Phoenix Suns draft Marquese Chriss via Sacramento

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Phoenix trades up to #8 and gets their man Marquese Chriss; how does he fit with the Suns?

 

The Player: Marquese Chriss has a limitless ceiling…and a bottomless floor. He could be the next Amare Stoudemire, or the next Tyrus Thomas. He can hit shots from outside, defend on the perimeter, and offers elite athleticism. But his rebounding was worse than many point guards in this draft, and his rim protection looked better on tape than it actually was. The team drafting him could end up with a steal, but they will need to be patient and Chriss will have to gain toughness.

 

The Fit: Before the draft, Chriss’ connection to Phoenix was popular knowledge. If he is the player everyone wants him to be, he fits in great with the Phoenix scheme. It may seem to be a double-down on one position for the Suns, who took Dragan Bender at #4 to be a stretch-4. But they could form a rotation that also sees Chriss slide to the small forward position at times.

 

The Spot: Backup forward
The Grade: C

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