It was just one year ago that the Suns found themselves in a battle with the Los Angeles Lakers for a shot at the Western Conference crown. Fast forward to 2011 and Phoenix finds itself in somewhat unfamiliar territory – the NBA lottery. The Suns will be picking 13th on June 23, which will be the first chance the team has to make an improvement to what some would call a flawed roster.

The 2011 draft class has been publicly criticized as being mediocre as best, with national pundits calling this draft the worst in recent memory. However, while the top of the draft seems to be devoid of the “superstar” talent teams traditionally expect from projected top picks, the middle of the first round could yield decent role-playing talent. With draft projections murky after the first two picks, the potential remains for a vast array of players to be available to Phoenix when their time on the clock is up, making due diligence more important than ever.

The Suns, despite finishing fourth in scoring last season (105 ppg), ranked dismally low in several other game-changing categories. Phoenix finished 29th in team defense (105.9 ppg), 25th in team defensive field goal percentage (47.2) and 29th in the league for team rebounding differential (-4.1). Thus, the need in this draft would seem to be a quality big to compliment Marcin Gortat on the block. Let’s take a look what players could be on the board at 13 and more importantly, may have a positive impact as soon as the 2011-12 season.

Kenneth Faried: Faried may be a reach at number 13 but he is a player that can make an immediate impact on the boards for Phoenix. The nation’s leading rebounder last season, Faried grabbed 14.5 (5.7 offensive) rebounds per game for Morehead en route to breaking the NCAA modern-era record for career rebounds with1,673. Measuring 6’ 7.5” with shoes, Faried is small for his projected power forward position but his stature makes his body of work that much more impressive. Faried goes after every loose ball, displaying the type of energy Suns fans have been accustomed to seeing from Jared Dudley. His passion for securing rebounds translates to giving his team extra possessions and considering that Phoenix finished top 10 in points per 100 possessions in 2010-11, creating additional opportunities for Nash and Co. is never a bad thing.

Besides bringing his nose for the ball to the Suns, Faried would provide a very opportunistic method of scoring. Deemed relatively short in stature for an NBA power forward, Faried boasts a 7’0” wingspan which allows him to finish quickly in transition and around the rim. Faried will not be a guy who breaks a defender down off of the dribble for a score, but he could be a terrific compliment to Nash ala Shawn Marion.

If the Suns want a player that can step in immediately and improve statistically weak areas of concern, Faried is the guy.

Bismack Biyombo: Biyombo, is an unknown, so much so that he could go in the top five of the 2011 draft or fall to Phoenix at 13. It is easy to see the uneasiness GM’s may have over Biyombo, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as for every Serge Ibaka, there are 10 Johan Petros. It is the physical attributes that have many GM’s potentially overlooking draft history and focusing in on the “what-ifs.” Biyombo’s 7’7” wingspan is nearly 12 inches longer than his actual height of right around 6’9” in shoes. That disparity in measurement has never been recorded, and when paired with his 243-pound weigh-in (4.8% body fat), the athletic potential is there. More than potential, Biyombo does have some statistical data to support being a lottery pick, especially in this draft. Biyombo finished first in blocked shots and fourth in rebounds per 40 minutes while playing for ACB’s Fuenlabrada which is considered one of the world’s most competitive non-NBA leagues.

Biyombo is the type of pick that can make or break an NBA GM. The size and athleticism scream lottery pick but the sudden nature in which he burst onto the scene in last April’s Nike Hoop Summit creates a “where has he been” type feel. However, if he is there at 13, it is almost a no-brainer for Phoenix as his ceiling is higher than any other available name at that point.

Markieff Morris: Yes, it is another lesser-rated brother that could be available when it is Phoenix’s turn to pick. Surely that notion will make Suns fans uneasy as the last two brother picks (Robin Lopez and Taylor Griffin) have not exactly been “can’t miss.” However, Markieff may be able to finally turn the tide. This Morris brother measured taller, heavier, and longer than his twin, Marcus, and has a skill-set that could be just what the Suns need – a garbage man. Morris does not boast the star potential of Biyombo or the steal-of-the-draft feel of Faried, but he is also a lower risk than those two. What you see is what you get with Morris who will likely have a long NBA career centered around making the most of the minutes he gets by rebounding and using his 62.5% two-point field goal percentage to put the ball in the basket.

Markieff Morris at number 13 is a safe pick, and depending on what players are left, could be the right pick.

Jeremy Tyler: By far the biggest risk in the draft, Tyler is blowing teams away with his combine measurements which could see him jump from misguided second-rounder, to first round stardom. Tyler stands 6’10.5” with shoes, has a 7-foot-5 wingspan, and a standing reach of 9’.25”. Those are the type of measurements that make league execs drool and forego any worry about off-the-court character issues.

Prior to leaving high school after his junior year to pursue professional basketball in Israel and Japan, Tyler was considered by most to be the nation’s number one high school prospect of the 2010 high school class. However, Tyler’s numbers with those teams left much to be desired as he put up just 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds in just under eight minutes per game in Israel and 9.9 points, 6.4 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per game in Japan. Tyler attributes his struggles to being young in a foreign environment – an explanation that most GM’s hope to be true.

The read on Tyler is all over the map as some say they have not seen this type of athletic potential since LeBron James and others saying this is the type of high physical ability, high off-court risk that can cripple teams if taken too early. It will come down to whether teams want to commit first round time and money to a player being judged strictly on potential.

There is little doubt that Tyler will be there at 13 when Phoenix picks, but by all accounts a pick spent on Tyler at this stage of the draft would be a tremendous reach. If Phoenix has interest, they would be better served trading down in the draft, acquiring a future pick, and taking Tyler somewhere in the late 20’s.

Jimmer Fredette: Up to this point we have only been talking ‘bigs’ with the Suns’ pick, and rightfully so based upon statistical need. However, there is one little guy in this draft that makes GM’s want to throw caution to the wind and forget about need and draft based upon an uncanny ability to put the ball in the basket. I call it the Jimmer Effect. Jimmer Fredette did not measure extremely well or horrible at the combine with an in-shoe measurement of 6’.25” and a 6’4.5” wingspan. But any team that takes Fredette is not going to be concerned with how tall he stands or how far he can reach. Teams, like the Suns, will just worry about whether or not Jimmer can score the way he did for BYU where he averaged a NCAA-leading 28.9 ppg on 39.6 percent shooting from behind the three-point line.

Fredette has the ability to become a scoring threat as soon as he crosses half-court. His three-point shot is electric and will surely improve any team he goes to – at least on the offensive end. The question becomes, is he right for Phoenix?

Currently the Suns do not have need for a point guard as Nash is under contract for one more full season and Phoenix is expected to extend a qualifying offer to restricted free-agent Aaron Brooks. However, if Phoenix is looking beyond 2011-12 and to the future, the chance for Fredette to spend a season under Nash could be too good to pass up.

It is no secret that Phoenix will lack star power and a fan favorite when Nash does eventually leave the Valley of the Sun. In Fredette, the Suns have a chance to ease that pain getting an electric scoring point guard that can captivate fans with his pure shot and relentless motor.