The Phoenix Suns might draft the next Charles Barkley in 2019

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 08: Zion Williamson #12 Spartanburg Day School, Spartanburg, SC during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Teams All-Star basketball game. The Jordan Brand Classic showcases the best male and female high school basketball players who compete in the exhibition games at the The Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on April 08, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 08: Zion Williamson #12 Spartanburg Day School, Spartanburg, SC during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Teams All-Star basketball game. The Jordan Brand Classic showcases the best male and female high school basketball players who compete in the exhibition games at the The Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York on April 08, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: Anthony Bennett of UNLV poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner David Stern after Bennett was drafted #1 overall in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2013 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 27, 2013 in in the Brooklyn Bourough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: Anthony Bennett of UNLV poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner David Stern after Bennett was drafted #1 overall in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2013 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 27, 2013 in in the Brooklyn Bourough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

If Charles Barkley is Zion Williamson’s ceiling, then what is his floor? Unfortunately I have a far more recent example for who I see that potentially being:

Anthony Bennett

At UNLV Bennett was ultra-quick and athletic for his size, highly regarded as an offensive player, led his team in scoring and  rebounds, and seemed to improve before everyone’s eyes. He was ferocious around the basket with the ball, and while leaner than Zion and taller than Barkley, his strength was an asset that he used to his advantage, moving opponents out of the way whenever he wished.

NBAdraft.net raved  about Bennett on his bio page (although his comps were only Rodney Rogers and Jason Maxiell), offering very little in the way of weaknesses.

Ultimately though, Bennett proved too heavy and short for a modern power forward, lacked desire on the defensive end, and when things got tough, he disappeared.

Of course, at the moment there is no way to know where Zion will land on the spectrum between Barkley and Bennett until he not only plays out his college career, but then completes a few seasons in the NBA.

Should Zion at least lean across the dividing line towards Sir Charles and have both a productive career but also one that is predicated on not just flashy dunks but also rebounding and defensive awareness, then there is no doubt in my mind that he will be worth the selection, regardless of where the Phoenix Suns might take him.

Recently I wrote that one of the ways the Phoenix Suns can have a successful season is if they have a good year on the court and yet still win the lottery. You can read that here:

What would make the 2018-19 season a success for the Phoenix Suns?. dark. Next

More than just winning the lottery though is selecting the right player. If Zion Williamson is available when the Suns draft (and they take him), and he becomes Anthony Bennett, then of course they will have lost the lottery.

However, if they select Zion and he becomes the next Charles Barkley, not only have they won the lottery and by extension won the draft, but they will be winning a whole heckofa lot more games than recent memory – and possibly championships – than ever before.