Wanted McLemore, but will give Suns brass a chance

The premise was a simple one and in retrospect nothing has changed.

I made it very clear during Monday’s show that if the Suns had the opportunity to draft Ben McLemore out of Kansas, yet chose not to, I would be disappointed. Upset. They did not and therefore I am. Simple as that.

The conversation was in the context of a hypothetical choice between McLemore and Victor Oladipo, that is if the Suns were to be fortunate enough to have that choice. In real time it turned out to be a choice between McLemore and Alex Len (and I suppose Nerlens Noel, who was startlingly available at five).

I liked McLemore’s athleticism. His shot. The fact the Suns have needed a shooting guard for two years now. His ceiling, which is perhaps the highest in this draft. Jay Bilas — who is one of my favorite analysts regardless of the sport — had McLemore as the best player available before the draft began. In a draft notorious for vague hopes and abundant question marks, I believe McLemore has the best shot at superstardom.

And not that my Twitter account represents the pulse of a Valley, but if it’s even close to that it is clear: Suns fans wanted McLemore.

Now…deep breath time.

If you liked the hire of Ryan McDonough (I did) and of Jeff Hornacek (I did) then, the axiom follows, you must give the pick and the pickers the benefit of the doubt. Had Lance Blanks made this pick, by all means rev up the chainsaw and hack away. His previous picks had not allowed for anything but doubt and skepticism.

McDonough has earned the right to prove he was right in going with Len. He’s probably seen 100 times more of Len than even the most hardcore college basketball fan. So I’ll give him the time he deserves.

In that space I’ll watch McLemore too — closely. If he morphs into the kind of player I thought, there will be plenty of time for cursing later.

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