ESPN Insider: Oladipo and McLemore should both be gone when Suns pick
Jun 26, 2013, 7:56 PM | Updated: Jun 27, 2013, 4:52 am
Best case scenario for the Phoenix Suns Thursday: both Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Ben McLemore of Kansas are available when they’re on the clock with the fifth overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft.
The chances of that happening, however, are small according to one NBA insider.
“I see both of those guys, in all likelihood, gone by five,” ESPN’s Tom Penn told Dave Burns and John Gambadoro Wednesday on Arizona Sports 620.
Gambadoro outlined a scenario which was relayed to him by a high-ranking NBA executive that had McLemore being taken by the Orlando Magic with the number-two pick and Oladipo being nabbed by the Charlotte Bobcats at number four. Penn agreed that neither would be available for Phoenix.
“Oladipo’s the safest pick. He’s going to hit his ceiling, okay, he’s going to max out whatever he’s got. The only question is how high is that ceiling going to be, but he’s the best worker in the draft, highest character, sure thing for whatever he is,” Penn said. “And McLemore is the best talent. So he’s got the highest ceiling, where you’re taking a little risk, get him into a good system, get him structured and he could be the best player in this whole draft.”
For those reasons, Penn has both players being taken in the first four selections. So what does that leave for the Suns at number five?
“In the scenarios we’re talking about, you get into (UNLV forward Anthony) Bennett and you get into (Georgetown forward Otto) Porter — he’s a solid pick, he’s going to be a good NBA player, a 10-year NBA player,” Penn said. “I think in that scenario, I might take Otto Porter.”
