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  <title>SB Nation Arizona: All Posts by Kristofer Habbas</title>
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  <updated>2013-05-22T14:07:10Z</updated>
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  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-22T14:07:10Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-22T14:07:10Z</updated>
    <title>Phoenix Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough is not disappointed after the NBA Draft Lottery</title>
    <content type="html">
  
    &lt;p&gt;The question now becomes: Who will be available for the Phoenix Suns with the No. 5 Overall Pick? It is not a drastic difference from where they were at No. 4, but one slot could mean the player you absolutely love and the player you really like...&lt;/p&gt;
  
  
    &lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/zzSt31Hpi3I&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
  



</content>
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    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/22/4355302/phoenix-suns-general-manager-ryan-mcdonough-is-not-disappointed-after</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-16T17:00:40Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-16T17:00:40Z</updated>
    <title>NBA Draft Combine: Who did and who did not participate today?</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;20130329_sal_aj6_057&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13228453/20130329_sal_aj6_057.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;It is not about who is invited, but about who actually participates at the NBA Draft Combine. Just like every year the Combine is like a school dance. The gym is at capacity, but most of the cool guys are not dancing while all the girls are left wanting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This year there have been a handful of prospects with injuries that required surgery in No. 1 Overall prospect &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/nerlens-noel/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/nerlens-noel/&quot;&gt;Nerlens Noel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/anthony-bennett/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/anthony-bennett/&quot;&gt;Anthony Bennett&lt;/a&gt; (4), &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/alex-len/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/alex-len/&quot;&gt;Alex Len&lt;/a&gt; (5),  &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/seth-curry/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/seth-curry/&quot;&gt;Seth Curry&lt;/a&gt; (68), and &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/ryan-kelly/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/ryan-kelly/&quot;&gt;Ryan Kelly&lt;/a&gt; (74). They all had routine off-season surgery sacrificing the here and now to be ready to play in the 2013-2014 NBA season in some capacity. They could have held off on the surgeries, but made the right overall decision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Others are recovering from injuries in &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/jamaal-franklin/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/jamaal-franklin/&quot;&gt;Jamaal Franklin&lt;/a&gt; (16), &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/gorgui-dieng/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/gorgui-dieng/&quot;&gt;Gorgui Dieng&lt;/a&gt; (20), and &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/c-j-leslie/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/c-j-leslie/&quot;&gt;C.J. Leslie&lt;/a&gt; (33).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Then there is the group that will not participate on Thursday due primarily to agent decisions in &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/otto-porter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/otto-porter/&quot;&gt;Otto Porter Jr.&lt;/a&gt; (3), M&lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/michael-carter-williams/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/michael-carter-williams/&quot;&gt;ichael Carter-Williams&lt;/a&gt; (8), &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/trey-burke/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/trey-burke/&quot;&gt;Trey Burke&lt;/a&gt; (9), &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/cody-zeller/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/cody-zeller/&quot;&gt;Cody Zeller&lt;/a&gt; (10), &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/mason-plumlee/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/mason-plumlee/&quot;&gt;Mason Plumlee&lt;/a&gt; (13), &lt;a data-mce-href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/c-j-mccollum/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/c-j-mccollum/&quot;&gt;C.J. McCollum&lt;/a&gt; (18), and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/dennis-schroder/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dennis Schroeder&lt;/a&gt; (21).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That is by all accounts seven potential lottery picks by ranking wearing sweats instead of basketball gear. In the end that means nothing in terms of stock. Noel will go No. 1 to the teams that need his services and the same for McLemore, Porter Jr, Len, Oladipo, and Burke.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Today the players are working out in sessions for roughly 30-40 minutes at a time running drills that include shooting, rebounding, fast-break offense, closing out, and other NBA situations that allow decision-makers to see these kids play.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For most NBA decision-makers they are looking at these players for the first time due to the long grind of an NBA season. They have to go off of what the scouts have told them and then combine that with their own eye test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Measurements will be taken Friday and will be up as soon as they are released. Check back in with Bright Side all month for extensive and exhaustive NBA Draft Coverage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
