One of the things the Phoenix Suns will be trying to add this offseason, probably through the draft, is some big man scoring, which means they’re more than likely to be interested in drafting Frank Kaminsky, leaving Wisconsin after four years.
An All-American and National college player of the year, Kaminsky is one of those players that star in college but usually get picked late in the first round of the NBA draft. A 7’1 big man who can score from pretty much anywhere on the floor (41.6% from beyond the arc last season), but obviously in need of some bulk, strength and athleticism to match up with NBA big men.
Kaminsky is going to be a lottery pick more likely than not, but not a very high one. The Suns finished with a 39-43 record last season, giving them an 0.006% chance of getting the first pick. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder have worse odds to land something big in the draft lottery, but both teams don’t need that much of a major change in order to be competitive next season.
Alex Len started 44 games for the Suns last season at center. While he has improved, his offense is still more than lacking, scoring just 6.3 points per game. He’s a pretty good defensive presence, but the Suns, who don’t exactly have a solid, unstoppable go to guy type, need all the help they can get offensively now that Goran Dragic is playing somewhere else.
Kaminsky might not be an immediate 20-points per game addition and it’s doubtful he’ll ever be that kind of player, but he should be able to contribute right away. He’s a player who scored against everybody and on anybody in college, including high future picks like Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein. He’s not going to look like a fish out of the water once he steps on an NBA court.
The argument right now between mock experts is whether Kaminsky is a top 10, 15 or 20 kind of guy. He might be a bit of a reach for the Suns if he impresses in the camps leading up to the draft, but overall he seems like a reasonable distance away, and should a player who will help them right away in adding some points from the center position, even if plays more like a modern stretch power forward.