Valley of the Suns
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Phoenix Suns: Top 6 missed opportunities with #6 pick

By Khaleel Abdullah

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 1: Jonny Flynn #10 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles around Joel Anthony #50 of the Miami Heat during a basketball game at Target Center on April 1, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 Hannah Foslien /Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 1: Jonny Flynn #10 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles around Joel Anthony #50 of the Miami Heat during a basketball game at Target Center on April 1, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 Hannah Foslien /Getty Images) /
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#1 – 2009 NBA Draft

With the sixth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select Jonny Flynn.

The Wolves got their franchise point guard. He was sitting right there and they grabbed him. Or not. Actually, they picked a point guard that lasted a whole three seasons in the NBA, averaging 9.2 points and 3.7 assists per game.

They could have picked pretty much any other guard left on the board and they would have been fine but instead they picked the one that was just awful.

Available – Steph Curry (#7), DeMar DeRozan (#9), Jrue Holiday (#17), Jeff Teague (#19) and Darren Collison (#21)

Curry was the very next pick. He’s a 6x All-Star, 2x MVP and 3x Champion.

4x All-Star DeRozan was also still available.

If the team insisted on a point guard, they could have taken one of three other guys still on the board and been pleased with the result.

Holiday was an All-Star in 2013, averaging 17.7 points, 8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Teague was an All-Star in 2015, averaging 15.9 points, 7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Collison has been a very solid starter as he’s averaged 12.5 points, 5 assists and 1.2 steals per game over his 10 seasons in the league.

What is going to be remembered most by Wolves fans, though, is that Curry was the very next pick after Flynn.

Minnesota actually had the fifth and sixth overall picks. With the fifth pick, they chose point guard Ricky Rubio. He’s been a pretty good player but he’s no Curry. The Wolves could have had Curry and DeRozan in the backcourt with Kevin Love and Al Jefferson in the frontcourt.

Related Story. Top 6 NBA players selected at #6. light

I mean, it doesn’t get much worse than that. It’s an epic fail.

Those are my top choices for biggest misses with the sixth overall pick since the 1998 NBA Draft. What do you think?

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