3 biggest needs of the Suns with the 22nd pick in NBA Draft
By Luke Duffy
1. Center
Without doubt the area of most concern is the center position. Already the Suns have been linked with 20-year-old Baylor product Yves Missi this summer, and when you watch him play it is not hard to see why. He is long, athletic and finishes around the rim with tenacity. Defensively he understands what is going on as well, something which can take years to develop in a player.
Right now the Suns have Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks as their center rotation. Nurkic exceeded all expectations in staying healthy and being an actual contributor for most of the season, but his limitations were once again on full display in the postseason. He's more of a plodding giant, who means well but can't always cover the ground required playing with three stars.
Next. Suns linked with intriguing center prospect in latest mock draft. Suns linked with intriguing center prospect in latest mock draft. dark
Eubanks has the opposite problem as he has tons of heart and energy, but not the frame to trouble the biggest centers in the league. Missi - or whatever big man the Suns zoned in on - would be a nice balance of the two. The hope is that they would be athletic enough to get out to the perimeter from time-to-time, while also battling well inside the paint.
The best case scenario would be doing what the Dallas Mavericks did last season in drafting Dereck Lively II with the 12th pick. Already he understands his role on that team - whether starting or coming off the bench - and fills in well around Luka Doncic. His IQ meaning he has already had a positive impact defensively. The Suns can find their Lively II in this draft. They have to in order to compete.