NBA Draft 2014: Isaiah Austin to work out for Phoenix Suns

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, word surfaced that the Phoenix Suns were scheduled to hold a workout with Florida Gators four-year big man Patric Young in advance of the 2014 NBA Draft. However, the Suns were not nearly done, as they also have reportedly brought Baylor big man Isaiah Austin to Arizona for a visit.

Unlike Young, who is considered to be a virtually finished product, the Suns would undoubtedly be searching for upside if they examined a selection of Austin. At 7-feet tall and just 215 pounds, Austin is a classic player who doesn’t really have a position, but his athletic ability screams potential to NBA talent evaluators.

The former Baylor Bear does present significant range on his jump shot, which is an obvious plus considering his length, but he is incredibly frail for his size, and that has had negative effects on his abilities around the rim. If there a strength to Austin’s game, it is probably as a shot blocker, but in the NBA, he would likely need to add strength to avoid foul trouble and even potential injury when banging with players who have much larger frames.

Austin is currently pegged as the 57th overall player (and 15th power forward) for ESPN’s Chad Ford, but the lastest mock from Draft Express places him as the 35th pick to the Utah Jazz. It only takes one team to become enamored with the size/skill combination of a player like Isaiah Austin, and that could make him a player to watch in the NBA Draft process.