    <link type="text/html" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/16/4337184/phoenix-suns-nba-draft-combine-who-and-who-did-not-participate-today" rel="alternate"/>
    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/16/4337184/phoenix-suns-nba-draft-combine-who-and-who-did-not-participate-today</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-15T21:11:52Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-15T21:11:52Z</updated>
    <title>2013 NBA Draft Combine viewing guide and preview</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;20130126_mjr_su5_020&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13194883/20130126_mjr_su5_020.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There is something to be said about a bunch of rich men sitting around, watching, taking notes, poking/prodding and analyzing which of the many options will be the best asset for them. What is the best investment or which will make them the most revenue?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Having said that, the NBA Draft Combine is basically just that as NBA hopefuls walk around the fields of the hardwood for the cattle ranching NBA decision-makers looking for the best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The NBA Draft Combine services as a stock assessment for a prospect as those invited are selected by NBA teams specifically. They get a ballot of a few hundred names and select 60 of them to come to Chicago, Illinois to workout for three days with them in attendance. This year the list actually ballooned up to 63 total prospects with three extra invitees getting the last minute call to join the group due to a miscue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the past four years the NBA Draft Combine has shown some semblance of consistency to the draft itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Since 2009 the NBA Draft Combine has provided 85.4% of the picks in the draft. That is 205 of the 240 total draft picks. Not a slam dunk, but those invited are typically the ones that hear their name on draft night from either David Stern or Adam Silver. The 14.6% that are not invited (or the 35 players) are in most cases the European stash players picks that we all know and love or international prospects that are not able to attend because of scheduling conflicts with their teams overseas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This year only Rudy Gobert (France) and Dennis Schroeder (Germany) were invited as non-college prospects. They are not the only top level international prospects this year as Sergey Karasev (Russia), Dario Saric (Croatia), Mouhammadou Jaiteh (France), Livio Jean-Charles (France), and Lucas Nogueira (Brazil) are all first round talents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;Here is a full list of the participants that will be updated with measurements as they are released:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013/05/2013-nba-draft-combine-participant-list-measurements/&quot;&gt;2013 NBA Draft Combine Participant List&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;u&gt;Logistics:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;Thursday: ESPNU from 7am-2pm local time&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;Friday: ESPNU from 7am-2:30pm local time&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It is not just the international talent that will be noticeably absent from the Combine as three Top 10 talents will not be able to do more than general measurements. Nerlens Noel, Anthony Bennett, and Alex Len all had surgery to repair injuries that will keep them off the court for the Combine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Does that matter? &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No, it does not. The Combine is not competitive by nature from an athletic standpoint and is basically a dog and pony show for prospects to talk to the media, teams, and get their official measurements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The only way prospects can have a bad Combine &quot;performance&quot; is if they do not measure out well for their position or insert their own foot into their mouth. See &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/149909/travis-leslie&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Travis Leslie&lt;/a&gt; for that one from back in 2011 when he was insulted with a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4347/tony-allen&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Tony Allen&lt;/a&gt; comparison. The same Tony Allen that became a vital member of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/boston-celtics&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Boston Celtics&lt;/a&gt; NBA Championship in 2008 and this years Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. Where is Travis Leslie today?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;What matter? Size matters.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A few prospects to keep an eye on to see how they measure out in the NBA's game of inches are Victor Oladipo (listed at 6-5), Trey Burke (listed at 6-1), Shane Larkin (listed at 5-11), Isaiah Canaan (listed at 6-0), Andre Roberson (listed at 6-7), and Cody Zeller (listed at 6-11) to see if they lose and inch or two.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Losing an inch gives up a mile in the NBA, especially for point guards like Burke, Larkin, and Canaan. The gap between finishing at the rim in college and finishing in the NBA are spread about as far apart as possible. Playing the point guard position at 5-10 or 5-9.75 is immensely more difficult than at 6-2 or 6-4 as the position has trended more towards over the past half decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lottery Picks in Attendance&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Despite the lack of four potential lottery picks due to injury and international team responsibilities; the top prospects will be in attendance for the most part. They will only do their due diligence with measurements, but Ben McLemore, Otto Porter, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Shabazz Muhammad, Cody Zeller, and Mason Plumlee will all be in Chicago.