Jared Cohen
The Phoenix Suns had a 11.9 percent chance at the number one overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft lottery. The percentage of getting the fifth overall pick was much higher in the 30s and those odds ended up being the final result.
They will draft fifth overall at a spot that if you played the odds, it is exactly where new Suns general manager Ryan McDonough thought they might end up.
“Statistically there was almost double the chance we would get the number five pick instead of any other slot,” McDonough explained on Tuesday. “We obviously would have liked to have some good luck on our side but the probability was we were going to be in the five spot and we’re excited about it, There are more than five good players in this draft.”
This draft does not have the star quality that has been seen in drafts prior. There is not a sure-fire number one pick like Anthony Davis was last year. McDonough acknowledges that and mentioned that it doesn’t matter what the mock drafts or reports say, they are going to bring all the top players out for workouts and or interviews prior to the draft.
“One of the most difficult things with us picking in the five slot is figuring out who is going to be available,” McDonough mentioned. “In a lot of years you can say ‘ok that guy’s definitely not going to be there, this guy is definitely not going to be there.’ I don’t think that’s the case this year.”
“I think in every draft there are a few star players and they don’t always go to form,” added McDonough. “You know they don’t always go one, two, three in that order…I don’t know if there is a franchise changer but I am confident we will be able to get someone really good who will be able to help the Suns next year.”
So what are the Suns looking for? McDonough will keep his player rankings to himself and his staff but does have a firm philosophy about how they will go about their pick and the attributes that player will need.
“I think generally we need to get more athletic, we need more shooting but my philosophy is we need to draft the best player available,” McDonough stated. “There are some good pieces here but at the same time we did win 25 games last year. So we need to get better across the board.”
The next main item on the agenda will be for the Suns to find their new head coach. After that the 2013 NBA Draft will be Thursday, June 27th where the Suns will not only pick fifth overall but also 30th overall in the first round.
