NBA Draft: 5 destinations for Brandon Ingram

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Mar 12, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives in against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Suns 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

West. Pacific. Phoenix Suns. 5. player. 66.

The Phoenix Suns have had a terrible 2015-16 NBA campaign. They temporarily delayed an inevitable rebuild the last two years, but the bottom fell out with this year’s club once point guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight got hurt.

To make the mess in the Valley of the Sun worse, the Suns fired head coach Jeff Hornacek, alienated both Morris Twins, and overpaid for a one-way player in center Tyson Chandler to play a role in a massive rebuilding project that he frankly wants no part in. All that adds up to 19-51 record through 70 games, good enough for 14th place in the Western Conference, and the third worst record in basketball.

While Phoenix has a myriad of problems going forward, the Suns do have some respectable young pieces in shooting guard Devin Booker and center Alex Len in addition to the point guard tandem of Bledsoe and Knight going forward.

If Phoenix can get either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick, the Suns would be wise to take Ingram with that selection because he could mesh well with the Suns as the starting small forward. He’ll be able to get the ball from the great point guard distributors and could play off the talented shooter in Booker.

Ingram could grow into his body and become a defensive force to be reckoned with down low alongside Len under the tutelage of defensive guru Chandler. Phoenix won’t compete immediately out of the gate with Ingram on their team, but the Suns will have a great player able to more than fill the hole left by the Morris Twins’ departures from Arizona.

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