2008 NBA Draft. Suns need a guard, not cash

This year’s NBA Draft could be very important in shaping the future of the Phoenix Suns. Let’s just hope the ownership and the new coaching staff are willing to grab something other than cash.

The Suns will indeed pick 15th and hopefully, since they’ll make the Playoffs in the next couple of years this could be the best chance to grab some talent that could eventually make the difference.

Consider that the Suns biggest needs, not counting cash considerations, are more or less these:
1. Back up point guard
2. Athletic small forward
3. Shooting guard
4. Defense

The Suns draft history has ranged from bad to worse lately, even if the front office has been able to pick some good players.

There were some mistakes (Cabarkapa in 2004, Gortat in 2005) but over the last 4 years the Suns have drafted plenty of good players that eventually became good NBA players.
The kind of players the Suns are now in desperate need. A check of the Suns draft history is quite revealing in this sense.

Need a back up point guard?
The Suns drafted Nate Robinson (2005, later traded to NY for K. Thomas later traded to Seattle for cash); Rajon Rondo (2006, traded to Cleveland for draft picks); Sergio Rodriguez (2006, traded to Portland for cash).

How about a small forward?
The Suns picked Loul Deng in 2004 and traded him to Chicago for picks, the rights to Jackson Vroman (who?) and of course cash.

In other words, the Suns did well in spotting talent but made plenty of poor decisions either trading or simply in the way they used – or not used – those players. This eventually cost Mike D’Antoni his job.

Getting back to the Suns needs entering the 2008 Draft, last season the Suns drafted the best guard available in Europe in Rudy Fernandez, a defensive minded point guard in D.J. Strawberry and an athletic small forward in Alando Tucker. Then of course they traded away the right to Rudy (guess what…for cash !) and basically never gave a chance to D.J. and Doe.

So what to do with the 15th pick this year?

I believe the Suns should pick a guard in the first round hoping one between D.J. Augustin (Texas), Mario Chalmers (Kansas), Brandon Rush (Kansas) could be available. Just please, pick one, let him play and avoid trading the guy to Portland for cash an hour after the trade.

Go Suns !