Empire of the Suns NBA Draft positional preview: Small forward
May 7, 2017, 2:15 PM | Updated: May 8, 2017, 11:32 am
(AP Photos)
(AP Photos)
With Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough saying during exit interviews the team will take the best player available in the 2017 NBA Draft, it’s time to run through Phoenix’s roster and the possible options with its picks currently at Nos. 2 (projected), 32 and 54.
After running through the spots down low, small forward is the one position to really focus on for all three selections.
(Note: To make this easier, players that qualify for multiple positions are listed at their best guess and fit with the Suns. Considering Phoenix’s draft positions, there’s also a chunk of the first-round prospects not worth including.)
Small forward
Team outlook: The two most-needed skills for the Phoenix Suns are shooting and defense. T.J. Warren is a good NBA player and might even have the potential to become a great one, but neither of those areas are ones he will heavily contribute to.
A more balanced player would be the better option alongside Devin Booker and a nice change of pace to Warren’s scoring acumen.
Beyond Warren, Derrick Jones Jr. showed his long-term potential with extended playing time to close out the season, but unlike Alan Williams and Tyler Ulis, who earned rotation spots, he only earned a roster spot. Jones Jr. should not factor into the Suns’ decision with any of their picks.
That makes the three a very interesting position to watch for the Suns in the draft.
Draft outlook: Even if the Suns fall from No. 2 to No. 3 on lottery night, they still may be in a position to take their pick of the two best small forwards in this class.
Kansas freshman Josh Jackson would fill the glaring need of a defensive stopper on the perimeter and his willing passing would be a welcome addition. He was productive and efficient for the Jayhawks in 2016-17, shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 37.8 from three-point range while scoring 16.3 points and snagging 7.4 rebounds per game.
A sneak peek into the future of a lineup featuring Jackson, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss switching on everything has to make fans of defensive-minded teams salivate. Perhaps most importantly, he’s also the top-3 pick that would stop the backcourt carousel from turning, and that makes him the best “win-now” pick possible for the Suns, unlike the other two players in the discussion — Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.
– Will the Suns see Josh Jackson as a star or an elite role player?–
There’s an argument to be made that Jayson Tatum out of Duke is too similar to Warren, and those people might not be wrong.
Tatum, who averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game for the Blue Devils, is more versatile offensively than Warren, but he’s certainly not more efficient. While Tatum can shoot threes, there are red flags regarding whether he can shoot it well all over the floor.
With that in mind, Tatum might be the guy you’d rather have long-term, but that’s not a reason to take him if other players who would fit more glaring needs are available, such as Jackson or even hybrid forward Jonathan Isaac and stretch big Lauri Markkanen.
Like it is for the center position, the beginning of the second round could be where the Suns take advantage of the depth at small forward in this draft.
Syracuse’s Tyler Lydon would give Phoenix some much-needed floor spacing while SMU’s Semi Ojeleye’s versatility and physicality would fit in very well with the swagger and edge the Suns play with.
Lydon is the type of specialist whose stock could soar in future drafts. He’s a lethal shooter in the catch-and-shoot with a great release, meaning he would have to do very little else on the floor to become a decade-long pro if he was to hit 39-41 percent from deep. He did that in his two years at Syracuse, shooting at least 39.5 percent from three-point range and averaging 13.2 points in his sophomore season.
The Syracuse wing projects to do enough to stay on the floor, possessing a strong basketball IQ on both ends of the floor that got overshadowed by being asked to do too much for the Orange as a primary scorer. Shining more as a team defender and lacking true athleticism to compete with some of the best, what Jared Dudley is right now for the Suns is how Lydon could pan out. He’d be the second-best shooter on the Suns by a wide margin if he were to be selected.
At 6-foot-7 with the body fit for a power forward, Ojeleye will break any “tweener” detector you use on him. If he was two inches taller with a 7-foot wingspan, he’s easily a lottery pick after averaging a terrific 19 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on terrific shooting percentages (48.7 FG%, 42.4 3P%, 78.5 FT%) for the Mustangs this season.
While unique, his three-point stroke is pretty and he’s always playing with a purpose, something — places talking head hat on — you can’t teach. An athletic bruiser of his mold that can space out the floor is such a wanted commodity that GMs and scouts will ignore the tweener concerns — specifically, how he moves his feet defensively and his lack of potential.
Even beyond those names, Florida’s Devin Robinson and Oregon’s Dillon Brooks are two very talented players who could go much deeper in the draft.
No one needs to tell you why Robinson is an NBA prospect after watching him for just a few minutes. Robinson is incredibly quick and at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan to go with his hops, there’s your prototypical NBA small forward.
Robinson will make his money defensively after guarding both guard positions in the SEC last year, but what’s putting him on NBA radars is improved shooting, finishing the year at 39 percent from deep along with 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Players with his size, explosiveness and 3-and-D potential don’t come around too often. Even with a limited ceiling skill-wise and already being 22 years old, he’d be great value for any team and checks both aforementioned boxes for what the Suns need.
As my partner in crime Kevin Zimmerman has asked in the past, why can’t the Ducks’ Brooks be an NBA role player for a decade?
Brooks was a monster for Oregon this season, shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from deep while averaging 16.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
He has clear offensive perimeter skills that he has developed over the years, being able to shoot, slash and pass all while playing smart basketball with NBA athleticism.
His size at 6-foot-7 really hurts him, however, casting doubt about whether he will be able to score against quicker perimeter defense at small forward since he’s too small — no freaky wingspan to make up for the height like some small-ball fours — to spend most of his minutes at power forward.
The Canadian has too much offensive polish to go undrafted, though, and his shooting and boisterous playing style would be a great fit in Phoenix.