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because of the few that will not be in attendance others will have a chance to make an impression on teams to take them in the lottery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Potential Risers&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Fringe lottery talents like Jamaal Franklin, C.J. McCollum, Gorgui Dieng, Kelly Olynyk, and Schroeder all have a chance to rise up. Franklin, Dieng, and Schroeder are terrific athletes that can open eyes while McCollum and Olynyk can silence doubters about their perceived limitations athletically.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Late first rounders for &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/phoenix-suns&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Suns&lt;/a&gt; fans&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As of today I have the Suns taking Victor Oladipo and Lucas Nogueira in the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/2013-nba-mock-draft/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;most current Mock Draft &lt;/a&gt;that was updated today. Depending on how the team handles their lottery pick there will be a nice allotment of talent at No. 30 for them to choose from.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If they go small (Oladipo) early then some potential big men for them to consider are Nogueira (C, Brazil), Steven Adams (C, Pittsburgh), Richard Howell (PF, N.C. State), Jaiteh (F/C, France), and sleeper Colton Iverson (C, Colorado State). All could be groomed to replace or back-up &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/24258/marcin-gortat&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Marcin Gortat&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Say they go big early, then Allen Crabbe (SG, California), Brandon Paul (SG, Illinois), Lorenzo Brown (G, N.C. State), Tim Hardaway Jr. (G/F, Michigan) and sleeper Nemanja Nedovic (G, Serbia) become the targets.&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
    <link type="text/html" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/15/4334240/phoenix-suns-2013-nba-draft-combine-viewing-guide-and-preview" rel="alternate"/>
    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/15/4334240/phoenix-suns-2013-nba-draft-combine-viewing-guide-and-preview</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-10T22:30:08Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-10T22:30:08Z</updated>
    <title>Ryan McDonough comes in with the right type of entourage</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;Ryan_mcdonough_picture&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn2.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13081989/ryan_mcdonough_picture.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;How many athletes have got themselves into trouble by simply hanging out with &quot;the wrong crowd?&quot; Or even &quot;squandered&quot; their potential by letting others drag them down after they have made it to the top?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ryan McDonough is not an athlete or a performer, but he has risen to the top and has tremendous potential. The company he keeps speaks volumes to that. He did not saunter into the press conference decked out in a Louis Vuitton suit with bling all over and the arrogance some might have. Instead he carried with him a small group that were quiet in nature as they watched Ryan achieve his dream, but spoke volumes about the person the Phoenix Suns just hired.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The McDonough family specializes in sports excellence. Will McDonough was a long time fixture at the Boston Globe working with the Patriots, Red Sox, and all the events in the city of Boston. He was a nationally known and respected writer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His three sons all followed along the path of sports after many long nights talking sports in the living room and having deep thoughtful conversations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sports along with politics, religion, and a few other selected topics are easy to speak about with lackadaisical thought and pun filled rants, but the McDonough family analyzed things as they were happening and see things through different eyes than you and I. That is because of father Will.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His son Sean McDonough has been working on the TV side of things within sports with ABC and ESPN over the years. He is the man behind the camera and knows sports from that perspective.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Terry McDonough was a part of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning team in 2000 before moving to Jacksonville and now, this year, joining his brother Ryan in Phoenix as a part of the Arizona Cardinals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Both his brothers were present and the allure of Ryan's greatness (as well as golf) brought in another universally respected sports mind to the press conference; Jay Bilas. As most already know Bilas is the anchor of ESPN's college basketball coverage and one of the brightest most outspoken minds in the world of basketball.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That was Ryan McDonough's entourage. A football scout, a sports TV producer, and a college basketball aficionado. No bells, no whistles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ryan is a basketball mind. He did not come in with public adulation as the &quot;big name&quot; that the Suns could have went after to sell tickets while ultimately floundering. Instead they got the right guy for the job, a well respected basketball mind with the pedigree and inner circle of what most would expect from a successful basketball decision-maker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As Ryan was asked about the importance of having his family there he understandably choked up. His father was in sports and was no longer with him to see him get to this point. But the atmosphere he provided opened up the doors for the McDonough Family to walk through and make a mark in the world of sports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Dad was the writer, Sean is behind the looking glass, Terry is football, and Ryan is basketball. It pays to have deep, thought provoking conversations while sitting in the living room.&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
