Valley of the Suns
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Ten sleeper prospects for the Phoenix Suns at draft’s end

By Khaleel Abdullah

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 7: Arizona State guard Tra Holder (0) looks on during the first round game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona State Sun Devils on March 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 7: Arizona State guard Tra Holder (0) looks on during the first round game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona State Sun Devils on March 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 16: Kendrick Nunn #1 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies drives to the basket against the Michigan State Spartans during game two of the Hitachi College Basketball Showcase at Little Caesars Arena on December 16, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Spartans defeated the Grizzles 86-73. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 16: Kendrick Nunn #1 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies drives to the basket against the Michigan State Spartans during game two of the Hitachi College Basketball Showcase at Little Caesars Arena on December 16, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The Spartans defeated the Grizzles 86-73. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

1. Kendrick Nunn (6-3 190) from Oakland

Season Stats : 44-39-84 shooting line (4.5 treys) for 25.9 pts, 4.7 rebs, 3.8 asts and 1.5 stls

He led his high school to four state titles and had his jersey retired.

He was a 4-star recruit and won a gold medal with the USA Under-16 team.

The future was very bright for Kendrick Nunn.

Status as a potential high draft pick all came apart when, in 2016, he was accused of domestic violence for allegedly choking a woman he was dating – which he firmly denied. He did plead guilty to one misdemeanor battery charge for pushing that woman down and pouring water on her.  For that, he got 18 months of court supervision, 100 hours of public service and had to write an apology letter.

He also got kicked out of his school which is how he ended up at Oakland. He’s been disrespected, called names, and overlooked.

Going to a small name school doesn’t help with recognition and respect either. He only got to play in two games against ranked teams but in that pair of matches, he averaged 4 treys on 38% accuracy and scored 27.5 points along with 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

He was 2nd in the NCAA in points per game and  3-pointers made per game this season.

Regardless of his past, there is no reason a player of his caliber is projected to go undrafted. While his assist numbers aren’t impressive, they aren’t bad and his court vision is solid allowing him make some precise passes.

He’s a good rebounder for his size, a good athlete, and he really gets after it on defense. His catch and release is so quick that when he catches the ball he’s already shooting it. He has Stephen Curry range and confidence.

As an on ball driver, he has a quick first step and is persistent at getting to the rim and finishing. When you watch his highlights, it’s like you’re watching that dream point guard that you create in a video game has come to life.

He’s a scorer (11 games with 30+ points). He can find the open man (seven games with 6+ assists). He can pick pockets (six games with 3+ steals). He deserves a shot and could end up being one of the best point guards in this draft and maybe even a poor man’s Steph Curry.

Next: The two most likely lottery spots the Suns could trade into

That’s it for now. These are 10 guys that are projected undrafted that I strongly feel the Phoenix Suns should target with their 59th overall pick in the draft. What about you? Anyone you feel should be added to this list?

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