Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Aaron Gordon is more NBA ready than people realize.

The 18-year-old kid from Arizona surely has his weaknesses: He hasn't developed much of a shot, he struggles creating for himself off the dribble, and he hit just 42.2 percent of free throws in his freshman season, his only year as a Wildcat.

But boy, can the kid defend.

As a consensus top-10 recruit coming out of high school, Gordon came into last season figuring that he had the chance to be a one-and-done. Now, he enters the NBA as someone who is expected to be one of the top-10 selections in the draft. 

DraftExpress.com has Gordon at No. 9 on its list of top-100 prospects. ESPN's Chad Ford ranks him No. 7 on his big board. 

On draft day, you always hear the word "range." But when Gordon got asked about his range while speaking to the media the day before the draft, even he seemed as indecisive as anyone.

"I think it's four through eight, but I have no idea," he said with a smile.

Unless something goes horribly wrong, Gordon will hear his name called by a team amongst the lottery slots. There is one thing we can be sure of, though: Aaron Gordon is going to be able to guard at the NBA level.

As Arizona's best and most versatile defender, Gordon had to check the other team's best offensive threat on most nights during his brief college tenure. That's how he ended up facing more isolation than any other player in the Pac-12 this past season, according to Synergy Sports (subscription required).

But even against that top-notch competition on a gamely basis, Gordon dominated. No one stood a chance.

Back in November, we actually saw the country's most refined offensive player in Jabari Parker go up against Gordon, who guarded the Duke forward for much of the game.

In that contest—which may have been Gordon's best all-around performance of the season—he stuck with Parker on defense to force a miss, hustled back onto him, caused another clank while contesting Parker at the rim, got the rebound and then made a perfect pass (his distributing skills are highly underrated, by the way) to lead to a fast-break layup:

This play is all about the second effort, something you don't usually see from a freshman defender, especially after bodying up an elite opposing player once already. At one point during the play, Gordon recovers onto Parker on the left side, but Parker gets a step by him:

However, Gordon's quickness and intelligence allows him to catch up to the Duke forward. This is also the Arizona way.

'Zona forwards could play themselves some help defense, but coach Sean Miller made sure you didn't see them searching for blocks this year. That was the job of Kaleb Tarczewski, the seven-foot center in the middle of the D who would sky for swats. The rest of the defense, though, took a more conservative approach.

Miller coaches his players to find a spot, let the opposition move and then catch up to them. If defense is about beating the ball to wherever it is going to be on the court, Miller wants his guys to make defending the ball a priority, not necessarily defending the player.

Because of that, you don't see tons of shot blocks from guys like Brandon Ashley or Gordon, who averaged just 1.3 swats per 40 minutes, which is one of the knocks against him as he enters the draft. But he has the quickness to alter shots, regardless of whether he's touching them or not.

After falling a step behind Parker on his second shot, Gordon shows the foot speed and awareness to jump vertically, avoiding a foul and perfectly contesting the attempt:

How many freshman, or even NBA players, reach forward and foul the shooter in that scenario?

But Gordon doesn't. He's too smart.

Opponents shot just 31.4 percent when they isolated against Gordon this past season, per Synergy. Iso ball-handlers who tried to take on the freshman turned the ball over on a philanthropic 17.8 percent of their plays.

Part of that has to do with the aforementioned rotating of players in Arizona's system. The Wildcats' help defense was as good as anyone else's in the country last year, especially before Ashley found himself out for the year after injuring a ligament in his right foot 22 games into his season.

"It was just different," Gordon says about playing after the Ashley injury. "Before, it was me just shutting down a 3 or switching to the 1 and having Brandon behind us. Once Brandon went down, I switched to the 4 and started guarding 4s and 5s. It just made it less of a defensive mismatch."

We may hear about Gordon's size as a big issue—he measured in at 6'9", 220 pounds at the NBA combine and is projected by many to be a small forward in the pros—but the freshman more than held his own guarding collegiate power forwards and centers. Players guarded by Gordon shot just 37.5 percent in the post this year, per Synergy, which was well below the national average.

