FanPost

Draft Confusion

Legitimate question: can anyone explain to me the appeal of Aaron Gordon? All year he has been hyped up as a big time player that is going to do big things at the next level. Having watched him all year in college, and even in person when he came to Oregon, I just don’t get it.

At that very Oregon game, I watched him warm-up and drain shots from all of the court. He was hitting threes from everywhere and made at least 12 free throws in a row. I was impressed. But then come game time, he was just a mere mortal who did not seem like one of the four best players on the court.

And after viewing him that lens, it clicked for me: he is essentially Meyers Leonard. While sure, he is a 6’9 forward and Leonard is listed as a seven-foot center, their stats seem eerily similar.

Coming out of Illinois, Meyers averaged 13.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.9 blocks. All while shooting 73% from the free throw line. On the flip side, this last season Gordon averaged 12.4 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. And he shot 42% from the line. Forty-two percent! He shot three percent better from a stationary unguarded spot on the floor then Wesley Matthews shot from three-point land last season. Frightening.

While yes, because these two players are different positions Meyers’ block total may be inflated, at the end of the day they still seem pretty similar. And if anything, Meyers looks like he would have the upper-hand.

So can anyone explain this to me? Sure, I’ve read people praising his work ethic and saying how competitive he is, but that doesn’t quite translate to his on-court performance.

Are there any signs that show that Gordon will be a successful lottery pick?