Suns 5-On-5: Preparing For The NBA Draft Lottery

By Gerald Bourguet | May 19, 2015

Mar 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) celebrates with Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow (12) during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Phoenix Suns

Mar 28, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard/forward Pat Connaughton (24) reacts after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the finals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Kentucky won 68-66. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Who stood out to you the most from the 2015 NBA Draft Combine?

Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet): Pat Connaughton out of Notre Dame. Before the draft combine, I barely remembered him from ND’s tourney run. But after posting a ridiculous 44″ vertical and finishing near the top of pretty much every other drill, I know who he is now. None of this is guaranteed to make him a better pro, but the goal of the combine is getting your name out there and improving your draft standing. Connaughton did exactly that.

Spencer Hann (@spencer_hann): Devin Booker, hands down. There were questions about his athleticism heading into the draft. Now, we have some answers. Booker clocked the fastest time in the lane agility drill with a recorded mark of 10.22 seconds.

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Then for his encore, he posted a 34” vertical. While the NBA doesn’t put as quite as much stock into the speed and athleticism drills as the NFL does, these results should at least solidify Booker in the 7-14 pick range.

Scott Chasen (@SChasenKU): How could there be any other answer than Pat Connaughton? The guy posted a 44″ vertical, not to mention he finished around the top of multiple other drills. For his position, he was right there at the top in vertical, lane agility and 3/4 court sprint, and his shuttle time was also strong. He had analysts tweeting him, and even joked around with the “deceptively athletic” label some have given him.

As far as the 5-on-5 games were concerned, I liked what Rakeem Christmas brought on day one, and it carried over to the next day. Andrew Harrison also had his moments in his second game.

Eric Saar (@Eric_Saar): While D’Angelo Russell seems to be legit, he won’t fall to the Suns and he doesn’t fit a “need.” George Lucas looks like an interesting prospect in the mold of Giannis Antetokounmpo. I wonder if he could be the shooting guard of the future for Phoenix, helping the smaller Eric Bledsoe out and creating an incredible defensive backcourt.

Mark Harris (@Harris_Mark7): Pat Connaughton, shooting guard for Notre Dame blew the doors off the combine. He basically was first in every drill he participated in. I’m not sure how good he’ll be at the pro level, but his combine did nothing but help him.

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