Uncertainty reins on draft day for Suns, others
Jun 27, 2013, 5:01 PM | Updated: 9:10 pm
One can certainly make the argument that there has never been this much uncertainty surrounding the NBA Draft.
Not only is the consensus that this draft doesn’t have too many game-changing players in it, but nobody seems to have any inkling what order those players will be picked.
In ArizonaSports.com’s Mock Draft Tracker, 20 of the foremost draft experts have given their predictions. The majority (13) of the panelists have Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel being the top overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But other panelists have Maryland’s Alex Len, Kansas’ Ben McLemore and Georgetown’s Otto Porter as the number one selection.
The uncertainty trickles all the way through the first round, according to the experts.
The Phoenix Suns have two first-round draft picks in this year’s event. The experts have five different possibilities for the Suns with the number five overall pick. Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo is the most popular pick, with eight panelists projecting he’ll be the Suns’ pick. McLemore showed up on seven mock drafts, Len on three and Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams and UNLV forward Anthony Bennett showing up on one each.
Think that’s uncertainty? The experts have 16 different possibilities for the Suns with their second first-round pick — 30th overall.
Kentucky shooting guard Archie Goodwin shows up on three mocks, and San Diego State wing Jamaal Franklin and Glen Rice, Jr. of the NBA D-League via Georgia Tech each show up on two.
| Expert | Suns pick at #5 | Suns pick at #30 |
|---|---|---|
| Chad Ford - ESPN.com | Alex Len, C, Maryland | Erick Green, PG, Virginia Tech |
| ESPN Experts | Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse | Ryan Kelly, PF, Duke |
| David Aldridge - NBA.com | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Giannis Adetokunbo, SF, Greece |
| Scott Howard-Cooper - NBA.com | Alex Len, C, Maryland | Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Michigan |
| Chris Mannix - SI.com | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Allan Crabbe, SG, California |
| Sean Deveney - Sporting News | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Tony Snell, SG, New Mexico |
| Joe Kotoch - Sheridan Hoops | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Mike Muscala, C, Bucknell |
| NBADraft.net | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State |
| Matt Moore - CBS Sports | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Jeff Withey, C, Kansas |
| Gary Parrish - CBS Sports | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Glen Rice Jr., SG, Georgia Tech |
| Draft Express | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Pierre Jackson, PG, Baylor |
| Joel Brigham - Hoopsworld | Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV | Ricky Ledo, PG, Providence |
| Yannis Koutroupis - Hoopsworld | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Colton Iverson, C, Colorado State |
| Steve Kyler - Hoopsworld | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State |
| Alex Kennedy - Hoopsworld | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Nate Wolters, SG, South Dakota State |
| Aran Smith - Hoopshype | Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana | Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State |
| Steve Alexander - Rotoworld | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky |
| Kris Habbas - NBA Draft Insider | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky |
| Adi Joseph - USA Today | Alex Len, C, Maryland | Glen Rice Jr., SG, Georgia Tech |
| Mitch Lawrence - NY Daily News | Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas | Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky |
