Ht/Wt: 6' 9" / 220 lbs
Position: PF
Team: Arizona
Class: Freshman

2014 Draft Profile - Aaron Gordon

Strengths:
There is no player in this draft with the athleticism and explosion of Aaron Gordon. He can fly up and down the court and jump out of the gym. He is also a very quick leaper, much like Shawn Marion, allowing him to be a menace on the offensive glass.

He has an NBA frame, though he will need to add some weight, with great hands and an ability to come up with rebounds and alley-oops in traffic. He is also in great condition, allowing him to go 100 percent for a long period of time.

He is a hard worker who is constantly working to improve his game. Has shown flashes of a decent post-game, and has a solid handle for someone of his size. He is an NBA-ready defender with great length, and motor.

Weaknesses:
While Gordon has all of the physical tools you want in a prospect, he is very raw skill-wise. Of particular concern is his shooting ability. He was under 50 percent from the free throw line, and his jump shot is streaky at best. He can knock down the occasional outside jumper, but most of his points come in the paint.

Which brings us to his next issue, he has no true position yet. He doesn’t really have the perimeter skills yet to be a small forward, but lacks the bulk necessary to play the power forward. He also doesn’t have great footwork which will hurt him more at the next level.

His overall game lacks refinement, and his motor and athleticism will not be able to hide that at the NBA level. While he seems to have the work ethic necessary to improve on his ball skills, teams could be taking a big risk in banking on him developing that much.

Stats:
PPG: 12.4 RPG: 8.0 APG: 2.0 SPG: 0.9 BPG: 1.0 FG%: 49.5 FT%: 42.4 3PT%: 35.6


Player profile submitted by: Elliot Cook of Lakers Nation - March 7th

Gordon is a highlight reel waiting to happen. His athleticism is jaw dropping, and is a key contributor one a winning team. At 6' 9", 220 lbs, he wont turn 19 until September. His skill set and size translates perfectly in today's NBA. He can play the wing or PF in today's commonly used small ball lineups. His running and jumping forces the defense to get back quick and defend the cup. The athleticism is matched with high effort play, making him a terrific rebounder, and impacting on the defensive end. There is still alot of refining to do in Aaron's game but he has a nice stroke with 3 point range and with more reps should be an adequate catch and shoot threat from the 3.

Gordon should have no problems providing value to the NBA, he has the tools of a top 5 pick but his ceiling as an offensive player has questions. His FT% is dreadful and hinders the amount of touches he gets in iso or postup situations.

Gordon might be a bit of a project year 1, but will have no problem making an impact defensively or on the glass. His athleticism and hustle play alone will allow him to be a 10-14 point scorer. If he can become an average FT shooter and add substance in the form of a consistent shot, post up, or iso game, there is potential to be a 20 point scorer and All Star.

Right now a comp would be Josh Smith with less character issues.
Player profile submitted by: Tom Patterson - March 7th

Would you like to write a player profile for any prospect that may be entering the 2014 NBA Draft? Email profiles of any player (even player’s not on our list) to our Webmaster. Credit will be given to the author of the profile.

Aaron Gordon Videos

Aaron Gordon INSANE Senior Year Mixtape!!


RecruitingNation: Aaron Gordon vs. Blake Griffin


Exclusive workout and interview with Drew and Aaron Gordon


RecruitingNation: Aaron Gordon Interview







Click here to return