DRAFT PICKS:
Robin Lopez, C, 7-0, Stanford. Lopez is not nearly as offensively gifted as his twin brother Brook, but Robin offers the defense, shot-blocking ability and high-energy motor the Suns have lacked in the middle. Perhaps the pick-and-roll won't be an automatic two points with him in the post. Goran Dragic, G, 6-4, Slovenia. Kerr said the 22-year-old, left-handed Dragic could be the long-term successor to Steve Nash. The Suns successfully brought him Phoenix right away thanks to a buyout with Spanish club Tau Ceramica.
PLAYER NOTES:
--The Suns will bring 16 players to Tucson for training camp. In addition to the 13 players under guaranteed contracts (Louis Amundson, Matt Barnes, Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Goran Dragic, Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, Sean Singletary, Amare Stoudemire and Alando Tucker), Phoenix will invite three non-roster players, all extreme long shots to make the club:
--G Robert Hite, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from the University of Miami who played 12 games with the Miami Heat in 2006-07. He started last season for New Jersey but didn't see any time and wound up playing in Europe.
--F/C Jiri Hubalek, a 6-11 player from Iowa State who averaged six points and two rebounds while playing four games with the Suns in the NBA Summer League. Hubalek, a 25-year-old native of the Czech Republic, averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds at Iowa State last season but went undrafted.
--G Trey Johnson, a 6-5 shooting guard from Jackson State who played five preseason games for New Orleans last season before being released. Johnson was a big-time scorer in college, averaging 27.1 points in his final season with the Tigers but hasn't shown three-point range from the NBA distance.