    <link type="text/html" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/10/4320012/ryan-mcdonough-comes-in-with-the-right-type-of-entourage" rel="alternate"/>
    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/10/4320012/ryan-mcdonough-comes-in-with-the-right-type-of-entourage</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-10T22:00:03Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-10T22:00:03Z</updated>
    <title>Phoenix Mercury Media provides laughs, new faces, and an aura of excitement</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;20130420_mjr_su5_188&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12982983/20130420_mjr_su5_188.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;Last season was tough and for all intents and purposes a historically bad season. There is that. This is a new season with new faces and the same goal; to win the WNBA Championship. Meeting with the new faces and the old faces give the feel of a team ready to get on the court and have some fun.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Winning seven games in any given season is never fun and the Mercury are ready to get back to having some fun on the court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Here are a few videos to get your palette wet for the upcoming season that could end up being another historic season, but for all the right reasons. This team has a personality that borders on reality TV with the amount of fun the individuals have and it gets ramped up to 11 with all of them in the same room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Corey Gaines&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/FPtZ2H0PGKA&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Diana Taurasi&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/XF8kkarDwy0&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Brittney Griner&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ck_QrHgKdjQ&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Erin Thorn&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;560&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/ODEZnKdNi6U&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
    <link type="text/html" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/10/4319980/phoenix-mercury-media-provides-laughs-new-faces-and-an-aura-of" rel="alternate"/>
    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/10/4319980/phoenix-mercury-media-provides-laughs-new-faces-and-an-aura-of</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-09T22:31:59Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-09T22:31:59Z</updated>
    <title>Ryan McDonough comes in with pedigree, a vision, and a plan with a proven track record of success</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;Ryan_mcdonough&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12936883/ryan_mcdonough.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;With Lon Babby at his side emitting a visual beam of confidence, his newly hired general manager, Ryan McDonough, was introduced to the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/phoenix-suns&quot;&gt;Phoenix Suns&lt;/a&gt; organization and the valley. Full of quips and anecdotes mixed with plenty of cheer and candor, the introduction of McDonough seemed to be a huge sigh of relief after a few tumultuous years for the team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;First of all, let me introduce a couple special guests,&quot; Babby began the press conference. &quot;As you all know by now, the Phoenix Suns have a little bit of a fetish for brothers. Let me introduce a couple of Ryan's family members...&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Along with a plug for some special issue Suns' team neckties that Ryan was wearing that can also be found in the team shop, it was clear from the beginning that Babby and the Suns were nothing short of elated to welcome in another era of Suns basketball.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The sigh of relief comes from the team getting their man. Three years ago, there was a list and Lance Blanks only rose to the top after others pulled out. There was no question where McDonough ranked in the eyes of the team this time around.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;They got their guy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For McDonough, being the first man in the gym and the last man out of the film room has certainly paid off, as his ten-year journey in the NBA has led up to this point.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;I am beyond excited, thrilled to be here,&quot; were McDonough's first public words as the team&amp;rsquo;s general manager.