Aaron Gordon is entering the draft!
- Thread starter Beantown
- Start date
green
Well-Known Member
A SF that can't shoot is a crappy SF. Plain and simple. He would be much, much better as a 6 ft 9 PF than a 6 ft 8 SF.
Beantown
Well-Known Member
You are not making any sense. If you are assuming that Gordon will never be able to shoot then why would the Jazz even draft him?
If you move him into a PF position you are going to negate his god given talents. Ball handling and defense. He is amazing at driving to the hoop and if he's playing defense against taller post up players he will get his *** handed to him.
His size at SF is a huge ADVANTAGE....having him play PF would be a huge DISADVANTAGE......get it?
But again if you believe he will never learn to shoot then you should just argue that the Jazz shouldn't draft him at all.
Sexual Favors
Well-Known Member
He's not MKG dude. He's better off as an SF. His shot isn't that broken. He already shoots 35% from 3, and 51% on 2's, anyways. He's just not the shooter that Parker is.
To put it in perspective, here is the list of every drafted SF since 2008 and their 3pt %:
Paul George - 36%
Danilo Galinari - 37%
Nicolas Batum - 36%
Demarre Carroll - 37%
Wesley Johnson - 36%
Al Farouq Aminu - 27%
Gordon Hayward - 31%
Luke Babbit - 37%
Kawhi Leonard - 38%
Jimmy Butler - 28%
Chandler Parsons - 37%
Tobias Harris - 24%
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 11%
Harrison Barnes - 35%
Maurice Harkless - 37%
Jeff Taylor - 26%
Joe Crowder - 35%
Quincy Miller - 30%
Khris Middleton - 42%
Darius Miller - 32%
Robbie Hummel - 33%
Otto Porter - 31%
Shabazz Muhammad - 27%
Gianhis Antetokounmpo - 31%
Sergey Karasev - 22%
Tony Snell - 32%
Solomon Hill - 31%
Reggie Bullock - 32%
1 person above 40%!!!
Now tell me who out of that list is 6'9" and as athletic as Aaron Gordon?
green
Well-Known Member
Do PF's need to be able to shoot outside of 10 ft? No, not really. Look at Blake Griffin's shot chart:
https://stats.nba.com/playerShotchart.html?PlayerID=201933
As a PF, you don't need to be able to hit a jump shot. Your job is to attack. Also, Blake Griffin doesn't do most of his damage in a post up style offense. He does his damage by facing his defender and attacking, much the same way Gordon does.
That is why having him play as a SF really drops his stock. His athleticism, while great is completely negated if he can't shoot. Drop off him 10 ft (ala what people would do to Brewer) and give him the jumpshot. He can't drive anymore. I don't care how athletic you are, if you aren't a threat to hit an outside shot, you aren't a threat to do much.
That is also why if he can play PF, his stock jumps through the roof. Now, you don't need to be able to hit an outside shot. Put him in the post, get the ball to him, let him face up with his defender and attack. Jump shot is irrelevant.
As a PF, I love Gordon and may even consider taking him over Wiggins #1. As a SF, I'm not in love with him, and I'd take Wiggins, Parker, and maybe Embiid and Exum over him.
Sexual Favors
Well-Known Member
People get caught up on the Blake Griffin comparison and then want to call him a tweener, or an undersized PF.
Dude is an oversized SF with elite athleticism.
Dude is an oversized SF with elite athleticism.
green
Well-Known Member
His three point % isn't reliable as a Sf. He shoots 1 three a game. He doesn't take threes off the dribble, nor off screens. He takes threes standing around, getting his feet set, then launching. He won't be able to do that in the NBA.
I'd bet his three point shot drops into the low 20's his first couple of years in the NBA, or he just doesn't take them at all.
He isn't a SF. He is either a dominate PF or a small PF. His size will tell if he is Blake Griffin offensively or Millsap offensively.
Sexual Favors
Well-Known Member
Anyways, We have a GM who is all about analytics. Do you know what the first and biggest lesson analytics has taught us? That players who only excel at shooting the mid-range shot are ineffective. You want high percentage shots at the rim, which Gordon gets with ease, or shots from 3 pt range, which A. Gordon shot at a 36% clip. This year, the Jazz haven't shot enough at the rim, and that's because we struggle getting there because of pace of play and being stuck int he half court. Gordon will tip the balance towards the open court style of play, which will help our offense tremendously.
If you are worried about a tweener, you should worry about Parker.
If you are worried about a tweener, you should worry about Parker.
Hantlers
Well-Known Member
Using percentages isn't exactly fair.
Gordon is shooting roughly 1 three-pointer a game, and only while he's open. Comparing that to a bunch of wing players who shoot more frequently is disingenuous.
Lets also not forget that you're comparing Gordon's college stats to these players current NBA stats. The NBA 3-point line is further away, and the defense is tougher. Essentially, you have a horrible comparison going on here.
Sexual Favors
Well-Known Member
I'll agree that his sample size is small. He played within his team's offense, and that just wasn't where they needed him.
Your argument against his SF potential doesn't make any sense. Griffin and Millsap wish they had the handles A. Gordon has. Millsap had to be a PF because he wasn't quick enough to guard the 3, and didn't have the handles, neither are problems for A. Gordon.
Hantlers
Well-Known Member
Aaron Gordon shot 3's at a 36% clip while shooting 1 3 pointer a game…and typically only when set and wide open. How often do you think that will happen in the NBA? Acting like Aaron Gordon is a good or reliable shooter from deep is just wrong.
Sexual Favors
Well-Known Member
All valid points, but the point I am making is that the SF position isn't exactly lights out from 3 pt range, and that length and athleticism are really what the SF position is about. Gordon is 18. Who's to say he doesn't learn to shoot? His shot isn't broken like MKG's.