duke's Austin Rivers
Originally published: Apr 11, 2012 - 1:48 pm
Still out of the playoffs (for now), any mock draft has the team selecting in the latter part of the lottery.
Should the Suns land at 14th, Chad Ford, in an ESPN Insider piece, says the Suns could tab Duke guard Austin Rivers at that spot.
The Suns need a little bit of everything, but what they really need is star power. With Steve Nash possibly on the move this summer, someone has to sell tickets. If Rivers ever lives up to his potential, he could be a great get this low. He's going to have to rein in his game and get comfortable with who he is at the NBA level, but the talent is definitely there.
Rivers is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who left Duke after just one season. He played well as a freshman, averaging 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
The son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Austin could very well be the scoring two-guard the Suns desperately need. He has the ability to get to the rim and hit from outside, which is crucial in the Suns' system.
However, he is not considered to be a great athlete, and at his size could struggle against opposing shooting guards in the NBA.
Before worrying about that, though, there is still plenty of basketball to be played, so the Suns' selection could rise or fall depending on how the last few weeks of the season go.
- Jared Dudley, Suns forward - Tuesday June 18Jared Dudley joins Doug and Wolf to talk NBA Finals.
- Jared Dudley, Suns' Forward - Tuesday June 11JD gives us his player's perspective on the NBA Finals.
- Brian Windhorst, NBA ESPN.com Writer - Friday June 7Brian Windhorst talks about Game 1 of the NBA Finals and what to expect from the rest of the series.
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough - Friday June 7The Suns GM talks about prospects Ben McLemore of Kansas and Victor Oladipo of Indiana.
- Eddie Johnson, Suns' TV Analyst - Thursday June 6EJ previews game 1 of the NBA Finals. Plus, what are his thoughts on George Karl's firing?



































