Welcome to the Phoenix Suns, Kendall Marshall!

Well, the 2012 NBA Draft is over and surprisingly the Phoenix Suns didn't deal their pick for Marvin Williams or Matt Barnes. I think the biggest surprise from the draft is that of all the trades that were rumored to be on the table, the most underwhelming ones actually executed. I know one involved the amazing and game changing prospect Tyler Zeller (sarcasm for those who can't tell) and another involved the 76ers giving the Miami Heat a first round pick for some damn reason, other than that...eh.

I was probably kidding myself hoping the Rockets would throw the house at Dwight Howard only to be left in the dust next season, or waiting for the Cavaliers to trade up to #2 to take Bradley Beal and then the Wizards shatter Charlotte's dreams by taking Thomas Robinson with the rage of a middle school teenager.

But alas none of the goodness happened and we had a pretty underwhelming draft in terms of mixing it up. Although Cleveland did provide a good laugh by taking lottery prospect Dion Waiters at the #4 slot, and then Toronto was forced to take late first round prospect Terrence Ross at #8. But anyways, onto Phoenix...


The Suns had the #13 selection after a very flirtatious season with the playoffs, ending in heartbreak at the hands of the eventual 8th seeded Utah Jazz. The Steve Nash era was coming to an end and the team has put itself in a position to have the most cap room this off-season, but the transition started on Draft Night when the Suns selected North Carolina Point Guard Kendall Marshall at 13.

Marshall is by some (including me) considered the best natural point guard in this year's draft by a good margin, he possesses elite floor vision in both the fast-break game and half-court.  UNC Head Coach Roy Williams said himself that Marshall is the best passer he's ever coached, keep in mind players like Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson have crossed Williams' graces as well.

A little rundown on Marshall as a prospect, he averaged 8/10/1.2 on 47% and 35% from 3pt his senior season and was the catalyst for everything UNC did on offense. There were questions on whether or not he could score and wasn't just a facilitator, he silenced those critics during the ACC and NCAA Tournament run averaging an astounding 15 and 10.3 on 62%, 55% from 3pt to end the season before going down with an injury. Flaws in his game range from his very unimpressive athleticism to his inconsistent ability to drive to the basket, no doubt these will be on display his first season but Suns fans everywhere hope that his amazing skill-set as a floor general overshadows his shortcomings.


The Suns now entire the free agency period with reportedly Eric Gordon on their radar to pair with Marshall and officially begin rebuilding, it should be a fun off-season and NBA season. But for now, the Suns welcome new franchise point guard Kendall Marshall!