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This was not his natural setting. Sitting at a podium answering questions is not where he is most natural, McDonough is a gym rat and a video junkie that was able to rise from the film room to leading a team of his own through years of hard work. His career began with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/boston-celtics&quot;&gt;Boston Celtics&lt;/a&gt; in the film room and as a scout for a handful of years before becoming an assistant to current Celtics GM, and former Suns mainstay, Danny Ainge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As McDonough described Ainge, he was a &quot;professional mentor&quot; and the person that believed in him enough to bring him up from the lowest ranks to help build a championship-caliber team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bringing in an elite basketball mind that is as meticulous and organized as McDonough is a positive move for the Suns. When McDonough got the call to interview, he was given a precursor of five questions. He came prepared with doctoral-caliber essays that were thoroughly written to answer those  five questions along with any other questions about his work ethic or preparation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There was not a lot of candor from McDonough, although he showed his human side while discussing his two brothers being in the room as he was being introduced. That tender moment  where he choked up in front of his family endeared McDonough to the media and the fans more than the three collective years of what was the Lance Blanks Era ever did.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, now begins the grind of being an NBA general manager and decision-maker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;There are some good young pieces in place here,&quot; McDonough began assessing the Suns roster. &quot;Lon and Robert (Sarver) have done a good job of acquiring draft picks and young players and positioning themselves for sustainable success.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One of the first orders of business is to move swiftly on naming the franchise's next head coach. That is a question that seems to have already begun to be answered with a small list of names already being rumored: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/98735/brian-shaw&quot;&gt;Brian Shaw&lt;/a&gt; (Indiana), &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/98860/kelvin-sampson&quot;&gt;Kelvin Sampson&lt;/a&gt; (Houston), Quin Snyder (Russia), and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/98774/mike-budenholzer&quot;&gt;Mike Budenholzer&lt;/a&gt; (San Antonio).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Finding both a &quot;teacher and a leader&quot; are the criteria for the team's next head coach, according to McDonough and Babby. Those four, along with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21687/lindsey-hunter&quot;&gt;Lindsey Hunter&lt;/a&gt; and potentially a few others, will be on the short list of coaching candidates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The coach has to be an extension of what the front office is trying to instill for the organization as a whole. That is a necessary factor for game planning, communication, and overall success for the team. A teacher to bring along a young team in the midst of a rebuild, while having the command and respect of the locker room, is invaluable. Bridging analytics and feel for the game is a challenge. That is a trait very few have.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;McDonough is a scout at heart that has worked with the likes of Chris Wallace (current Memphis GM) and Danny Ainge over the years to develop a feel for the game. The next coach needs to be an extension of that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;There are different ways to build a team,&quot; McDonough explained. In Boston, they built through the draft with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4369/al-jefferson&quot;&gt;Al Jefferson&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21812/delonte-west&quot;&gt;Delonte West&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4354/gerald-green&quot;&gt;Gerald Green&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4352/rajon-rondo&quot;&gt;Rajon Rondo&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4348/kendrick-perkins&quot;&gt;Kendrick Perkins&lt;/a&gt;, and two lottery picks that were shipped off for a future Hall of Famer in Ray Allen. All of those assets were then subsequently used to acquire &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4350/kevin-garnett&quot;&gt;Kevin Garnett&lt;/a&gt; and as they say, the rest is history.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With the way this current roster is constructed, the draft is the most important platform to build off of at this juncture. The team has two first round picks and a pick in the second round as well. &quot;We have to nail these picks&quot; was McDonough's first thought and called this year&amp;rsquo;s draft the &quot;first focus&quot; of his.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Then, there is the NBA Draft Combine next week, player workouts for a month after that, and the draft itself in June before free agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;McDonough probably has written more player profiles than Merriam-Webster has written words over the years, so he knows this class. The Celtics were preparing to draft 15th overall while the Suns will draft in the top half of the lottery and at the very end of the first round. He likely has a plan already, but now he gets to look at the top of the draft.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There has not been one negative word written about the hiring of McDonough, but as he has stated and every Suns fan has to keep in mind, this is not an overnight fix.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It will be a process that takes time and might take all four of McDonough's contracted years before the Suns are back to the success that they are used to having. They have six picks over the next four years in the first round and a few bricks laid in the foundation. McDonough can be a part of the foundation in the slow build to the re-ascension of a proud and successful franchise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Suns are ushering in another era of Suns basketball, but instead of advertising it, they are putting in the work. You can try to sell a bad team or you can be progressive with necessary change. The Suns are done selling.&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
