NBA Draft
The Phoenix Suns Select T.J. Warren at No. 14
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated6 hours ago on April 26, 2024
The Phoenix Suns entered last season with a rookie head coach in Jeff Hornacek and an eye towards the future. The Suns caught the NBA off-guard and was the surprise team of the season. Phoenix finished with a 48-34 record and just barely missed making the playoffs. The Suns entered the draft armed with the 14th, 18th, and 27th picks.
With the 14th pick, the Suns selected T.J. Warren from North Carolina State. Warren was the ACC Player of the Year and contributed 24.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.8 steals.
With the Suns, Warren joins a team featuring young, talented players, including point guards Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic. Warren is an elite scorer, though does not have NBA three-point range at this point. Something that is unique about Warren is that even though he is not an elite athlete, he finished 70 percent of his shots around the rim. Warren is able to do this with a versatile offensive game, featuring a lot of floaters and unorthodox shots.
Shortly after being selected, Warren made it clear that he is looking forward to getting to work in Phoenix.
“Getting drafted by the Suns means a lot” Warren said. “It’s a truly blessed situation. I’m excited to get out there. Looking forward to it.”
When asked about how he would fit with the Suns, Warren said “I think my style of play fits very well. I like to get up in transition for easy baskets, running the floor very hard. Their style of play matches my style of play. So it’s a perfect fit.”
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported that the Phoenix Suns promised Warren they would take him with the 14th pick if he was still on the board. The Suns got their man, who should be able to contribute at small forward early on. Warren will be especially productive if he can develop his three-point shot moving forward.
