Phoenix Suns Draft Rumor Mill Hits Full Swing - Is Iman Shumpert our Guy?

With the NBA Draft just 3 days away and right on cue, the rumors are flying around the web and spreading like the Wallow Fire.  Now even the new-look no-talk Front Office of the Phoenix Suns has seemed to open up a bit as to what they plan to do come draft night...  or have they?

The word on Twitter and on local sports talk radio is that the Phoenix  Suns are looking to acquire a second 1st round pick so they can secure both a point guard and a forward on Thursday night.  Here's the catch - the supposed point guard of choice - it's the late first round to second round projected prospect Iman Shumpert of Georgia Tech.

Wait... WHAT THE?

Jump it to find out more, suckers.

So when I say 'local sports talk' radio - you all should know by now I'm talking about John Gambadoro of Sports620, he's been the public voice of Robert Sarver for the past many years now as the two of them share an interesting relationship.   I'm not a big Gambo fan - but he's given information to disseminate to the public for a reason, whether it's to sincerely give the fans an inside scoop or whether it's to smear the desert skies with cloaking smoke screens. That's what makes our job as plotting fanatics fun - we get to play Perry Mason and try to piece together the mystery and figure out why the heck the Front Office wants us to believe Iman Shumpert.

Here's what he said via his Twitter

Furthermore on his radio show he expressed his 'feelings' about the draft a little more, 

"What player are they going to pick at 13," John Gambadoro said on Sports 620 KTAR's Gambo and Ash show. "I think they lean towards Markieff Morris.

"If Markieff Morris is off the board at 13 then I think the player they pick is Shumpert."

When Gambo says "Shumpert" he is talking about Iman Shumpert, a 6-5 guard from Georgia Tech.

"I'll tell you right now, that I think if it came down to Shumpert or Jimmer Fredette they will take Iman Shumpert from Georgia Tech over Jimmer Fredette from BYU."

Iman Shumpert? 

• Height/Weight: 6'6"/220
• 20 years old - entering the draft after 3 years at Georgia Tech
  
• 2010-11 = 32.0 MPG, 17.3 PPG, 40.6 FG%, 27.8 3P%, 80.6 FT%, 5.9 REB, 3.5 ASTS. 
  

From DraftExpress.com,

As we've stated in past reports, the intrigue around Shumpert as a potential NBA player revolves around his exceptional physical profile for a player seeing time at the point guard position. Standing 6'4 with an extremely rangy frame, Shumpert is fluid, agile, deceptively quick, and an explosive two-foot leaper.

...

Still a streaky perimeter scorer, Shumpert is far too reliant on his jump shooting ability, and often looks to pull-up when he puts the ball on the floor. 68% of his shot attempts are of the jump-shot variety, but he knocks down just 28.4% of them, and gets even worse when pulling up off the dribble, making 19.5% of his pull-up attempts. While he's hitting his free throws at a very respectable rate, Shumpert's shooting still haven't caught up with his solid mechanics and remain by far his biggest weakness, especially when you look at the way he operates on the floor sometimes—usually taking the first shot available to him, regardless of whether it's a good or bad attempt.

The scouting report goes on to compliment his defense and his physical tools a little more as well noting that he is very effective in transition with the ball.

It should also be noted (because I said so) that Gani Lawal was a former teammate of Iman Shumpert a year ago and in the video below Shumpert mentions that he's still very close with him (G-Man).

So it's his overall PG skills and his outside shooting that are questionable, but his defense and speed are assets.  You guys be the judge, but to me something is definitely fishy about Gambo saying that he is 'the guy' with a Lottery Pick though he's consistently projected late 1st round to early 2nd round.

Okay -  Let's slow up and break this down a bit.  Here's what we've been smoke screened with today -

1. Suns talk of trading Robin Lopez to the GSW for Ekpe Udoh and the 11th pick
2. The Suns would take Iman Shumpert over Jimmer Fredette
3. The Suns would take Markieff Morris at their pick for Forward (assuming Tristan Thompson is not available)

Here's a little piece of Euty's mind...   The Euty-response

Let's talk about #1 - RoLo to GSW for Udoh and the 11th?  Okay!  Udoh was last year's #6 pick in the draft and you're telling me that we get to pick at 11 and 13?   That means we could snatch up a certain BYU PG (who's name I can't remember) before the Jazz do as well as see if T.Thompson or a Morris falls to 13.   ...  Or we could take Shumpert at 13 and T.Thompson at 11?   That doesn't make sense to me... if we are so anxious to trade up and get the 11th, who are we worried won't be there at 13?  

The Utah Jazz have made no indication that they would take T.Thompson or Markieff Morris if those are our guys... in fact they are looking to pick up a SG or a SF with their 12th pick - assuming they take Brandon Knight with the 3rd.   The opposite is true that if the Jazz elect to go with Kanter at 3 or another big man - then they will in all likelihood take a PG like Walker or Fredette with their 12th pick.. maybe that's what our front office is preparing for.

Or it could be like our very own Justin Burning suggested to me on Twitter - Maybe the Suns are looking to get the 13 and the 11 and package it as a deal to get the # 2 and a possible shot at D.Williams... Eh?  Eh?

Let's move on to #2 - Iman Shumpert in the Lottery?  Really?  This smells of decoy, a mask, a smokescreen, a dirty trick to try and fool somebody for some mysterious reasons?  Any thoughts?  I can't figure it out.  It would be a terrible mistake to draft Iman Shumpert at 13 considering the other relative talent available in the lottery.  That wouldn't be a very pretty tattoo for our Front Office IMHO. 

He's a fast, athletic and a defensively minded guard.. but who can't shoot and doesn't make smart decisions always on the court... is this even an upgrade from Zabian Dowdell?  And we want to use our Lottery pick on him?

Plus - Iman Shumpert is the guard that the Suns brought in to go head to head with Fredette here in Phoenix - and the word from the street is that Fredette held his own and impressed the Suns Front Office heavily.   But according to Gambo - NAH, the Yankees rule and the Suns would take Shumpert over Fredette in a heartbeat.  But what about all that talk from Lance Blanks about "If he's there (Jimmer) it's going to be a really tough decision..."???

Lastly #3 - Markieff?  Really?  I was pretty sure Marcus was the better twin... but maybe we are just destined to try a new lesser-twin each year until we eventually cut or trade them all.

One final thought -

This Front Office has gone to great lengths to NOT disclose predraft workouts (I had to crack the Twitter code and semi-stalk draft prospects to find out the little info that I did) - not make players or coaches immediately available after them - NOT release any word on what the team plans to do at all for the future personnel-wise... yet all of a sudden today Gambo knows that Iman Freaking Shumpert is our guy and Markieff Morris is the better twin?  Something smells foul.

What say ye Bright-Sideiens?  What shall we make of this cannon fodder?!  Speak, Rabble, PREACH!!!