    <link type="text/html" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/9/4316734/phoenix-suns-ryan-mcdonough-comes-in-with-pedigree-and-a-vision" rel="alternate"/>
    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/9/4316734/phoenix-suns-ryan-mcdonough-comes-in-with-pedigree-and-a-vision</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-03T23:46:42Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-03T23:46:42Z</updated>
    <title>The History of the No. 30 Overall Pick, because the Phoenix Suns have the No. 30 Overall Pick</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;20130422_ajl_aw8_075&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12651935/20130422_ajl_aw8_075.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Pop quiz! How many times in NBA history has a team drafted at No. 30 position of the first round of an NBA Draft? The answer is eight times to date and the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/phoenix-suns&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Phoenix Suns&lt;/a&gt; are in position to be the ninth team in just under two months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This pick has traveled a lot this season. It started in South Beach with the Miami Heat, but was subsequently moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the LeBron James &quot;trade.&quot; The Cavs then sent it to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Ramon Sessions deal and then they shipped it to the Suns for Steve Nash. There is a winner in there somewhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The pick itself has wielded mixed results, but has offered two not so subtle themes over the years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the years the trend for the last pick in the first round has become either a college senior or an international prospect that may or may not pan out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Five times a senior has been selected with the No. 30 pick because it came from a team with title aspirations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21909/david-lee&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;David Lee&lt;/a&gt; (Knicks, 2005), &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/38957/j-r-giddens&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;J.R. Giddens&lt;/a&gt; (Celtics, 2008), &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/112558/lazar-hayward&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Lazar Hayward&lt;/a&gt; (Wizards, 2010), &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/149913/jimmy-butler&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Jimmy Butler&lt;/a&gt; (Bulls, 2011), and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/157921/festus-ezeli&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Festus Ezeli&lt;/a&gt; (Warriors, 2012) have all gone with the final pick in the first. They all filled a need for a team with the potential of making the playoffs or even making a deep run. Aside from Giddens the group as a whole has produced at a high level for having 29 others taken in-front of them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Players like Butler help teams in ways that do not necessarily show-up in the boxscores, but then again they do. With all the injuries to the Chicago Bulls this season he has become an Ironman in some respects playing all game when needed and defending three positions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Suns have Goran Dragic and to some extent P.J. Tucker that can do that, but Dragic is supposed to be the teams star and Tucker is limited.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He is somewhere between a Lee and an Ezeli as a perfect role player that does not hurt you when he is one the court. Butler plays both ends of the floor with vigor and is not a liability for the coaching staff. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Internationally there have been three picks at No. 30 in &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/157966/joel-freeland&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Joel Freeland&lt;/a&gt; (2006), Petteri Koponen (2007), and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/71930/christian-eyenga&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Christian Eyenga&lt;/a&gt; (2009). All three have had not had much semblance of a career in the NBA today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There has been a run of three years with a senior selected and four in the past five years with Eyenga sliding in-between Giddens and his peers. Eyenga was and still is a player with potential to become a productive player in the NBA, but the same cannot be said for Koponen and Freeland. Up until this season (Freeland came over this year) neither had dressed for an NBA game and the picks were throwaways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Adding a proven talent that knows their role and value provides in itself some inherent value. These prospects are different than a typical rookie. They are borderline veterans at ages 21, 22, and sometimes older in the increasingly younger NBA game.