Anthony Davis Is Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year, But Kendall Marshall Does Not Have Horrible Odds

Phoenix Suns On Kendall Marshall: He Is 'Everything We Want This Franchise To Be About'

The Suns introduced the newly drafted Kendall Marshall to the public on Friday.

NBA Draft Grades: Phoenix Suns Earn High Marks With Kendall Marshall

The Phoenix Suns added a very promising young point guard at the 2012 NBA Draft, selecting Kendall Marshall out of North Carolina. Marshall, a lefty, averaged less than eight points a game last season, was among the nation's best while averaging nearly 10 assists a game.

There are a few concerns with Marshall, headlined by a jump shot that isn't very good. For Suns fans who have watched Steve Nash's sweet stroke for years, it'll take some time to get adjusted to the new point guard.

Most draft experts have given Phoenix high marks for their selection of Marshall, including SB Nation. Here was what our NBA editor, Tom Ziller, had to say about the Suns.

Drafted Kendall Marshall No. 13

If the Suns magically keep Steve Nash, Marshall could be one of the best back-up point guards in the league quickly. If the Suns lose Steve Nash, Marshall could sit on the fringes of the Point Guard Era conversation. Concerns about his foot speed are valid, but Phoenix is quite adept at playing with a matador at the point, and Marshall should be better than Nash defensively in total. GRADE: A

For more on the Phoenix Suns, make sure that you check out Bright Side of the Sun.

Maintaining Tradition, The Suns Usher In A New Era

The ushering in of a new era has a familiar tone as the Suns drafted pass-first point guard Kendall Marshall out of North Carolina. Is he Steve Nash's replacement?

2012 NBA Draft Grades: Phoenix Suns Receive 'B+' Rating

Now that the 2012 NBA Draft has come and gone, the experts across the nation are weighing in on each of the teams selections. As for the Phoenix Suns, they had just one pick this year, and made the most of it with their selection of point guard Kendall Marshall out of the University of North Carolina No. 13 overall.

Many are viewing this as the writing on the wall that Steve Nash could be heading elsewhere, or it simply could be a contingency plan for later down the line. Nevertheless, most pundits agree that Phoenix made a solid pick, including Mike Misek from NBADraft.net, who gave the pick a B+ this year in his 2012 NBA Draft Grades.

Here is Misek with the commentary:

Kendall Marshall was able to operate the point guard spot at North Carolina in beautiful fashion. He understands how to play the position at such an advanced level, but Phoenix does not have the talent relative to the NBA that North Carolina has compared to the rest of college basketball. If Steve Nash stays, then Marshall will be able to ease into the position. Such a scenario would certainly help Marshall's transition to the NBA. If Nash leaves and Phoenix goes into full rebuilding mode, it will be a much more burdensome task.

Burdensome or not, Marshall will be thrust into the spotlight if Nash takes off for greener pastures. Both the Suns and Marshall know that keeping Nash around will be a great help to the development of the player as well as the franchise, they just need to figure out how.

For more on the Phoenix Suns, make sure that you check out Bright Side of the Sun.

Feedback From The Experts On Kendall Marshall

2012 NBA Draft Grades: SB Nation Arizona Writers React To Suns' Pick Of Kendall Marshall

2012 NBA Draft, Suns: Reaction To Kendall Marshall, Suns First Round Pick

The Phoenix Suns had the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, and with that pick they selected Kendall Marshall, a sophomore point guard out of North Carolina. SB Nation's Suns blog Bright Side Of The Sun has detailed coverage on the pick, and their initial reaction was a positive one:

Kendall Marshall is the best passing point guard to come out in a long time. The Suns needed a young point guard to groom whether Steve Nash returns or not, and in Marshall they get the second best point in the draft. He didn't show much of an ability to score at North Carolina, and his jumper still needs some work. He's also a sub-par athlete compared to a lot of the lottery point guards to come out in recent years, which will give him trouble on the defensive end.

However, Marshall improved as a shooter and scorer as his sophomore season went on an absolutely torched Creighton in his final game in college. Marshall is far from a complete prospect, but he can run a team better than anyone else in this draft and could be a solid player if the Suns surround him with the right players.

