Phoenix Suns

As the search to see who will lead the Suns next season heats up, we look back at which coaches led the Suns in previous seasons in the franchise's history. | Bordow's Suns' coaching candidates Top 20 free agents for 2013 | Look back: '92-93 Suns | NBA combine analysis | Draft early entrants

In my opinion, the best option for the Suns with the fifth pick is Victor Oladipo. But according to ESPN's Draft Dude, Chad Ford, "Oladipo is the guy that GMs love in this draft" so he very well could be gone before the Suns new GM gets to make his first-ever draft pick without training wheels. Of course, I seem to recall hearing the same thing about Damian Lillard who's stock rose quickly after being projected 13th this time last year before but wasn't selected until Portland's turn with the sixth pick. Oladipo is already slotted fourth to the Bobcats/Hornets in four out of seven mock drafts. If Oladipo (and Otto Porter) are gone before Ryan McDonough gets his turn at bat, Alex Len could be a very intriguing option. We already know the Suns have a need to a new big man and we know there are a LOT of very big men in this draft. Nerlens Noel will almost certainly be gone before the Suns turn (and truly hope that's true) so that leaves us to ponder Len who was also pondered by Paul Coro at the AZ Republic: Phoenix Suns’ draft options at No. 5 include Maryland big man Alex LenThe NBA draft lottery slotted the Suns fifth in the selection order, assuring they will not get a chance to pick Nerlens Noel without a trade. But they could take the center who dominated Noel to start the past college season. What else do we know about Len? A lot. The best prospects of the 2013 NBA Draft - Rufus on FireAlex Len is this seasons feast-or-famine pick. The seven-footer has all the potential tools: he's a great athlete for his size, has impressive foot speed, a great touch around the rim -- with both hands -- and a high basketball IQ. On the defensive end, he's already a good pick and roll defender with potential as an elite rim-protector. Well now, that's impressive! But, did you know that Alex isn't even his REAL NAME? It's Olexiy! Also... NBA Draft 2013 scouting report: Alex Len - Bullets ForeverWhether Len lived up to the hype as a sophomore probably depends on which games you saw him play. He opened the season with a dominant showing against Nerlens Noel, the top recruit in the nation, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a loss to Kentucky. Unfortunately for Len, his first game of the season might have also have been his best, as the inconsistency from his freshman year carried over to 2012. [emphasis added so you would see it] Maybe, if he used his real name he would get more steals? 2013 Draft Preview: Centers - Canis HoopusFor every 1 steal that Len collects, Noel collects 8, Dieng collects 5, Adams, Plumlee, and Zeller each collect 4, Withey and Olynyk each collect 3, and Muscala collects more than 2. While ball-stealing itself is not a key part of the center position, this huge disparity between Len and men who succeed in professional basketball should be concerning. I really wonder how much of the glow about Len's "athletic potential" is failing to look past his impressive frame to the more basic dexterity, coordination, and awareness that separates successful project bigs from your annual second-round 7' stiff. [emphasis added so you would see it] Then again, somebody thinks Len is BETTER THAN Noel despite using an alias. NBA Draft 2013: Why Alex Len is a better prospect than Nerlens Noel - SBNation.comNoel is an intriguing prospect, but in my opinion, he's not even the best center, much less the best player, available in this year's draft. Maryland sophomore Alex Len is bigger and more skilled than Noel. Let's check the some tape: What do you think of "Alex" Len?

Editor’s note: This is the first entry in our 2013 NBA Draft prospect profile series. We’ll be focusing on all three of the Suns’ draft picks by alternating between in-depth... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The NBA draft lottery slotted the Suns fifth in the selection order, assuring they will not get a chance to pick Nerlens Noel without a trade. But they could take the center who dominated Noel to start the past college season.

MIAMI -- LeBron James made a layup as time expired in overtime, and the Miami Heat found a way to beat the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wild Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night.