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Suns have the 30th pick, but the last pick in the draft in general over the past 20 years has produced some hits and some misses, but with the margin of error on a smaller cliff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the years the likes of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4363/mark-madsen&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Mark Madsen&lt;/a&gt; (2000) and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21689/nazr-mohammed&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Nazr Mohammed&lt;/a&gt; (1998) became quality role players with elongated careers as the last pick in the first round. Both won championships and were key producers for their teams, coming out of college as seniors that knew their roles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21724/josh-howard&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Josh Howard&lt;/a&gt; (2003), &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21781/tony-parker&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Tony Parker&lt;/a&gt; (2001), and Lee have all played in All-Star Games with Parker and Howard leading their teams to the NBA Finals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Parker is the ultimate example of maximizing value at the end of the first round. He is a multi-time NBA Champion, All-Star, and widely looked at as one of the top point guards in the league today. That is an expectation nobody has with the No. 30 pick. It can be a throw-away as seen in many years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Even taking a senior here can be seen as a throw-away, but they are the ones that produce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For every Parker, Lee, Butler, or Howard there are a dozen David Harrison's (2004), Leon Smith's (1999), or Malcolm Mackey's (1993). Suns historians will remember (or maybe not) the 22 game stint of Mackey on the 1993-1994 Suns team that that lost in the Conference Semifinals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Whether the Suns go with a seasoned college player or an international risk, there will be choices for both in the upcoming draft.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are three seniors ranked between 20-40 on the &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/&quot;&gt;NDI Big Board&lt;/a&gt; this year in &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/brandon-paul/&quot;&gt;Brandon Paul (SG, Illinois)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/richard-howell/&quot;&gt;Richard Howell (PF, N.C. State)&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/solomon-hill/&quot;&gt;Solomon Hill (F, Arizona)&lt;/a&gt; that could be options. In some ways they all fill a need with shooting/scoring (Paul), leadership/rebounding (Howell), and leadership/basketball IQ (Hill) that would be welcome with the value of No. 30.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The internationals that fall in that same ranking window are &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/dennis-schroder/&quot;&gt;Dennis Schroder (PG, Germany)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/giannis-adetokunbo/&quot;&gt;Giannis Adetokunbo (SF, Greece)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/mouhammadou-jaiteh/&quot;&gt;Mouhammadou Jaiteh (F/C, France)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/lucas-nogueira/&quot;&gt;Lucas Nogueira (C, Brazil)&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/livio-jean-charles/&quot;&gt;Livio Jean-Charles (F, France)&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2012-big-board/nemanja-nedovic/&quot;&gt;Nemanja Nedovic (G, Serbia)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That group has some ultimate risk/reward talents in Schroder, Adetokunbo, and Nedovic. All three could be pedestrian NBA players, but they also have the upside of a Tony Parker type.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With that the Suns can explore the options of taking the calculated risk or an international prospect, a college veteran, or the best player available with the last pick in the first round. All strategies have seen success and shortfalls. The good teams seem to find the success stories.&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
    <link type="text/html" href="http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/3/4294192/phoenix-suns-the-history-of-the-no-30-overall-pick" rel="alternate"/>
    <id>http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2013/5/3/4294192/phoenix-suns-the-history-of-the-no-30-overall-pick</id>
    <author>
      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
    </author>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <published>2013-05-02T21:00:08Z</published>
    <updated>2013-05-02T21:00:08Z</updated>
    <title>2013 NBA Draft Early Entry List and what it means for the Phoenix Suns</title>
    <content type="html">
  




  &lt;img alt=&quot;164559406&quot; src=&quot;http://cdn2.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12593325/164559406.0_standard_400.0.jpg&quot; /&gt;





  &lt;p&gt;First things first the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/phoenix-suns&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Phoenix Suns&lt;/a&gt; need to hire a general manager to set a philosophy and a gameplan for the NBA Draft as well as this summer. The off-season has begun for the teams Suns and teams alike meaning once the hire is made, the team needs to hit the ground running.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nbadraftinsider.com/2013-big-board/2013-nba-draft-in-andor-out-tracker/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Early Entrant List &lt;/a&gt;provides all the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and draft eligible international prospects that are officially in the NBA Draft. This year there are 77 total.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With a number of prospects coming back to school, including four potential lottery picks, the draft got a little thinner on the back end where the Suns have the No. 30 pick via the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/cleveland-cavaliers&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Cleveland Cavaliers&lt;/a&gt; from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/miami-heat&quot; class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Miami Heat&lt;/a&gt;. The top of the draft remains largely unscathed where the team will have the 4th highest odds to win the NBA Draft Lottery and draft a potential franchise cornerstone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Having a first round pick in the lottery and towards the back end means the team (and the fans) need to know the entire class. More homework needs to be done to get a feel for who the team should target in June.