Valley of the Suns
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NBA Draft: The aftermath of the Phoenix Suns’ drop

By Andrew Clark

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Cam Reddish poses for a portrait at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Cam Reddish poses for a portrait at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Cam Reddish Duke Phoenix Suns (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Cam Reddish Duke Phoenix Suns (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2. Make the Pick

The Suns could stay at six and make a pick. This draft has two elite players and one really good player. After that, it’s all a crap shoot, which means there is a ton of risk involved in staying put and making a pick.

Add in the development curve and this is the most depressing path forward.

There’s a few options they can look at:

Cam Reddish

Assuming the Suns put Josh Jackson out on life raft and wish him the best of luck, they can just draft his clone in Cam Reddish – although that might be unfair to Cam who spent all of this year stuck as third fiddle on a really great Duke team.

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However, welcome to Phoenix where he’d be lucky to be the third fiddle. I don’t think it’s getting any better for Cam and if I were the Suns I wouldn’t make this pick. It might work out long-term, but I doubt it.

Darius Garland

Darius might be a lot of things. An elite scorer, a good athlete, a solid defender, etc. He may also be made out of glass and soon to be out of the league. The only thing known about him is that he’s a score first guard. Unless the Suns really loved how Eric Bledsoe and Booker fit together, they’d be wise to avoid picking Garland.

Brandon Clarke

I am a Gonzaga homer and I make no apologies about it. Best team in college basketball and I love me some Brandon Clarke. I think he could have shades of Taj Gibson where he plays elite defense, is a scrapper for lose balls, and just gets points where they’re given to him. That might fit really well next to Deandre Ayton.

The only challenge is Brandon made his living in college using his athleticism to feast on lesser athletes. Running up against LeBron is a different animal. By NBA standards, Clarke is small. At 6’8″ with a small wingspan he’s just got a high potential to be a bust.

Coby White

The only fit that makes sense to me in this pick is Coby White. White is a big time player that does a little bit of everything. He reminds me a lot of Elfrid Payton except with slightly less intrusive hair at this age and an actual jumper. He shoots the 3 at a clip that should translate well to the NBA. His ability to play elite defense, distribute the ball, and hit a jumper makes him a nice fit alongside Booker. If the Suns stay in at this spot, this is the best fit for the team.

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