My takeaways from the second round series: ---------- Miami beats Chicago 4-1 After a valiant game one effort the Bulls finally succumbed to the injuries that have plagued them throughout the regular and postseason. It would have been interesting to see how the Bulls fared if they would have had five players healthy enough to suit up for the games. The Heat prevailed with half of Dwyane Wade against half of the Bulls roster, but will the Pacers prove a more dangerous adversary if Wade isn't at full speed? Indiana beats New York 4-2 The Knicks hero ball style was exposed by Indiana's teamwork and stout defense. Carmelo Anthony, who finished third in MVP voting (really?), managed to chuck up 18.75 shots for every assist he dished during the series. His appurtenance in the black hole philosophy, J.R. Smith, shot a putrid 29%. Roy Hibbert made Tyson Chandler look like a little boy. The series went six, but it didn't really feel that close. Credit Indy's hermetic defense for that. They forced the Knicks into becoming a jump shooting team with their inside presence, then turned them into a downright crappy offense with their stellar perimeter d. Memphis beats OKC 4-1 This series cemented the value of Russell Westbrook. The critics that propounded he was holding Kevin Durant and the Thunder back were summarily silenced. Oklahoma City was a completely different (worse) team with him off the court, and Westbrook's injury may have been the single biggest event that changed the postseason landscape. The Grizzlies smelled blood and capitalized by imposing their style on the series. Memphis, who had the slowest pace and allowed the fewest points during the regular season, stifled the Thunder by holding them under 100 points in every game during the series. San Antonio beats Golden St. 4-2 The Spurs entrenched themselves as the horror movie villain that never dies and the Warriors proclaimed that they have arrived as an up and coming team (if they can stay healthy). While Stephen Curry had pundits gushing over his performance, a nagging injury (bet you've never heard nagging injury and Stephen Curry in the same sentence before!) may have caused his production to dwindle as the series went on. This, compounded by David Lee's absence, helped seal the team's doom. That and the fine tuned machine of excellent role players led by all-star Tony Parker. Anybody else notice how most of the "stars" are already sitting on their couches? ---------- Now the results you've all been waiting for (or have already looked at by skipping my inane ramblings): NashMV3 still leads the way, but MMotherwell, who has the Spurs advancing, and Yttriot are still right on his heels. The ouster of OKC knocked out the majority of people's, myself included, Western Conference representative for the NBA Finals. Chances are it will be a photo finish so make sure your score is correct!

It's obviously early in the process, but not too early. We have draft combine information in the books and now we have the order set thanks to the Draft Lottery. That let's think more about how specific players, especially in this draft, might fit with specific teams. Here's our first 2013 NBA Mock Draft. For more, be sure to visit NBA Draft Insider. 1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Otto Porter Jr. 6-8.5, 197 lbs. SF Georgetown, So. Sometimes luck is on your side and that is exactly the case for the Cavaliers as they won the lottery for the second time in three years since the departure of The King. Now they have a major choice to make, but when you look past Big Boards it may be easier than one would think. The Cavaliers need a glue player to balance the dynamic nature of Kyrie Irving and Porter Jr. is just the guy with his ability to do a little bit of everything on the court. 2. Orlando Magic - Ben McLemore 6-4.75, 189 lbs. SG Kansas, Fr. The Magic could use a number of different things including point guard with this pick which is exactly where they were before the lottery. Trey Burke and Ben McLemore have to be the top two choices here, but McLemore has All-Star potential in a situation where he can develop. 3. Washington Wizards - Nerlens Noel 6-11.75, 206 lbs. C Kentucky, Fr. Maybe the best player in the draft falls in their lap as the athletic shot-blocking machine Noel has the chance to be paired with John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Co coming off of his ACL tear. With an aging front-court Noel comes in at exactly the right time. 4. Charlotte Bobcats - Victor Oladipo 6-4.25, 213 lbs. SG Indiana, Jr. they seem to like building around defense and advanced statistics in Charlotte, so the New Hornets add Oladipo who is the highest riser in the draft as well as the best overall defensive player on the board. 5. Phoenix Suns - Rudy Gobert 7-2, 234 lbs. C France, 1992 The draft takes a left turn in Phoenix as the Suns need talent and new GM Ryan McDonough will look to add the best long-term prospects to the roster. Gobert has great length and the potential to be the best big man in this class. 6. New Orleans Pelicans - Trey Burke 6-8, 240 lbs. PF UNLV, Fr. As well as Greivis Vasquez has been for the New Pelicans the league is all about greatness at the point guard position. Burke has the skill-set and resume to be the leagues next great point guard. 7. Sacramento Kings - Anthony Bennett 6-6.25, 221 lbs. SF UCLA, Fr. The 2013 version of Grandmamma lands on a team that lacks toughness, which Bennett has in spades. He can physically dominate a game while providing a compliment to the potential star power of DeMarcus Cousins. 8. Detroit Pistons - Shabazz Muhammad 7-2, 234 lbs. C France, (1992) Shooting and scoring are in need of a major upgrade in Detroit. As limited as his offensive game may be Muhammad makes a lot of sense stretching the floor and completing the front-court of the future in Mo Town. 9. Minnesota Timberwolves - Alex Len 7-1, 225 lbs. C Maryland, So. But, they already have Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic? That is true today and Len provides insurance for tomorrow even though the team may need shooter, the potential of Len is too much to pass on while reaching for shooting. 10. Portland Trail Blazers - C.J. McCollum 6-3, 197 lbs. PG Lehigh, Sr. The worst bench in the league needs to add depth. No matter position this is a team that simply needs talent and McCollum gives the Blazers shooting, play-making, and Damian Lillard a break. 11. Philadelphia 76ers - Cody Zeller 7-0, 230 lbs. C Indiana, So. What was once considered the Andrew Bynum Experiment now seems to be over and the team needs to move on. Zeller may not have All-Star potential, but he is a talented big man that can do a lot of the little things a team like the 76ers need. 12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto) - Mason Plumlee 7-0, 238 lbs. PF Duke, Sr. The rich get richer as the best team in the Western Conference add another lottery pick to the fold.

