Conclusion
As I’ve mentioned multiple times, I think the Suns should take Cliff Alexander if he is available in the second round, but I truly doubt that will be the case. Alexander was a consensus top-five recruit coming out of high school, and his raw talent alone should be enough to get him taken in the top-43.
With that said, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Suns draft a big man with the 13th overall pick, and then trade up to get Alexander (or another big man) somewhere in the beginning of the second round. Those moves would allow the Suns to trade the Morris twins and get back basically any position, or maybe even acquire picks in the following years.
It all comes down to this: By no means will Alexander be able to come into the NBA and dominate from the start. There may be a learning curve that lasts a year; it may last three years. However, if Alexander can even raise his basketball IQ to the level of a league-average big man, he will absolutely be worth the pick.
The tools are there, as is the talent. And for a guy projected to go late in the first round or early in the second, it’s not going to get a lot better than that. It really comes down to the mental aspects of the game, and how far along the Suns feel Cliff Alexander is.
After all, when interviewing Kawhi Leonard, the team was apparently turned off to the idea of drafting him, and it could be a similar scenario with Alexander. It really wouldn’t be that much of a surprise; it’s possible that a lot of teams feel that way.
However, with the injury concerns minimized with the team’s training staff, and the off-court issues seeming to be not much of anything at all, Cliff Alexander may simply be the best fit for the Suns in the second round. I guess we’ll just have to wait until draft day to find out.
Next: Montrezl Harrell: Suns Draft Profile