Mar 27, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Aaron Gordon (11) dunks the ball against the San Diego State Aztecs during the second half in the semifinals of the west regional of the 2014 NCAA Mens Basketball Championship tournament at Honda Center. The Wildcats defeated the Aztecs 70-64. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Gordon
Power Forward, Arizona
Freshman, 18 years old
6’8.75″, 220 lbs.
2013-14 Stats: 31.2 MPG, 12.4 PPG (49.5% FG, 42.2% FT, 35.6% 3FG), 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 BPG, .9 SPG, 1.4 TOPG
Measurements: 6’11.75″ wingspan, 8’9″ standing reach, 39’ max vert, 32.5’ no step vert, 5.1% body fat
Cumulative Ranking: 6th | Bryant’s Ranking: 5th | Scott’s Ranking: 8th
Aaron Gordon: THE BREAKDOWN
Bryant: Of the realistic selections for the Kings (so excluding Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker or Dante Exum), Gordon is my favorite selection. He’s a beast of a defender, and while he’s a tad shorter then you’d like a PF to be, he’ll compensate for it with his insane athleticism. He’s a work in progress offensively, but he already does all the little intangible things and has great court awareness. Given the proper development (especially in the weight room), his potential is sky high.
Scott: I know you’ve been waiting for this one. While I don’t have him as high as you, I’m also a big fan of Gordon’s potential. You hit on the key for me — his development in the weight room. He’s a power forward, but right now, he’s got a small forward’s body. As he fills out, he could be a beast. He has a great feel for the game for such a young player, and it’s rare to see that interest in the defensive end from a freshman. Gordon is also no slouch on offense and shows a solid base for a nice all-around game.
Mar 23, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard David Stockton (11) shoots against Arizona Wildcats forward Aaron Gordon in the second half of a men
Bryant: I’m the captain of the Aaron Gordon bandwagon for a reason. I’m not as worried about his size as I am his strength – he’s only half an inch shorter than Blake Griffin, but has the same wingspan and (if you can believe it), has a bigger vertical leap. His weight room work will take time, but if he can muscle up to face bigger PFs I have complete confidence he can become a lock-down defender at the position. As you said, seeing a young player so dedicated to defense is great to see. The major problem, even bigger than his size, is his jumpshot – 42.2% from the free throw and 32.2% from three won’t cut it.
Scott: His shooting percentages surprise me because he doesn’t seem clueless on that end. His stroke isn’t amazing but it’s decent. If he projects as a power forward, I think he can develop into an adequate spot-up shooter from mid-range. But he’ll absolutely have to get better around the basket and from the line. A guy that athletic, who can seemingly get to the line at will, is really doing a disservice to himself by hitting just 42.2%. He is just 18 years old though; there is plenty of time to grow.
A Royal Pain – Sacramento Kings Cumulative Big Board
15. Nik Stauskas – Shooting Guard, Michigan
14. Jusuf Nurkic – Center, Bosnia
13. Adreian Payne – Power Forward, Michigan State
12. Gary Harris – Guard, Michigan State
11. Doug McDermott – Forward, Creighton
10. Dario Saric – Forward, Croatia
9. James Young – Guard/Forward, Kentucky
8. Noah Vonleh – Forward, Indiana
7. Marcus Smart – Guard, Oklahoma State
6. Aaron Gordon – Forward, Arizona