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NBA Draft grades: How do the Suns fare for picks, trade?

Jun 24, 2016, 6:34 AM | Updated: 12:25 pm

Marquese Chriss, right, poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected ei...

Marquese Chriss, right, poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected eighth overall by the Sacramento Kings during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Phoenix Suns couldn’t decide between power forwards Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss — so they cooked up a plan to take both of them in the 2016 NBA Draft.

What is the national media saying about the moves led by general manager Ryan McDonough? Here’s a collection of some post-draft reactions regarding the Suns’ drafting of two power forwards in the first round.

Bender went to Phoenix at the fourth pick, while the Suns moved picks and the rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic to move into the Kings’ eighth slot and grab Chriss.

Michael Lee, Yahoo Sports

Bender: C+

Has intriguing versatility. Improved shooter who can put the ball on the floor and make plays for others. Not a finished product as a scorer or interior defender. Played a small role against terrific competition this season, but likely needs time to define his role in the NBA.

Chriss: A

Has budding offensive skills that are well tailored to the power forward position in today’s NBA. Can make three-pointers, attack from the perimeter off the bounce, score with finesse from the post and finish above the rim. Struggled at times defensively, notably on the glass.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN

Chriss: B-

Still, the Suns’ stockpile of draft picks and young players put them in good position to move up in the lottery. The biggest question here is whether Phoenix can successfully develop two young stretch-4s after adding Chriss to Dragan Bender, whom the Suns chose ahead of Chriss at the No. 4 pick.

Sam Vecenie, CBS Sports

Bender: A

He might not be an elite player right away, but no one they were realistically in the mix for was. Long-term, Bender was the best player available, and it is a smart decision from them at No. 4.

Chriss: B-

He’s the end of a tier, and consolidating your value here for a guy in Chriss that plenty of people around the league love is smart. I’m just not the biggest fan of Chriss as a player, especially with Bender already in the mix, so I can’t go much higher than B-.

Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated

Bender: A

Phoenix has been stuck in the competitive middle, and sorely needed a power forward and an injection of elite talent. Long-term, Bender was the best four-man available. He’s the youngest player in the draft, and given his size, passing ability, ball-handling and shooting potential, could in time become a high-level cog in the Suns’ offense. Bender possesses an intriguing range of skills and fits the needs here perfectly. He and Devin Booker should be fun to watch together for a long time.

Chriss: B-

It’s a net gain in terms of high-end talent for the Suns — a major need for them — but taking a player whose positional resembles the guy they just took, Dragan Bender, makes it a bit of a head-scratcher. Chriss has star upside, but also may have further to go than any of the elite talents in the draft. You can’t fault the Suns for taking the highest-upside guy left, but their long-term plan is slightly fuzzy at the moment.

Andrew Sharp, Sports Illustrated

Phoenix Suns: B+

They may have not any clear plan or direction, but they have options, and that’s more than you can say for most bad teams. They came into this draft looking for a stretch four, and they’ll leave with the two best stretch four options on the board, and all it took was giving up a role player to the Kings. Chriss isn’t a sure thing and Bender’s upside is questionable, but this is a huge win.

Adam Fromal, Bleacher Report

Phoenix Suns: B+

On Dragan Bender: “The Suns managed to find a hard-working kid at a position of need. His pick-and-pop skills work nicely alongside Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. And there’s no telling how high his ceiling could rise once Phoenix commits to him at the four.”

On Marquese Chriss: “Why draft one risky power forward when you can draft two? The Suns traded back into the top 10 to get their hands on Marquese Chriss, who will either develop into the next two-way stud or the second coming of Anthony Randolph. He’s a project player, which means Phoenix has dedicated two of its roster spots to power forwards in need of serious development. Nonetheless, Bender makes sense for the Suns. Chriss also makes sense for the Suns.”

On Tyler Ulis: “Unless a trade is coming later in the offseason, it’s tough to see how Ulis can find his way into a lineup that will give him the ball and let him make use of his scoring touch, since he’ll always be playing alongside a more established backcourt scorer.”

Chad Ford, ESPN

Phoenix Suns: A

The Suns added an elite backcourt shooter last year in Devin Booker. This year they addressed a huge need at the 4 with two of the best shooting bigs in the draft.

Bender is very skilled, can guard multiple positions, protects the rim and plays with a great motor. If he were a more explosive athlete, he might have gone even higher.

Chriss is the freakiest athlete in the draft. It’s rare to see a 6-foot-10 guy who can move the way he can. He’s further away from putting it together than Bender, but I think he has the highest upside in the draft after Simmons and Ingram. I can also see scenarios where both Bender and Chriss can get on the floor together.

And adding Ulis in the second was great. If he were three inches taller, he would’ve been a top-10 pick. He should be great backing up Eric Bledsoe andBrandon Knight in Phoenix.

Things just got brighter in the Valley of the Sun. I’m bullish on the Suns again.

Kelly Dwyer, Yahoo! Sports

Phoenix Suns: B+

In Bender and Chriss, the Suns have pounced on two ultra-quick athletes that will have moments both terrific and terrible for this rebuilding Phoenix club. Bender figures to be an encouraging defender, his footwork on the perimeter is already there, though he’ll have to adapt to NBA speed, develop a more consistent face-up jumper and core. Chriss is a shockingly-poor rebounder, and though he’ll take the bulk of his rookie deal to figure this league out the athleticism is certainly already there. Taking yet another chance on a young Kentucky guard in Ulis makes sense at No. 34.

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NBA Draft grades: How do the Suns fare for picks, trade?