If the Phoenix Suns take Deandre Ayton first overall, they should do whatever it takes to move up and put a talented young guard next to Devin Booker.
To maximize Devin Booker’s potential, the Suns need to pair him with another skilled guard.
Booker’s a dynamic scorer with the ability to create for himself in the half court. He’ll be playing next season at 22 years old, which means the next few seasons will be crucial to his development. To get the most out of Booker, he needs a wingman who can create open shots, not just through their passing ability but through their own threat to score.
Unless Elfrid Payton or Josh Jackson‘s haircuts lead to 20 percent shooting increases, the Phoenix Suns should look to the draft to bolster their backcourt and wing play.
Putting another scoring guard with Booker would entirely open up his game. Sharing the load, and therefore the defense’s attention, with another capable player would get Booker more open and efficient looks. And going forward, it would solidify the team’s young core.
Prospects to watch
Assuming the Suns decide to keep the first overall pick to select Arizona center Deandre Ayton, they should immediately look to move back up from the 16th pick. And there are two guards that would pair perfectly with Devin Booker: Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
Doncic is a 6-8 point guard from Slovenia who, at just 19 years old, has won the Euroleague championship, MVP, and Final Four MVP. Young lacks Doncic’s size, standing at just 6-2, but he certainly lacks nothing when it comes to talent. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.7 steals his Freshman year at Oklahoma on a roster sorely lacking in complimentary talent. He also shot 36.0 percent on threes, many of which were deep and contested.
Both guys are ball-dominant guards who can knock down the triple and find teammates for open shots. They’ll often create opportunities for other players by drawing focus from help defenders.
This Tweet from The Step Back shows Trae Young’s extraordinary ability to get teammates open in outstanding positions to score.
The uniqueness of Trae Young’s playmaking footprint (by @scricca1
— The Step Back (@The_Step_Back) May 29, 2018
- @NylonCalculus) https://t.co/KVqapt7sLo pic.twitter.com/hgArwEALbH
The chart shows that Young’s 8.7 assists aren’t a product of his teammates’ shooting. Instead, he creates opportunities and finds teammates for open layups, especially in transition. It’s easy to see this style of play translating to the NBA game. The ability to get out on the break and find athletes like Booker, Ayton, and Jackson for finishes at the other end would immediately make the Suns one of the most exciting teams in the league.
The importance of fit
Some fans would also want the team to take a look at Mo Bamba if they were to trade back into the high lottery. But the fit wouldn’t be nearly as good as it would be with Doncic or Young.
Just look at the Pelicans as an example. They have arguably the two best bigs in the league in DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis. But when Cousins went down with a torn achilles, the team actually played better, and with more room to operate around the rim, Davis had an MVP caliber finish to the season.
While an Ayton-Bamba front court is a fun idea, it probably isn’t practical. But a big three of Ayton, Booker, and a talented offensive-minded guard could be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Whether it’s Doncic or Young, the two-man game with Booker would be devastating, picking apart defenses with drive and kicks, off ball cuts, and transition buckets. And either player would provide a second pick and roll option with Ayton, just another way to get the big man involved and keep other teams on their heels.
The Grizzlies are rumored to have interest in trading back from the number four pick, and if the Suns can muster the assets to land the pick without moving Booker or Jackson, they should have no hesitation. Doncic might still be on the board at four, and Trae Young almost certainly will be.
Next: The Phoenix Suns should want nothing to do with the 16th pick
Taking an elite guard prospect would complete the backcourt, put Devin Booker in the best position to succeed, and give the Phoenix Suns one of the league’s most exciting young cores. It’ll be fun to see how draft night shakes out.