Phoenix Suns Pre-Draft Workouts

The Suns are working out a handful of players today, including two athletic, long power forwards and three four combo guards.

Perhaps it is a coincidence that the players being looked at happen to also play the same position as free-agent Lou Amundson and underutilized Leandro Barbosa. I doubt it.

Details on the group after the jump:

Jeremy Evans, 6'9" PF, Western Kentucky

Long arms, not very strong, athletic, raw.

Draft Express says:

Evans certainly fits the mold of a long-term NBA prospect physically, standing a legit 6’9 with an enormous wingspan. At only 190 pounds, he definitely will need to bulk up before he hits the next level, and although his frame is a bit narrow, he could likely get up to 220 pounds or so by the time it is all said and done. In terms of running the floor, Evans gets up and down the court very well and shows a great motor, despite his lack of strength.

Magnum Rolle, 6'10" PF, La Tech

Long arms, not very strong, athletic, raw (see the pattern here).

Draft Express says:

Possessing an excellent wingspan and decent height, it isn’t hard to see what made Rolle such a highly regarded high school prospect after watching him for a few plays. He runs the floor like a guard, displays good lateral quickness, and is extremely quick off the floor.

As it stands, Rolle certainly has some NBA caliber tools, namely his athleticism and length, but his ability to utilize them effectively has more to do with the development of his frame than anything else. He seems to be on a promising learning curve with regards to his overall skill set, but needs to show his improvements more consistently.

Matt Janning, 6' 4" SG, North Eastern

There's not much out there on this kid, but he is getting looks by a few NBA teams despite not having a Draft Express profile. Interesting.

His YouTube is this breakaway dunk with the announcers saying, "Matt Janning, I didn't know you had it in you!" That's encouraging.

AJ Slaughter, 6' 3", PG/SG, Western Kentucky

Decent shooting combo guard with some PG abilities.

Draft Express says:

Despite struggling a bit with his role in his final game here, A.J. Slaughter had a very strong week overall, showing an intriguing skill set and feel for the game. Standing 6'3 with good length and athleticism, Slaughter is a quick but not especially explosive athlete, probably best suited as a combo guard if he ever makes it to the NBA, with point guard not being out of the question at all with some development.

 

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Day One
April 8, 2010
-A.J. Slaughter had a phenomenal game here to start the week off, scoring 28 points on a ridiculous 10-for-12 shooting from the field (to go along with 4-for-5 from three and 4-for-4 from the line). He also chipped in 5 assists and 2 steals, playing a good all-around game, hitting shots and slashing to the basket, playing within the team offense and showing off nice athletic ability. He doesn't appear to be a true point guard, and probably isn't a player that's going to be on the draft radar, but continued play like this will certainly make people notice, and at worst should help himself get NBA workouts and improve his European prospects.

Mikhail Torrance, 6' 4" PG/SG, Alabama

Decent size, raw talent, does show up in the mock drafts in the early to mid second round.

NBA Draft.net says:

Strengths: A multi-talented combo guard who has shown the ability to run a team on a full time basis … He has been asked to play both of the guard positions in his senior season and he has preformed extremely well … Handles the ball comfortably and has good change of direction moves that allow him to get to the basket ... Has terrific length and size as a playmaker and is able to use them both when finishing at the basket or to see overtop of the defense ...

Weaknesses: Even though he shoots the ball right handed from the outside, he plays like a left handed player and is uncomfortable dribbling the ball or finishing at the basket with his right hand … He becomes predictable because he will look to switch the ball to his left hand even in situations when a right handed finish is the most high percentage shot … A very streaky shooter, he needs to get into a rhythm before he can make shots …

Jeremy Wise, 6' 2", PG/SG, Bakersfield Jam

Yet another Barbosa replacement.

Jeremy Wise looks impressive compared to the college players on our list, despite facing a higher level of competition in the NBADL. Scoring on 49.4% of his shots from the field in spot up situations, making 54.3% of his isolation attempts, and running the pick and roll as efficiently as any player on the list (1.12), Wise combines the top mark in terms of finishing ability (1.364 PPP) with well above average catch and shoot ability. Across the board, Wise looks like a solid prospect on paper, but he put up those numbers on the third worst team in the NBADL. A bit undersized for a scoring guard and not quite a point guard, Wise has some NBA tools, and should he go undrafted, he’ll be player to keep an eye on in the Summer Leagues considering his experience.

The guru of the D-league, Scott, at Ridiculous Upside:

NBA Draft 2010: Shooters, Get Your Shooters! (Combine Shooting Results) - Ridiculous Upside
Mikhail Torrance is a guy we might want to keep an eye on. He did well at the Portsmouth Invitational and seems to have done the best in the functional mid-range drill as he hit 39 of his 42 attempts. I probably don't need to tell you this, but that's awesome - and he can play the point.

Best YouTube of the bunch!