NBA Draft: Memphis Grizzlies’ Pick Relies Upon Phoenix Suns’ Move

Question: Who are the top-four prospects on the Phoenix Suns’ Draft board? What red flags are you seeing with any of these four guys?

Lucas Johnson: “In my last mock big board for the Valley of the Suns, I had the top four player as (1) Deandre Ayton, (2) Luka Doncic, (3) Marvin Bagley, (4) Mohamed Bamba. However, I doubt that Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough has the same big board. McDonough’s big board would probably have Jaren Jackson Jr. over Bamba. With that in mind, analyzing Jackson Jr. is important as well. For Ayton, the one red flag would have to be his absence of elite defensive skill; however, he does have the potential to be an elite defender. Doncic’s inability to defend opposing guards concerns me. If the Suns draft Doncic, then they would have to rely on Josh Jackson or Devin Booker to defend point guards and that’s not good for the team defensively. Bagley will never be an above-average defender which would be his biggest fault. Bamba is very raw and there’s a chance he never really develops. I have a huge reserve when it comes to Jackson Jr. He has history of foul problems and I believe that it will follow him to the NBA. He may have a hard time staying on the court in his first couple of seasons due to that fact.”

Gerald Bourguet: “Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic are the consensus top two, with Marvin Bagley III and Mohamed Bamba likely following them up. I’d throw in Jaren Jackson Jr. as well, but those first four are the names McDonough mentioned specifically when first asked who would be in the running at No. 1. With Doncic, the questions lie on the defensive end, particularly if he shared the backcourt with Booker, a poor defender. Would they be able to stop anyone? Could Doncic make the switch to being a full-time point guard? Who would guard the other team’s star point guard? Could Josh Jackson handle that kind of load?

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With Ayton, the defensive end is an even bigger concern. Nobody should read too far into one bad game, but watching him get torn up in the NCAA Tournament by a bunch of no-names in Buffalo’s small-ball lineups wasn’t encouraging for his ability to anchor what was the NBA’s worst defense last year. Take a look at the remaining four teams in the NBA Playoffs and none of them have a dominant offensive unicorn, but all of them have a plethora of wings and positional interchangeability.

As for Bagley, again, defense is the big question mark, but so is his position. He feels like a bit of a tweener — not good enough defensively to be an anchor as a small-ball 5, but possibly not quick enough to stick with other 4s, especially ones that can spread the floor or make plays off the dribble from the perimeter. Bagley is another local product from Tempe, and should certainly be in the running, but seems to be a tier below Doncic and Ayton.

Bamba’s defensive potential has to be tantalizing for a miserable defense like Phoenix. To build a contender around Booker, finding an elite defender and rim protector at the 5 is a must. However, there are still questions about that jump shot of his and his rawness on that end of the floor. He also needs to get a lot stronger, and his role in the NBA is probably closer to that of a Clint Capela (rim-running, shot-blocking and pick-and-rolls) than a true stretch-5.”