The Case for Aaron Gordon

What is the Aaron Gordon’s upside?

Aaron Gordon’s projected peak upside is to be the next Blake Griffin.  There are a few similarities between both players as freshman.  Both are explosive players around the basket.  Both have an unusual amount of ball-handling and passing skills at a young age.  Both players are unselfish.  Both are of similar height and wingspan. That’s where the likeness ends.

There’s a lot of differences between both players. Griffin carried an extra 20lbs. of muscle when he attacked the basket.  This allowed him to shed defenders on the way to the hoop.  Gordon, on the other hand, has far more defensive IQ.  His ability to defend impacts a game without necessarily showing on the stat sheets.  Arizona was an elite team defensively all year, but it was the freshman who was the key to that defense, both along the perimeter and in the paint.  Strength can easily be gained as his career matures.

Imagine having a Blake Griffin-type of player, with defensive IQ, and solid 3-point range.