Phoenix Suns take Tyler Ennis at No. 18 in NBA Draft

On Thursday, the Phoenix Suns selected Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis with the No. 18 pick.

The freshman from Ontario averaged 13 points and 5.5 assists for Jim Boeheim’s squad.

“I thought I had a really good workout [with the Suns on June 20],” Ennis said. “A lot of people are questioning the point guard situation, but I’m happy to go out there an earn my keep and earn my minutes.”

Ennis is 6-foot-2, with a 6-foot-5 wingspan, and weighs 180 pounds.

He did attend a prep school in New Jersey for the last two years of high school. In 2011-12 he was the Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year.

“I’m a pure point guard,” said Ennis. “A facilitator that makes plays. But also someone who makes others better.”

Even the potential return of Eric Bledsoe (restricted free agent) alongside Goran Dragic in the backcourt in 2014-15, general manager Ryan McDonough doesn’t think the addition of Ennis creates a logjam.

“As you know, we start two guys who would primarily be defined as point guards,” said McDonough. “We really value having multiple ball handlers on the floor. We think our ability to run pick-and-rolls on either side of the floor and also to push the ball in transition either via the pass or dribble, we feel that that is a strength for us.”

Given the past injury history of Bledsoe and Dragic, McDonough noted that the organization wished to improve upon that positional strength in the offseason.

“With Tyler, his composure at his age stands out,” said McDonough. “If you look at his numbers in close or late games, they were terrific like unbelievably good what he did down the stretch of games or with the game on the line.

“When you needed a shot to tie the game or needed some play to bring the team back, he did it at a remarkable rate. That’s pretty rare for a 19-year-old freshman.”

Ennis was the Suns’ second first-round pick. They took T.J. Warren at No. 14 earlier in the round.

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