Of course, NBA players are bigger. And, of course, they're more skilled. Gordon probably won't be a full-time interior player in the NBA, but let's remember that he's still only 18 years old.

He's still a kid, and kids tend to mature as much physically as they do emotionally. His time guarding on the inside gave him a nice taste of versatility, something that could help him as he puts on a little NBA bulk.

Player	School	Defensive Win Shares
1. Aaron Gordon	Arizona	3.3
2. Aaron Craft	Ohio State	3.2
3. Josh Davis	San Diego State	3.2
4. Delon Wright	Utah	3.2
5. Montrezl Harrell	Louisville	3.2

Ashley helped anchor a defense that rotated as close to an NBA defense as any other team in the NCAA this past season. When he went down, Arizona—who finished as the nation's top-ranked team in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom (subscription required)—lost most of its chance at a national championship, but the injury could have selfishly helped Gordon, who learned the pick-and-roll from another angle. 

Now, Gordon is elite in defending the screen-and-roll. Synergy says ball-handlers shot just 26.1 percent against him when he guarded them in pick-and-roll situations. When Gordon guarded the roll-man, the screener shot just 20 percent.

Granted, some of those numbers may be slightly skewed. For example, if Gordon is guarding a pick-and-roll ball-handler, it probably means you have a forward facilitating your offense (usually not a good thing). And the roll-man numbers also came without a massive sample size considering the Wildcats didn't see much of the pick-and-roll while playing in the Pac-12.

Tactically, though, defending the pick-and-roll became Gordon's forte. No one in the country could cut off a driving lane and then recover back onto his man quite like Gordon, as evidenced by this side screen-and-roll against Cal in February:

This game came after the Ashley injury, so Gordon was responsible for guarding bigs. Here, he defends Cal's David Kravish, a 6'9" forward who sets a last-second screen for Justin Cobbs, starting a mini pick-and-roll on the left side. But Gordon reads it perfectly, shifting over to cut off Cobbs' driving lane right as Kravish sets the screen:

Most NCAA defenders don't have the awareness to make this slide so intuitively, especially on a pick-and-roll that involves a quick ball-handler and a shielded, immediate screen. But Gordon reads it perfectly and still shows off the quickness to recover onto Kravish in time to contest his shot without fouling:

Gordon's contest here isn't all that different in skill from the one he showed on that aforementioned play against Parker. Both were about using a combination of foot speed and the ability to attack the ball without making illegal contact with the shooter. It's something plenty of NBA defenders don't possess, let alone college kids. But Gordon credits plays like this to the team as a whole.

"It's system. It's communication," he explains as the reason he's able to move so confidently as a helper. "It's defense pulling on a string. It's five men guarding one person. It's not one-on-one."

Gordon is as much a part of that team defense as anyone else, and that's what may make him one of the most NBA-ready players in this year's draft. But we have created a culture in which we talk about "NBA-ready" mainly in relation to offense.

Can Player X shoot? Does he have a handle? Can he distribute? But prospects can be raw on the defensive end, as well.

That's what we see in a player like Parker, who is so polished on the offensive end but is still learning where to be defensively. It's that offense-prioritizing culture which makes us so surprised when someone like Draymond Green becomes one of the most noteworthy players in a postseason series. 

Playing for a coach like Tom Izzo, Green learned how to defend in the pick-and-roll and how to help properly, but he was a pudgy senior who didn't have as high a ceiling because of his age, so he fell to the beginning of the second round. We're witnessing a similar narrative with Adreian Payne this season.

But Gordon sets himself apart from those players.

He may be raw offensively, but he's perfectly cooked on defense. Meanwhile, as an 18-year-old freshman who is one of the best athletes in the draft, Gordon doesn't have the main deterrents Green had. (See: Gordon's 39-inch max vertical as well as dunks like this or this or this to confirm this notion.)

His seven-foot wingspan easily gives him easily length to defend on the outside, and his physicality and smarts pair together amicably enough to give him an interior presence. 

Now, a team seeking a quality defensive forward to bolster its roster will be looking to take him.

