Could Damian Lillard be the newest Phoenix Sun?

The 2012 NBA Draft is nearing, and the Phoenix Suns are
diligently continuing their process to select the best
player available when they’re on the clock with the 13th
pick.

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.

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