8P9S NBA Mock Draft 1.0: With the 26th pick, the Indiana Pacers select…
By Ben Gibson
No. 2 — Phoenix Suns: RJ Barrett
College: Duke | Class: Freshman | Height: 6’7 | Weight: 200 | Age: 18
RJ Barrett has a lot of issues. He has ego the size of Zion’s torso and is allergic to passing at times. He struggles to score in the half court, lacking a true counter move to his initial slashes.
And his defensive effort often lacks, electing to loaf around while the likes of Zion and Tre Jones do the heavy lifting. Yet, he’s a top prospect in this class with a dearth of high-end talent.
His athleticism, footwork on drives and shooting indicators all point towards a productive offensive player in the NBA. If he can iron out his feel issues, we could have a solid secondary/tertiary initiator down in Phoenix.
The Suns seem content with going point-Booker and/or signing a veteran point guard so adding Barrett next to Booker is a good option for Phoenix if they miss out on Zion.
If I were a GM I would not select a player at two (trade down) but Barrett is a solid choice for Phoenix if I am selecting. — Ben Pfeifer