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports It was real close for the Phoenix Suns during the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night. Phoenix had one of the worst records in the NBA this season and ended up getting the fifth pick in the June draft. The Suns are a team that could use some scoring, and they should draft Ben McLemore if he were to fall to the No. 5 pick. I also like Otto Porter, Jr. a lot for this Phoenix team and he may be more likely to be available, but McLemore should be the choice for the Suns. He averaged 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds a game as a freshman this season at Kansas. I’m not positive that McLemore will fall this far because of the teams ahead of them, but it is possible that he gets all the way to No. 5. I think that the first three picks will decide what happens with McLemore. I’m not sure that any of those teams would take him because of their own holes. If he is not taken within the first three picks, Phoenix may have to make a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats to acquire McLemore with the fourth pick. I know those trades don’t happen during the draft where a team can actually move up, but the Suns must think about it very hard. There aren’t a ton of small forward and shooting guard options that are much better than McLemore in this draft. Phoenix needs scoring help, and McLemore would help fix that problem. Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.

At some point in my life someone once said, “Fate is a fickle mistress, my friend. You never know when she’ll turn on you.” On second thought, I don’t know anyone that wise or eloquent, so I must have read it somewhere. It’s a quote I didn’t fully comprehend until coming to New York for Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery. As I’ve chronicled on this blog over the last few days, I was in search of my own luck for the Suns in the Big Apple. I wasn’t alone in my crusade either. As I walked alongside President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby and President of Business Operations Jason Rowley towards the home of the NBA Draft Lottery, ABC’s Times Square studios, the two decided to make an impromptu and unique stop. As is the case in New York City, you can find pretty much anything on the street corner and on this afternoon, we all happened to find ourselves staring at the crystal ball of a fortune teller. Both of these successful businessmen with law degrees, who had worked their way up the ladder by making well-educated decisions, decided to have a little fun and see what the universe had in store for them. The universe, or the fortune teller’s prognostications, were about as clear as the Phoenix skyline on a high-pollution advisory day. “She covered all of the bases,” Babby recalled. “She said I was going to be lucky, but maybe unlucky. She said I was going to live a long life, but be careful. I think she is pretty experienced (laughs). No matter what the situation was, she had it covered. She said I will have luck in 2014. Whatever that means, I will take it.” That pretty much sums up life. You may or may not be lucky. What she didn’t mention in her reading was that it all has very little to do with what a person does. Despite bringing a handful of lucky charms (not the cereal with its colorful marshmallows) from Phoenix and doing everything to bring luck to the team, it all had about as much impact as the Great Gatsby on the summer box office (although, I hope the writing was more entertaining). It wasn’t all for naught, though. Spending time looking for luck helped remind me why we’re all Suns fans. We long for an emotional connection to something bigger than ourselves. Something that can be a common language between us regardless of our status in life, political beliefs or age. That connection made this trip successful even without returning with the No. 1 pick. Being able to give fans a look behind-the-curtain of one of the NBA’s biggest events was just as enjoyable for me as getting the top pick. (OK, that’s a lie, but I imagine it was almost as enjoyable). Yes, “Fate is a fickle mistress” and I’m okay with that. While she may not have delivered the Suns the No. 1 pick, she did allow me to experience something truly unique and see both team presidents have their palms read by a street psychic. So I guess we can call this one a draw. At least until next year. We hear 2014 might be a lucky year.

It's exciting as a suns fan to have a GM who really knows what he's doing. Analyzing the draft is his specialty and what better way to start then the number 5 pick. My one fear is that our good friend Sarver will scare him away or under value his expertise, like he has done to anyone with talent that has been connected to the Suns organization. I feel the Suns need to trade some of their current players for a true scorer and use this pick for the most talent and upside possible. Anthony Bennett would be a great choice. It's exciting as a suns fan to have a GM who really knows what he's doing. Analyzing the draft is his specialty and what better way to start then the number 5 pick. My one fear is that our good friend Sarver will scare him away or under value his expertise, like he has done to anyone with talent that has been connected to the Suns organization. I feel the Suns need to trade some of their current players for a true scorer and use this pick for the most talent and upside possible. Anthony Bennett would be a great choice.