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 is a different story. Athletically, he was among the elite players of the NBA. His height and wingspan have caused a few question marks. Size-wise, he compares similarly to David Lee. That may deter a few scouts. Both Lee and Gordon are listed at 6’7.75″ without shoes, with 7′ wingspans, and a standing reach of 8’10.5″. Both players even have similar weight and body fat percentage results from their respective combine events. People forget that David Lee was an incredible athlete out of high school, winning a dunk contest over James White.
While Gordon is of similar height and length to David Lee, his combine results are on a different level. Blake Griffin and David Lee are tremendous athletes at the power forward slot, but Gordon is the player who has guard-like lateral agility, 3/4 court footspeed, and explosive vertical ability. Gordon’s lateral agility result of 10.82 seconds is comparable to elite shooting guards and point guards. The 3.27 3/4-court sprint time is average for a shooting guard. Did we mention he has a 39″ max vertical? Griffin’s results are at 35.5″ max. Both players have similar lateral agility and sprint times.
Is David Lee with Blake Griffin’s athletic ability so bad?
Aaron Gordon uses every bit of that athletic ability. His ability to finish in transition and defend perimeter players are what validate the combine results.
If ever there was a General Manager out there to pick the best athlete available, Aaron Gordon may be the pick. Wiggins is likely to be gone by the first pick, but Gordon’s size, elite athletic tools, and reputation for being level-headed with a tremendous work ethic speak volumes of a player who can be an elite NBA player down the line.