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2011 NBA Mock Draft Phoenix Suns Must Find Newest Face for Their Franchise The days of the Phoenix Suns ruling the Western Conference are over. They are clearly in rebuilding mode heading into the NBA draft and could very well be moving both Steve Nash and Vince Carter as soon as the next week. This team is beginning to get younger, but one veteran we now know with certainty will be on the team is forward Mickael Pietrus. “’Suns swingman Mickael Pietrus has elected to opt in for the fourth year of his contract, agent Bill McCandless told HoopsHype. ‘It wasn’t an easy decision, but given the expiration of the CBA we decided that the decision made the most sense,’ McCandless said. Pietrus, who finished his eighth season in the NBA last April, averaged 7.2 ppg and 2.2 rpg this year. After exercising his contract option, Pietrus is due to make $5,300,000 in 2011-12,” according to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com.
Pietrus is a decent forward who can defend, but this was not an ideal scenario for the Suns. Still, $5.3 million for one season is not the worst. Still, Phoenix needs to find their next potential face of the franchise and they cannot worry about Pietrus being on the roster. They can still grab a forward to help lead the team through their rebuilding stage. The Suns have options at shooting guard and small forward with the No. 13 overall selection. Four players who need to be on their radar is Colorado’s Alec Burks, Texas’ Jordan Hamilton, Florida State’s Chris Singleton and BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. All have the potential to be All Stars in this league, but the most intriguing of the four may be Singleton. He contradicts the norm in Phoenix as he is the premier perimeter defender in the class. He is still honing his offensive skills, but his defensive prowess makes him a highly touted prospect. If the Suns are dedicated to winning a championship, they need to finally start playing some defense. NBA.com analyst David Aldridge recently had Phoenix selecting Singleton in his latest mock draft, stating, “If defense is indeed the new buzzword in the PHX, Singleton fits the bill, with incredible length and defensive pedigree.” I am firm believer that defense truly wins Championships. The run-n-gun style of offense the Suns like to play will not win a Championship, which means they need to rebuild the roster and rethink their game plan. By selecting Singleton, they are proving to the world they are dedicated to winning sooner than later.
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