5. Robert Upshaw
There’s probably not a more controversial prospect in this year’s draft, but if he’s somehow still available at No. 44, the Suns shouldn’t think twice about taking a low-risk, high-reward chance on Robert Upshaw. Okay, so maybe his past issues with drug use make him more of a risk than “low-risk” would normally indicate, but if it weren’t for those off-court problems, Upshaw might have been a lottery prospect.
Before he was kicked off the Washington Huskies’ basketball team, he was averaging 10.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and a nation-leading 4.5 blocks per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. At 21 years old, this seven-footer would give the Suns some much-needed depth in the frontcourt.
Robert Upshaw is so intriguing to me in the sense that he could be picked anywhere between 15-45 in June's draft.
— Chris Reichert (@Chris_Reichert) May 10, 2015
At the NBA Draft Combine, Upshaw had the longest wingspan (7’6″), highest standing reach (9’6″) and largest hands. He’s an elite rim protector who led the Huskies to an 11-0 record to start the season and he’s been saying all the right things about focusing on basketball and putting his past troubles behind him.
Upshaw is such a poor free throw shooter he’s on par with DeAndre Jordan, and there’s the chance his off-court demons could catch up with him once he starts earning NBA money. But since he probably won’t be on the board past the late 30s, the Suns might not even get the chance to make this decision.
Next: No. 4