Could Damian Lillard be the newest Phoenix Sun?
Originally published: Jun 11, 2012 - 11:19 am
Will it be a guard like Duke's Austin Rivers or North Carolina's Kendall Marshall? Or could the Suns tab big man Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, as many mock drafts have predicted?
Those are common names linked to the Suns, but there's a lesser-known player getting attention as well. His name is Damian Lillard, and he's a point guard from Weber State.
ESPN NBA Draft Insider Chad Ford says that Lillard could be a possibility for Phoenix at number 13.
Weber State's Damian Lillard was the real star of the draft combine. He was the best player to agree to do the drills and it paid off for him. Many of the NBA executives in attendance had never seen him play in person before and the rest had only seen him only a handful of times. Lillard shot the lights out, had a couple of terrific dunks in the drills and 3-on-3 play, played hard and was very good in interviews with teams.His measurements also turned out to be eerily similar to Derrick Rose. Rose measured 6-1 1/2 in socks and 6-2 1/2 in shoes in Chicago in 2008. Lillard was 6-1 3/4 in socks and 6-2 3/4 in shoes. Rose had a 6-8 wingspan, while Lillard had a 6-7 3/4 wingspan. Rose weighed 196 pounds, while Lillard weighed 188. Both players measured with a 40-inch max vertical. Given Lillard's rep as a scoring point guard, he's got to like the similarities.
I believe Lillard's range starts with the Blazers at No. 6. I doubt he slips past the Phoenix Suns at 13. He's got workouts in Toronto on Monday, as well as Sacramento and Phoenix this week.
Lillard, a native of the Bay Area, was second in the nation in scoring last season, pumping in 24.5 points per game while also averaging five rebounds and four assists per contest. He was named a third team All-American by the Associated Press after leading Weber State to a 25-7 record as a junior.
Ford points out Lillard's physicality, shooting range, work ethic and high basketball IQ as reasons why he'll be a high draft pick.
- 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?
- Victor Oladipo, 2013 NBA draft prospect - Wednesday June 5Oladipo discussed his workout with the Suns and why teams should want him.




