Maybe it'll be the Utah Jazz, who own the No. 5 pick and could potentially boast a huge, defensive-minded frontcourt of Gordon, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Or Gordon could possibly land with the Boston Celtics at No. 6 considering how similar Brad Stevens is to Sean Miller schematically. The Philadelphia 76ers could be a nice fit as well, as they could slot him next to a healthy Nerlens Noel to make for a young, exciting front line.

There aren't too many guaranteed defensive guys in this year's draft.

Andrew Wiggins is a defensive-minded player. Marcus Smart can be a bulldog. Joel Embiid will be a rim-protector if he can stay healthy. But aside from Gordon, is that it? 

Look at the rest of the top prospects and you'll find a bunch of players who may turn into defenders as they mature, but they are ones who are offense-first guys right now.

Gordon, though, is already there defensively.

He's the Jabari Parker of defending, and whichever team selects him Thursday night is going to be very happy to slot him into its defense without having to take him through much of a learning process.

Fred Katz averaged almost one point per game in fifth grade, but he maintains that his per-36-minute numbers were astonishing. Find more of his work at RotoWire.com, WashingtonPost.com or on ESPN's TrueHoop Network at ClipperBlog.com. Follow him on Twitter: @FredKatz.

All quotes obtained firsthand. Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are current as of June 25 and courtesy of Sports-Reference.com, KenPom.com, DraftExpress.com and MySynergySports.com.  

Hopefully the Charlotte Hornets don't intend to select Aaron Gordon in the 2014 NBA draft, because he won't be there when they're on the clock at No. 9.

League sources told Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears that the 18-year-old forward "is receiving consideration from the Orlando Magic (pick No. 4) and is not expected to get past the Sacramento Kings with the eighth selection."

Like anyone else who is wildly athletic and can rebound and block the occasional shot, Gordon's draft stock stands to be boosted by Joel Embiid's recent foot injury. They don't play the same position, but any team in need of help up front will now have to weigh smaller options—as in not 7-footers—before committing to Embiid and his alarming amount of red flags.

Fans of teams picking outside the top eight needn't worry too much. There is still a chance Gordon could slip lower.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Gordon going at No. 10 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (subscription required), meanwhile, has him being snatched up by the Boston Celtics at No. 6. 

Where Gordon will ultimately fall remains a mystery, keeping in theme with the rest of this year's draft. Even before Embiid's injury, there was no clear-cut No. 1 pick. It was between him, Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins. Everything and everyone else would fall into place after them.

Now that Embiid's draft stock is in limbo, things are more complicated. He could go in the top three or he could fall outside the top five. Either way, it affects those initially projected to be drafted after him.

Whatever happens, don't be surprised if Gordon doesn't make it past the top eight, the top six or even the top four.

As Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal noted, Gordon boasts a skill set that should allow him to make immediate contributions at the NBA level:

He's already an excellent defender who seems prepared to take his talents to the next level with a seamless transition, and while the jumper and offensive awareness are still works in progress, there have been enough indications of future development that they shouldn't be considered particularly problematic.

There's also the confidence factor. Gordon has that down.

"If and when I reach my full potential, I think I will be better than everybody [in this draft]," he said via Spears. "I think I will have an edge."

Beyond his athleticism and pleasant aplomb, there are teams with clear needs at the 4 spot in the top half of the lottery. From the Magic at No. 4, to the Celtics at No. 6, to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 7, the demand for potent power forwards is high.

Expect Gordon to go early.

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The Arizona Wildcats and head basketball coach Sean Miller woke up to bad news on Saturday when prized recruit Tyler Dorsey officially announced that he was decommitting from the basketball team. 

Dorsey, a 5-star recruit and No. 12 overall prospect for the Class of 2015, according to 247Sports, made his decision in an email obtained by Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports. 

As much as I love the Arizona basketball program as well as the awesome Wildcat fans and highly respect Head Coach Sean Miller and the entire Arizona staff, I realize that, in hindsight, I rushed my college choice and did not provide myself with the greatest opportunity to explore and thoroughly investigate all my possible college options.