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All the prospects have been broken down by class and alphabetically so there are no specific rankings made:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Freshmen Class&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh&lt;br&gt;Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV&lt;br&gt;Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky&lt;br&gt;Grant Jerrett, PF, Arizona &lt;br&gt;Ricardo Ledo, SG, Providence&lt;br&gt;Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas&lt;br&gt;Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA&lt;br&gt;Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky&lt;br&gt;Norvel Pelle, PF, St. John's (through LA City Prep)&lt;br&gt;Joshua Simmons, SG, Spartanburg Methodist (JC)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Compared to previous freshmen classes this one may appear to be lacking. There are four potential lottery picks in Bennett, McLemore, Muhammad, and Noel, but after the ranges for the remaining freshmen stretch into the second round.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sophomore Class&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Trey Burke, PG, Michigan&lt;br&gt;Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse&lt;br&gt;Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia&lt;br&gt;Myck Kabongo, PG, Texas&lt;br&gt;Shane Larkin, PG, Miami&lt;br&gt;Alex Len, C, Maryland&lt;br&gt;Christian Kabongo, SG, New Mexico State&lt;br&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;sbn-auto-link&quot;&gt;Tony Mitchell&lt;/span&gt;, F, North Texas&lt;br&gt;Otto Porter Jr, SF, Georgetown&lt;br&gt;Tahj Tate, SG, Delaware State&lt;br&gt;Adonis Thomas, F, Memphis&lt;br&gt;B.J. Young, G, Arkansas&lt;br&gt;Cody Zeller, C, Indiana&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;This a deep sophomore class with Burke, Carter-Williams, Caldwell-Pope, Len, Porter Jr, and Zeller as likely lottery picks. There are some enigmatic talents in this class that could be great, but seem to hold themselves back for a variety of different reasons. The sophomores will be very well represented in the 2013 Draft.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Junior Class&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;C.J. Aiken, PF, St. Joseph's&lt;br&gt;Vander Blue, SG, Marquette&lt;br&gt;Reggie Bullock, SG, North Carolina&lt;br&gt;Adrien Coleman, SG, Bethune-Cookman&lt;br&gt;Allen Crabbe, SG, California&lt;br&gt;Dewayne Dedmon, C, USC&lt;br&gt;Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville&lt;br&gt;Jamaal Franklin, SG, San Diego State&lt;br&gt;Tim Hardaway Jr, SG, Michigan&lt;br&gt;C.J. Leslie, PF, N.C. State&lt;br&gt;Nurideen Lindsey, PG, Rider&lt;br&gt;Amath M'Baye, SF, Oklahoma&lt;br&gt;Ray McCallum, PG, Detroit Mercy&lt;br&gt;Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana&lt;br&gt;Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga&lt;br&gt;Marshawn Powell, F, Arkansas&lt;br&gt;Phil Pressey, PG, Missouri&lt;br&gt;Andre Roberson, F, Colorado&lt;br&gt;Trevis Simpson, SG, UNC-Greensboro&lt;br&gt;Tony Snell, SF, New Mexico&lt;br&gt;Deshaun Thomas, SF, Ohio State&lt;br&gt;John Taylor, Fresno Pacific, PG&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Every year the junior class shows well with some players taking a little longer than others to develop. Playing behind upperclassmen doesn't help for some, but this group has the most depth and could see 19 players drafted this summer. Potential lottery picks include Dieng, Franklin, Oladipo, and Olynyk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;International Class&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Alex Abrines, SG, Spain &lt;br&gt;Giannis Adetokunbo, SF, Greece&lt;br&gt;Francois Affia, PF, Slovenia&lt;br&gt;Nemanja Besovic, C, Serbia&lt;br&gt;Bogdan Bogdanovic, SF, Serbia&lt;br&gt;Matias Bortolin, PF, Austria&lt;br&gt;Linos Chrysikopoulos, SF, Greece&lt;br&gt;Laszlo Dobos, C, Spain&lt;br&gt;Djorde Drenovac, PF Italy&lt;br&gt;Viktor Gaddefors, SF, Italy&lt;br&gt;Rudy Gobert, C, France&lt;br&gt;Mouhammadou Jaiteh, PF, France&lt;br&gt;Livio Jean-Charles, PF, France&lt;br&gt;Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia&lt;br&gt;Louis Labeyrie, PF, France&lt;br&gt;Raul Neto, PG, Brazil&lt;br&gt;Philipp Neumann, PF, Germany&lt;br&gt;Lucas Nogueira, C, Brazil&lt;br&gt;Alexandre Paranhos, PF, Brazil&lt;br&gt;Artem Pustovyi, C, Ukraine&lt;br&gt;Bogdan Radosavljevic, SF, Germany&lt;br&gt;Marko Ramljak, SF, Croatia&lt;br&gt;Dario Saric, F, Croatia&lt;br&gt;Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany&lt;br&gt;Strahinja Stojacic, SG, Serbia&lt;br&gt;Walter Tavares, C, Spain&lt;br&gt;Daniel Theis, PF, Germany&lt;br&gt;Janis Timma, SF, Latvia&lt;br&gt;Marko Todorovic, PF, Spain&lt;br&gt;Axel Toupane, SF, France&lt;br&gt;Adin Vrabac, SF, Bosnia&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Due to the defections from the underclassmen this year the International prospects will get a boost in the first round especially. About two months ago only Gobert, Karasev, and Saric were considered first round prospects. Now the likes of Adetokunbo, Jaiteh, Livio-Charles, Nogueira, and Schroder are in the mix. Close to half of the first round could come from outside the country when you factor in Steven Adams (New Zealand), Anthony Bennett (Canada), Gorgui Dieng (Senegal), Alex Len (Ukraine), and Kelly Olynyk (Canada).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Stay tuned in all week here on Bright Side as there will be daily draft coverage starting today&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



</content>
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      <name>Kristofer Habbas</name>
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