There's a poll at the blog where fans can vote on the pick, and judging by the results most Suns fans approve. The Suns were thinking long term with this draft, looking for someone to move into the slot that Steve Nash will eventually vacate. It's obviously too early to tell, but Suns fans certainly hope the team found what they were looking for in Marshall.

For more on the Phoenix Suns and the 2012 NBA Draft, stick with this storystream. For full time Suns coverage, check out Bright Side of the Sun. And don't miss these NBA Draft prospect videos from SB Nation Studios:

Phoenix Suns Drafting PG Kendall Marshall Is A Passing Of The Torch

2012 NBA Draft Results: Phoenix Suns Select Kendall Marshall With 13th Pick

The Phoenix Suns selected Kendall Marshall out of North Carolina with the 13th overall pick at the 2012 NBA Draft. Marshall, a sophomore point guard, will likely be the starter if Steve Nash elects to go elsewhere in free agency. He is left handed, 6'4 and 197lbs.

Marshall averaged just 7.8 points-per-game last season, but was among the nation's best with 9.7 assists per game on a very talented Tar Heels team. He shot 46.7% from the field and just 35.4% from behind the 3-point arc. Marshall does not project to be much of a scorer in the NBA, although his ability to facilitate an offense will seldom be in question.

Another big issue with Marshall is his defense. He was often a liability for North Carolina last season, and he'll need to improve drastically if he hopes to see a lot of playing time with the Suns.

For more on the Suns and their draft night be sure to check out Bright Side of the Sun. Check out the SB Nation StoryStream for continued updates on the 2012 Draft.

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NBA Draft 2012: Time, TV Schedule, Results, Grades And More

The 2012 NBA Draft is here and the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ is ready for all the exciting action. Will you team make a big trade? Nab your favorite college player? You'll just have to watch and find out!

2012 NBA Draft TV Coverage (all times ET)

ESPN

Coverage of the draft starts at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN as well as on ESPN3. Round 1 will begin approximately at 7:30 p.m.

NBA TV

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., NBA TV will air their Draft Preview show, couting down to the beginning of the 2012 NBA Draft. All day prior to of the draft though NBA TV will air replays of their two NBA Draft Specials:

2012 NBA Draft Preview: The Lottery (previews the top 14 prospects along with predictions) - starting at 6:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

2012 NBA Draft Coming Attractions (highlights the top picks in this year's Draft along with predictions) - starting at 7:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

First Round Draft Order:

1. New Orleans Hornets

2. Charlotte Bobcats

3. Washington Wizards

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Sacramento Kings

6. Portland Trail Blazers

7. Golden State Warriors

8. Toronto Raptors

9. Detroit Pistons

10. New Orleans Hornets

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Milwaukee Bucks

13. Phoenix Suns

14. Houston Rockets

15. Philadelphia 76ers

16. Houston Rockets

17. Dallas Mavericks

18. Houston Rockets

19. Orlando Magic

20. Denver Nuggets

21. Boston Celtics

22. Boston Celtics

23. Atlanta Hawks

24. Cleveland Cavaliers

25. Memphis Grizzlies

26. Indiana Pacers

27. Miami Heat

28. Oklahoma City Thunder

29. Chicago Bulls

30. Golden State Warriors

Second Round Draft Order:

1. Charlotte Bobcats

2. Washington Wizards

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Golden State Warriors

6. Sacramento Kings

7. Toronto Raptors

8. Denver Nuggets

9. Detroit Pistons

10. Portland Trail Blazers

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Milwaukee Bucks

13. Atlanta Hawks

14. Detroit Pistons

15. Philadelphia 76ers

16. New Orleans Hornets

17. Utah Jazz

18. New York Knicks

19. Orlando Magic

20. Denver Nuggets

21. Boston Celtics

22. Golden State Warriors

23. Los Angeles Clippers

24. Philadelphia 76ers

25. Dallas Mavericks

26. Toronto Raptors

27. Brooklyn Nets

28. Minnesota Timberwolves

29. San Antonio Spurs

30. Los Angeles Lakers

For more on the Suns, head over to Bright Side of the Sun.