Borzello does suggest that Arizona had to know this was coming, as evidenced by the fact that the school "took a commitment from rising point guard Justin Simon" and has been on the recruiting trail for other players at the position. 

As much as the decision hurts the Wildcats right now, these things aren't unexpected. Dorsey committed to the school more than 15 months before he was due to graduate from high school. That's a long time to think about what you want to do with your life and which program is going to help you reach your potential as an athlete and, possibly, give you the best chance to get drafted by an NBA franchise. 

Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen wrote after Dorsey committed in January that the guard had been recruited by Arizona since he was in eighth grade. 

Now, with Dorsey back on the market, the recruiting wolves are going to be on the hunt. Gimino's report said that powerhouse schools like Duke, Connecticut, UCLA, Kentucky, Florida and Kansas were also making a push for him. 

Considering Dorsey is a rare breed as a point guard who sees the floor well, can pass and has an excellent jump shot that allows him to score the ball with ease, he will have no problem finding a new home. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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There are pros and cons to drafting any NBA prospect, but some team-player pairings are matches made in hell rather than heaven. 

The Boston Celtics selecting Aaron Gordon wouldn't fall onto quite such an extreme part of the spectrum, but it's still the wrong move during the rebuilding process. Nonetheless, rumor has it that the C's are looking heavily into the former Arizona Wildcat. 

"Several league sources believe that Celtics GM Danny Ainge is locked in on Gordon," wrote Chris Mannix while mocking Gordon to the C's at No. 6 in the 2014 NBA draft for Sports Illustrated. "While Gordon's shooting is a concern, he is a strong rebounder and shot blocker who can defend either forward spot and has been compared to Shawn Marion."

Interesting. Very interesting. 

It's pretty easy to convince yourself that this would be a good move. All you have to do is think of Gordon running down the court at break-neck speed and preparing for an alley-oop finish in transition before recovering and locking down his man on the defensive end. 

But like I said, there are pros and cons to drafting any NBA prospect. Gordon's pros are glamorous, sure, but his cons make him less than ideal for the Celtics. 

Plenty of Better Options

With their No. 6 pick, the Celtics are inevitably going to have access to at least a handful of elite prospects in this loaded 2014 draft class. After all, there seems to be a sizable drop-off between the No. 8 and No. 9 picks, which leaves the C's on the right side of the ledger. 

Those eight elite players? Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Dante Exum, Marcus Smart, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon and Noah Vonleh. 

Granted, plenty can change during the weeks leading up to June 26, but those eight guys are in a tier of their own. Dario Saric, Doug McDermott, Zach LaVine and the rest of the potential lottery picks just aren't quite on the same level, though some could sneak in due to potential and great workouts. 

Wiggins, Embiid and Parker are just about guaranteed to be gone before the Celtics are up, and it seems like a safe bet to count on the Orlando Magic, a franchise in dire need of a point guard for the future, taking Exum.

But beyond that, it's a crapshoot for the Utah Jazz at No. 5. 

No matter who the Jazz take, Boston should still have access to three of Smart, Randle, Gordon and Vonleh, and each non-Gordon prospect on that list is a better option than the forward from Arizona.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Gordon's game, expecting him to develop into a stellar defender and capable offensive contributor down the road. There's a reason that he ranked No. 6 in my post-combine Big Board.

That said, Gordon doesn't fit the Celtics' needs quite as well as the other three players who could be available and should be under strong consideration from Danny Ainge and the rest of the Boston front office.

Smart would make one heck of a backcourt pairing with Rajon Rondo, adding size and even more toughness to the guard positions. He might not help solve the team's shooting woes, but he'd give the lineup even more versatility and flexibility.   

Randle is a go-to scorer, which is something Boston desperately needs (more on that later). And since he flashed better-than-expected physical tools at the combine, there's also hope that he can avoid becoming a defensive liability at the sport's highest level. 

Then there's Vonleh, who I'd consider the No. 1 target. Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report's NBA Draft Lead Writer, concurs, though he does have Gordon at No. 2. 

