2005 NBA Draft - Phoenix Suns picks
The 2005 NBA Draft was held Tuesday night and the Suns didn't really come out of it with anything of value, except for it allowing them to complete the Kurt Thomas / Quentin Richardson trade with the Knicks.
Picking at #21, the Suns picked up Nate Robinson from Washington University. He is a good ball player and would've fit in well with the fast-paced, scoring Suns. However, he was shipped to New York to complete the previously mentioned trade.
The Suns 2nd round pick, Marcin Gortat from Poland, is a 7ft 250lbs center - only 21 years of age. From what I've read, he fits the Suns tempo very well, but could be a few years away still. At this point, the draft didn't do much, other than help them get a center / power forward in Kurt Thomas. That's what they really needed, so they still look good for next year.
Surprises of the draft:
- Ike Diogu to the Golden State Warriors at #9. Personally, I think Ike should've gone higher, but he's inbetween a SF and PF which NBA teams aren't too keen on these days.
- Utah trading 3 first-round picks to draft Deron Williams. I think this is going to turn into a bonehead move. They could've stayed where they were and still drafted any one of 3-4 other quality point guards and kept their other picks to help them improve (which they need).
- Portland was high on Gerald Green leading up to the draft but didn't end up taking him, despite their numerous first-round picks.
- LA Lakers take a risk on another high school player, this time it's 7ft, 300lb center Andrew Bynum. This pick can't hurt LA, but they could've used a player more ready for the NBA.
- Charlotte will have plenty of fans next year after drafting North Carolina stars Raymond Felton and Sean May in the first round.
Nothing else too surprising or noteworthy. I'm really looking forward to trades & free agent signings now that the draft is over; many of these players could end up elsewhere before the season gets underway.
My2Cents