Sakuragi_ wrote:
True.
Still wouldnt take him over Randle or Vonleh though.
Personally, I'm more concerned about either of those two transitioning than Gordon. Randle is pretty much strictly a low post player but lacks the length or explosiveness to be a sure thing. In order to be a great player, he'll have to become much more crafty, ala Zach Randolph, or develop his shot, ala Love. Right now, his game is largely based on overwhelming his defender with his strength. That won't work nearly as well in the NBA. He's also horrible on defense.
Vonleh's measurements are great, and he's a top notch shooter for a PF already, but he doesn't pass the eye test. His athletic ability (37 inch vertical, etc) does not show, up at all, on the court. He's a below the rim player on both sides of the court. His length, while great, also doesn't translate very well since he tends to get completely lost on offense and defense. He just doesn't know how to utilize that length at all yet. He'll need a few years, at least, to learn the game.
Personally, I like Gordon the best, but I wouldn't hate a Vonleh pick since he's got a very high ceiling. I also expect, based on what the local writers have said the Wolves are looking for, that Vonleh would be at the top of their list due to his shooting and defensive upside.
Sakuragi_ wrote:[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbHJg8glkN4[/youtube]
Also, thanks for posting this. I'm about 10 minutes into the game, and I've noticed a few things:
1) I think a lot of Gordon's defensive rebounding problems come about because he wants to get out and run. There's been a few rebounds I've noticed that he could have gotten, but he backed up and let a teammate get so he could start running up the court faster.
2) Arizona's offensive system sucks. Very little cutting, very few screens set on or off the ball. A lot of movement, but not for any real reason or purpose. I think the problem of Gordon becoming invisible at times could be helped a lot by an actual system that runs actual plays for him or others.
3) He had one really nice alley-oop (which should be a staple for him in the NBA), but he also had a really ugly blocked shot. When he isn't going up for a dunk, he needs to go up stronger and use his body to shield the ball/draw fouls. This is something that could be a problem going forward but that could also be fixed fairly easily with more experience and with more body development/strength training.
I'll keep watching, and if I notice anything else, I'll probably edit this post.
Edit 2:
I've watched a few more minutes, and I've noticed a few times that he's tried to slap at the ball when a teammate's man is driving to the hoop instead of going for the block. With his explosive athleticism, he should always go for the block. That's an issue to me, but it's something that should be easily correctable with coaching.
Edit 3:
Something else that doesn't get talked about much in regards to Gordon's offense is his passing. He's had a few good passes so far in this game (about 20 minutes in). Another way to use him is to put him and Dieng in Horns and let them pass from the high post.
Edit 4:
@ 1:06:20 Gordon shoots a free throw. As far as I can tell, his form is fine. It's certainly not completely broken like Shaq's or Dwight's. Unfortunately, crappy camera work makes it tough to see the whole thing, so maybe something else is wrong. It was a pretty ugly miss (off the back iron).
Edit 5:
Another example of his free throw shooting at 1:09:30. Another miss, and once again, I don't know why. As far as I can tell, his form his absolutely fine. He lines up his lead foot (right, since he's right handed) with the basket, his left foot is shoulder width apart and slightly back, he lines up his elbow with his lead foot and the basket, he bends his knees, and he follows-through. Both shots were just a little strong.
I've noticed too, that his touch around the basket (when not dunking) isn't very good for much the same reason, he tends to rush things and force up his shots too strong. It seems to be a mental thing. It something that can, and hopefully will, improve with time, experience, and practice. (And the touch around the basket should improve with added weight and upper-body strength, allowing him to absorb contact without having to overpower his shot by fighting through it).
Edit 6:
Another example at 1:16:24. Took his time, had softer touch, and made both easily.
Edit 7:
Last update, probably. I wasn't watching the game for LaVine, but just catching him a few times out of the corner of my eye, I'll say that I see the Westbrook comparisons in terms of quickness and explosiveness which is intriguing, but LaVine has
terrible shot selection.
Edit:
As an addendum to my above post + this one, I don't think I've seen Gordon set a screen yet in this game. His offense is going to be based largely on pick-and-roll/pop at the NBA level, so if he's not any good at setting screens, that could be a huge problem and a reason to pass on him.