Others are similarly high on the Vonleh-to-Boston idea. 

"Boston's No. 21 pick in 2012 is a more grounded big with excellent hands and growing footwork," wrote Michael Walsh for B/R. "Vonleh presents more athleticism and length. With all the lip service Boston has paid to finding a rim protector, Vonleh could be an under-the-radar filler."

Between protecting the rim and helping to spread out the court, he's an ideal fit. The length and toughness is exactly what Boston should be looking for in its frontcourt. 

Would Gordon be a good pick? Absolutely. But he's not quite on the same level as these other guys, at least in terms of fit. 

Need for Offense

During the 2013-14 campaign, the Celtics were a much better team on defense than on offense. 

Here's the cursory breakdown, with stats coming from Basketball-Reference.com: 

	Offense	Defense
Points per 100 Possessions	102.9	107.7
NBA Rank	No. 27	No. 20

Now, this was a strange year, seeing as the team's best player got a delayed start as he finished rehabbing his torn ACL. But once Rajon Rondo returned, the offense didn't exactly get all that much better. 

In fact, the C's actually scored 0.2 fewer points per 100 possessions when he was on the court than when he was on the pine, once more courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com. Seems strange, right? After all, Rondo is supposed to be one of the top floor generals in the Association when healthy. 

But during his return, he averaged only 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field, 28.9 percent beyond the arc and 62.7 percent at the charity stripe. Those aren't exactly exemplary numbers, as they're largely held back by his scoring efforts, though it's hard to fault Rondo. 

There were two factors holding him back. 

First, he had to get back in the swing of things.

It's tough to return from such a major injury, even if some players come back with more finely tuned shooting strokes thanks to the inability to practice anything else. But if that were the case, Rondo would have fared better during the final 15 games of his 30-contest season: 

	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	TOPG	FG%	3P%
First 15 Games	30.0	11.6	4.7	8.3	2.8	40.1	36.4
Second 15 Games	36.6	11.7	6.2	11.3	3.8	40.4	21.7

Unfortunately, the drastic increase in playing time throws a wrench in that analysis. 

So, keeping those percentages and per-game stats in mind, let's look at the per-36-minute numbers: 

	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Turnovers
First 15 Games	13.9	5.6	10.0	3.4
Second 15 Games	11.5	6.1	11.1	3.7

Especially when you factor in the three-point shooting, Rondo actually declined on the offensive end as the season progressed. 

Why? 

Typically, you'd expect a player recovering from such a devastating injury to get better, but the Celtics weren't surrounding Rondo with enough quality offensive options. The fact that he generated so many dimes is absolutely insane, seeing as Jeff Green and Avery Bradley were the team's top scorers. 

When Rondo was a truly dominant point guard, he was surrounded by offensive standouts. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen hit shots, and the rest of the roster could put up points in bunches when they received enough opportunities. 

But this roster doesn't function the same way.

"When you're playing with [Rondo], you don't need to force anything," Avery Bradley explained to CelticsBlog.com's Kevin O'Connor in March. "Just get to your spot and he creates for everybody. He's an amazing offensive player and helps this team out a lot."

Yes, but this is a two-way street. Rondo is always going to help out his teammates, seeing as he's one of the unquestionably elite distributors in the Association. But his teammates also have to be able to help him out, and Boston is lacking players capable of doing that. 

And the Celtics want to add Gordon into the mix? 

The Arizona product could be a quality offensive option one day, but he's limited to transition opportunities and putback dunks right now. He's going to wreck the floor spacing of a half-court set until he develops some semblance of a jumper, and it's hard to see him thriving in too many offensive situations. 

This is pretty cut and dry. 

Rondo's talents—and thus, the Boston offense as a whole—will not be maximized by adding Gordon to the lineup rather than a more capable offensive player. Going into the 2014-15 season with Green as a primary or secondary scorer is a recipe for disaster. 

Additionally, that's saying nothing of the need for a quick rebuild. 

Why do you think there are links between Boston and Kevin Love? The management doesn't seem particularly interested in doing its due time in the lottery, preferring instead to retool as quickly as possible. 

