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Rookies Bring Talent, Intrigue to 2016-17 Phoenix Suns

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The youth movement is underway for the Phoenix Suns, and the 2016 draft class is a major factor in the team’s ongoing rebuild.

Going in with three first round picks, the Phoenix Suns ended up drafting 7 foot 1 inch Dragan Bender fourth overall, athletic combo-forward Marquese Chriss eighth overall and diminutive point guard Tyler Ulis 34th overall.

The haul of Bender, Chriss and Ulis was widely lauded by draft pundits, with Sports Illustrated grading the Bender and Chriss picks at an ‘A’ and ‘B-’, respectively. Basketball Insiders graded the Suns’ draft class at an ‘A’ for the group, and Bleacher Report gave the class a ‘B+’ rating.

Each rookie will be counted on to produce this season, with Bender and Chriss seemingly having big roles on the 2016-17 Suns. Let’s take a look at each rookie individually and the kind of impact they could have for Phoenix.

Dragan Bender

Bender came into the draft ranked as a top-four prospect by Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, and figured to be available at the fourth pick.

The 7-foot big man played professionally at Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Israel but sparingly saw on court action during the 2015-16 season.

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Taking a good look at Bender’s game showed two things: he possessed high-end talent and wasn’t getting enough on court action to showcase that.

Bender’s ability to spread the floor and handle the rock is a perfect fit for a big man in today’s NBA. Consider that his skill comes with a 7 foot frame, and he could have a solid rookie year in Phoenix.

However, with Tyson Chandler and Alex Len on the roster, don’t expect Bender to play big-time minutes at the start of the season.

It may take Phoenix coach Earl Watson until the all-star break to realize the development of Bender is more important than both Chandler and Len.

If and when that point comes, Bender’s considerable skill will be on display for the rest of the league.

Based on the eye test alone, Phoenix Suns’ draft pick Marquese Chriss was one of the very best prospects in the 2016 draft class.

He’s ultra-athletic, can hit three-pointers and has prototypical size (6-foot-10 and 233 lbs) for a stretch forward.

Taking a closer look, Chriss is unproven, inconsistent and needs to add strength in order to battle down low on a nightly basis.

Feb 13, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

His play in the Las Vegas portion of the 2016 NBA Summer League showcased both his talent and need for consistency, especially on the offensive end, where Chriss shot just 33.3 percent from the field.

Luckily for Chriss, the Suns let the two primary power forwards from last season’s team (Mirza Teletovic and Jon Leuer) depart in free agency.

Apart from bringing back Jared Dudley as a stretch four, nothing was done to seriously hinder his potential on court time for his rookie year.

Expect Chriss to get a healthy dose of minutes in a bench role as a spark plug inserted to quickly change the tide during games.

His blend of athleticism and shooting should fit in nicely for a Phoenix team that traditionally gives significant minutes to stretch fours.

Phoenix used its lone second round pick to take diminutive floor general Tyler Ulis and round out the draft class.

Ulis comes in listed at just 5-foot-9 and 150 lbs, but with an impressive list of awards and accolades.

Ulis was named the Southeastern Conference’s 2015-16 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming just the second player in league history to do so.

Mar 17, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The other guy is someone named Anthony Davis. You might have heard of him. He was the 2012 No. 1 pick and is one of the best players in the NBA.

Back to Ulis, he’s never made excuses for his size, or lack thereof. Instead, he uses his skills and body frame to his advantage.

His work for the Suns’ summer league team turned heads and saw Ulis named to the Samsung All-NBA Summer League 2016 Second Team after he put up per game averages of 14.5 points, 6.3 assists and 2.8 steals over six games.

With all that said, don’t expect Ulis to grab a lot of playing time during his debut NBA season.

He sits behind Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, Brandon Knight and probably Leandro Barbosa on the team’s depth chart at this point.

Unless someone is traded or gets injured, 2016-17 will be a developmental year spent on the bench for Ulis.

What rookie do you see being the most productive? Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter: @ValleyOfTheSuns

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