1971, 14th Pick
Who The Suns Took:
John Roche, Point Guard, South Carolina
Career Stats:
162 GP, 8.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 46.8 % FG
Who The Suns Should Have Taken:
Artis Gilmore, Center, Jacksonville – Originally taken by the Chicago Bulls with the 117th overall pick
Career Stats:
909 GP, 17.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 59.9% FG
Gilmore was a part of the same ABA team as Dan Issel, the Suns should have from the year before. Gilmore was an absolute force at the peak of his career, and the Suns yet again missed out on a dominant player, not once, but 7 times. The Bulls took Gilmore with their pick in the seventh round, the pick directly after the Suns’ 7th round pick, where the Suns took Ralph Brateris.