And that makes sense. 

Rondo, the clear face of the franchise, will be turning 28 years old during the 2014-15 season, and he's entering the final year of his deal with the C's. If there aren't immediate signs of a turnaround, who's to say he even remains in Beantown throughout the foreseeable future? 

Yes, it's strange to think Rondo could ever play for a different team. But he could. 

Of course, Boston can prevent that from happening by appeasing him with a fast rebuild. Drafting Gordon, though, wouldn't be doing that, seeing as the former Wildcat is going to take years to develop into a quality contributor on the offensive end of the court. 

Come to think of it, maybe he wouldn't even be a good pick. Maybe he'd just be a bad decision at a time when this franchise can't afford one. 

If the Los Angeles Lakers ultimately decide to stay put and keep the seventh pick in the draft, finding a player with a high floor and high ceiling should be the top priority.

The Lakers simply can't afford to miss on this pick given their lack of overall assets, and with that in mind, Arizona forward Aaron Gordon should be the player the Lakers hone in on for draft day.

As it currently stands, the Lakers should be in pretty solid position to select Gordon without any additional maneuvering. It seems likely that at least two power forwards should come off the board before Gordon does (Jabari Parker, Noah Vonleh and Julius Randle), and based solely on team needs, the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics don't particularly have to have another big man at the 4.

That's good news for the Lakers, because Gordon will almost certainly be the best player available on the board at No. 7, and it's an added bonus that he fills a big need for the Lakers.

As it stands right now, the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre on guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season. That obviously leaves a rather large hole to be filled.

And although he's incredibly young and somewhat unpolished, Gordon is the type of player who can make positive contributions right away. His main strength is a sorely needed one for an aging backcourt: defense.

Gordon isn't your typical big man in that he's a lengthy rim protector who can swat away shots. While Gordon can get up and contest, for sure, he's most effective defensively covering the pick-and-roll and switching to smaller perimeter players.

Gordon has a lot in common in that sense with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. He can hold his own in the post and defend without fouling, but he can also cover multiple positions incredibly well and move laterally at a frightening speed for someone his size.

While some of the other forwards like Parker and Randle come with big question marks on the defensive end, Gordon is probably the best defensive prospect in the draft outside of Joel Embiid, a shot-blocking center with length you can't teach.

The Lakers will need to find a rim protector at some point down the line, but in Gordon they'll have a player who won't yield much to his own man and will be fast enough to rotate and recover with relative ease. That's a big deal, as it's been a while since we've seen the Lakers play a forward who could really get after it defensively.

Gordon is still a work in progress offensively, but he hasn't been afraid to float out to the perimeter, handle the ball and make smart passes. That's a big deal for the modern-day 4, as teams are desperate to find spacing wherever they can. Big guys have to be able to make smart decisions with the ball, much like we've seen Blake Griffin do for the Clippers, which is one of Gordon's primary comparisons.

Like it does for Griffin, Gordon's athleticism should make him a handful on the offensive boards, and he'll be bad news in transition as well. Griffin came into the league more polished, particularly as a scorer, but you can see some similarities in terms of size, speed and intelligence. 

But perhaps the biggest question about Gordon isn't who he'll play like, but how he'll fit with Kobe Bryant, the only star remaining on the roster. While Bryant won't be around forever (we think), this will be an important transition period for the Lakers. If anyone can kill a player's confidence or give him the knowledge he needs to succeed based on a whim, it's Bryant.

And from that point of view, Bryant should respect Gordon's work ethic and eagerness to take on the less glamorous parts of the game. Here's what Gordon told Tzvi Twersky of SLAM about his workout with the Lakers, which he sounded pretty excited for:

L.A. is the next stop. That should be fun. The Lakers are a great program. It’s a traditional program, so I think the level of intensity will be way up.

If I ended up playing with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, that would be absolutely insane.  I would want to know everything that they know. I’d be attached to Kobe at the hip. I’d be attached to him and Steve Nash. 

