With the 2015 NBA Draft approaching, pre-draft workouts have finally begun. On the first day of Phoenix Suns workouts, the team got an extended look at Colorado’s Askia Booker, Michigan State’s Branden Dawson, Delaware State’s Kendall Gray, Eastern Washington’s Tyler Harvey, Oklahoma State’s Le’Bryan Nash and Florida’s Chris Walker.
On the first day of draft workouts, head coach Jeff Hornacek looked happier than he’s looked in months. With a batch of raw and developing prospects in the gym, the Suns’ head coach was positive and high-fiving players as he put them through Phoenix’s three-minute run — a “fun” little drill to see how many times they could get up and down the floor in the allotted time.
Harvey and Booker led the pack by running the length of the court 26 times.
Harvey, a 6’4″ junior considered to either be a late second round pick or go undrafted, led Division I in scoring this past season, averaging 23.1 points per game. He led the nation in made three-pointers as well.
“We’re not as noticed because we don’t get a lot of that TV time, but people bring out scouts to our games,” Harvey said. “We might not be as recognized but we’ve just got to prove ourselves.”
Harvey is a very good three-point shooter who shot at least 40.9 percent from downtown in each of his three seasons with the Eagles. Though he comes from a small school, Harvey’s elite three-point shooting, his unlimited range and his quickness with the ball make him a possibility for the Suns with their 44th overall pick.
“I’ve been trying to get myself in shape, at this level you have to be in tip-top shape to hang so I’ve been working on that,” he said.
Joining Harvey at the head of the pack was Askia Booker, a 6’2″ guard prospect from Colorado. Coming off his senior season with the Buffaloes, Booker averaged 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. A member of the Second-Team All-Pac-12, Booker is not projected to be selected in most mock drafts.
Booker is more than aware he’ll need to bulk up in order to survive at the next level.
“Physicality is a whole new basketball game especially from college, which is something I’m trying to work on with my body, my athleticism, my speed, my jumping ability, all that type of stuff,” he said. “I have to reach that next level to withstand these bigger guys out here and hopefully I can hold my ground.”
Booker knows his size is a disadvantage, which is why he’ll be focusing on making his name on the defensive end.
“I think that’s one of the biggest things now days, not everybody wants to defend,” he said. “But if I can guard the ball and disrupt some plays and get us some extra possessions, then it helps me.”
Chris Walker joins Booker as a prospect who might not hear his name called on draft day. Walker was a five-star recruit who committed to the Florida Gators, but he was a massive disappointment, averaging 4.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in only 14.6 minutes per game.
Walker is currently No. 67 on ESPN’s Chad Ford’s Big Board, but he does have the kind of explosive athleticism, offensive rebounding skills and shot blocking ability the Suns would like to add to their roster. Walker’s decision to come out is a bit puzzling considering his two underwhelming seasons under Billy Donovan, but Walker believes his recent improvements to his game will make a difference.
“Really every part of the game I feel like I can always get better, hone my craft, work on different moves,” he said. “I’ve been working on my conditioning, I’m in way better condition now. I work on my free throws, midrange, pretty much everything.”
Walker also mentioned one reason behind his underwhelming production with the Gators.
“No offense to my coach, but I just felt like when I first got there as a freshman they were already winning and everything, when I came in they already had basically their roles and their rotation going on,” he said. “So when I did get out I tried wherever I could, but I felt like I didn’t get used enough.”
Branden Dawson, a 6’6″ forward who played under Tom Izzo, could also be in play in the late second round. He’s got elite athleticism and a strong motor, but he was a bit inconsistent for the Spartans and needs to develop a more consistent shot.
Kendall Gray, a 6’10” center from Delaware State, isn’t projected to be drafted by many mock drafts, but he averaged 11.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game for the Hornets this season. On Mar. 5 he posted an unbelievable 33-point, 30-rebound stat line against Coppin State, becoming the first player in 10 years to record 30 rebounds in a Division I basketball game.
Gray was named the MEAC Player of the Year and the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and could be an option in the second round if the Suns feel they want some depth behind Alex Len. (Keep in mind, Brandan Wright is an unrestricted free agent.)
Rounding out the prospects from day one was Le’Bryan Nash, a 6’7″ forward from Oklahoma State who averaged 17.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Nash is an amazing athlete, but his defensive intensity and poor body language were sources of constant criticism throughout his time with the Cowboys.
He is currently No. 104 on Chad Ford’s Big Board. Unfortunately for Nash, he made just 10 percent of his three-pointers last season — a big red flag for a Suns team that needs to bolster its long range attack.
“I though Le’Bryan Nash shot the ball pretty well today, especially from three-point range,” general manager Ryan McDonough said. “His numbers don’t indicate that he would be a good NBA three-point shooter, but he looked pretty good and it seems like it’s something he’s been working on.”
None of these players would be first round selections, but with day one in the books the Suns are getting a better sense of what the second round might look like.
Next: Frank Kaminsky: Phoenix Suns 2015 Draft Profile