Although his team came up short, Aaron Gordon put on a heck of a display of athletic talent this season. Over the past few weeks, he was particularly impressive on the boards and lining up defensively against some talented scorers. Throughout the tournament, one comment that seemed to become rather popular and easy to make was that Gordon was much like Blake Griffin.
To that, I say that though it is convenient and easy to make, given how much he looks like Griffin, I think it is a bit misguided. In fact, it seems a little lazy as it does not take an overall look at the player. I will give them this, the two actually look alike.
The similarities all there, that’s not to say they are different players. They are each superior athletes who can dunk and look good doing so. One major difference, though, is that Gordon is a much superior defender. Griffin was not the greatest defender in college, but Gordon is a step ahead of him here.
The freshman plays with tremendous energy. In the Regional Final against Wisconsin, it seemed like he was under the basket after every single free throw a teammate attempted, ready to get the rebound despite starting from a much further distance. His excellent motor puts him in position for rebounds that other, bigger guys may not be able to get. Gordon has huge, strong hands that, in addition to his motor, make him a dominant force on the boards.
As for his offensive game, Gordon is far from a finished product. Frankly, his jump shot is terrible and for him to be an NBA starter he needs to improve it significantly. He shot less than 50% from the field, but even more worrisome is the fact he shot 42% from the free throw line. Despite that, he did manage to shoot a respectable 36% from three. But Gordon is an offensive liability and for him to be the player he needs to be given that he will be a lottery pick, he will need to become at least decent offensively. Otherwise, he is just a role player at the professional level.
Once you get past the awful jump shot, there is still a lot to like with Gordon. We already talked about how impressive his defense is, but he also is a guy committed to improving his game. His conditioning is exceptional and he works hard at his game. One scout said, “He could play a full game and not look winded.” Gordon is also strong with the ball in his hand and was an effective “point-forward”, in setting up his teammates. He could, however, cut down on his turnovers.
Pro Comparison: Taj Gibson
The Verdict: Gordon is just way too unpolished and has too many question marks to mortgage a lottery pick on him. I love what I see in the player, but for the Sixers’ two lottery picks, it seems as though there is too much risk associated with the player. He is too much of a tweener, which the Sixers already have in Thaddeus Young. In drafting Gordon, Philadelphia would essentially be getting a poor man’s Thad Young, one without a jump shot though. This pick can be spent best elsewhere.
