Guard? Forward? It doesn’t matter when you’re as talented and versatile as Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver. If the skilled swingman falls in this year’s draft, the Phoenix Suns could snag a steal who can contribute right out the gate.
The Phoenix Suns might have slipped much farther down the draft selection list then that would have preferred, but there are plenty of opportunities for them to find a player who may be an All-Star in the future.
Although they have a dearth of point guards, they must draft the best available player regardless of position and look to fill holes elsewhere through trade and free agency. So if the best player happens to be yet another wing, well, that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t have a future guiding the Suns deep into the playoffs.
Phoenix Suns
Afterall, it is 2019, and the strict positional titles that used to define players in the NBA are becoming more and more hazy. It’s getting harder to deny this fact after watching small-ball “center” Draymond Green operate a transition offense to perfection like a floor general and 6’11’’ Greek god Giannis Antetokounmpo euro-stepping from the top of the key in the playoffs.
Now, “shooting guard” Jarrett Culver isn’t exactly a physical specimen like Giannis or a big-bodied force like Draymond, but he does possess all of the tools necessary to become a multi-dimensional player that can succeed in this league – the right kind of player the Phoenix Suns could target.
The former Red Raider has received loads of buzz after leading his team on a surprising NCAA Tournament run, culminating in a heartbreaking overtime loss to Virginia in the National Championship.
Culver struggled in that game against Virginia’s smothering defense, scoring only 15 points on a lackluster 23 percent shooting, but scouts were already enamored by his poise and bevy of playmaking moves.
Every superhero needs a sidekick and while Devin Booker’s heroics have mostly ended in disappointment with zero playoff appearances in his short career, the Suns need to find a do-it-all “glue guy” who can excel at all of the little things that turn average teams into championship contenders.
Culver might be their man at pick number six.