Bryant is obviously demanding of his teammates, but the fact that Gordon has a big motor and can actually catch the ball puts him ahead of a lot of the big men Bryant has played with over the years. There will be a learning curve as there is for every rookie, but Gordon has the raw goods to succeed next to Bryant.

Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times broke down what Gordon needs to improve on and spoke with the young forward after his workout with the team:

"I can guard a plethora of different positions," said Gordon. Where he needs to improve most is at the free throw line where he shot only 42.2% through 38 games at Arizona.

The athletic Gordon is confident he'll improve his shooting, given his work ethic.

"This wasn't my first workout of the day," said Gordon. "Kobe [Bryant is] psychotic about basketball and I am too. That would be absolutely incredible, learning from a great just the little intricacies of the game, details. I would love to see his work ethic. Kobe is the definition of a true pro."

Gordon could be available when the Lakers pick at seven. McDermott projects to be a little bit lower.

"I've been told four to eight," said Gordon of where he expects to go in the draft. He's already worked out with the Sacramento Kings (eight pick). He'll visit the Utah Jazz (fifth) next followed by the Boston Celtics (sixth) and Orlando Magic (fourth).

If Gordon hangs around towards the back end of that projection, the Lakers shouldn't hesitate to snatch him up with the seventh pick. Although there are some concerns that Gordon has all of the intangibles but not enough of the actual skills (like his jumper, post moves, etc.), the Lakers have to trust their player-development staff. Whoever ends up taking the head coaching position will appreciate having a low-maintenance worker on the roster like Gordon.

Gordon may not ever turn into a total-package superstar, but it's hard to imagine that he won't at least be a productive rotation big man on the next level. The Lakers need a lot of things right now, but that's pretty high up on the list. 

If you spend any time perusing mock drafts, you'll generally see a few options for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are picking at No. 7 in the June 26 proceedings. 

Some have Noah Vonleh falling to the Lake Show, as DraftExpress.com does. Others, like Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, have Julius Randle being taken off the board at No. 7 and throwing on a purple and gold uniform. NBADraft.net has Marcus Smart joining the backcourt in Hollywood. 

Aaron Gordon, the standout freshman forward from Arizona, isn't the most popular pick in these mocks, but don't tell him that. During his weekly diary for SlamOnline.com, the 18-year-old wrote the following about playing for the Lakers: 

L.A. is the next stop. That should be fun. The Lakers are a great program. It’s a traditional program, so I think the level of intensity will be way up.

If I ended up playing with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, that would be absolutely insane.  I would want to know everything that they know. I’d be attached to Kobe at the hip. I’d be attached to him and Steve Nash. 

There are far worse players to learn from.

Obviously. 

At the moment, Gordon is set to make a mark with his insane athleticism and defensive energy. He was one of the better point-preventing players in collegiate basketball during his one and only season with the Wildcats, and his physical tools should give him an opportunity to guard both interior and perimeter scorers at the next level. 

"Aerial theatrics aside, it’s the defensive end where Gordon truly shines—he can guard three or four positions, has great footwork and lateral mobility and is able to wall off opponents without picking up the foul," wrote Bleacher Report's David Murphy. 

There's a reason he led the NCAA in defensive win shares during the 2013-14 season, per Sports-Reference.com. Actually, there are a lot of them. 

However, his offense is still a work in progress.

And who better to imitate than a certain shooting guard who has made a career out of torching defenses with tough jumpers, intelligent play and timely uses of his own impressive hops? 

Honestly, the first thing I thought of when hearing this Gordon/Kobe connection was a quote from Jay King of MassLive.com: 

When asked about the prospect of guarding small forwards, specifically LeBron James, Gordon’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, man, I can’t wait. That’s extremely exciting,” he said. He wasn’t calling himself a LeBron stopper or anything crazy like that, but he obviously takes pride in his defense.

You can't teach that kind of competitiveness. You can't help someone gain the desire to face challenges rather than avoid them. 

Wanting to guard the best player in basketball as a rookie sounds like something a young Kobe would announce to the world, and that type of fire is exactly what would immediately endear the Arizona product to his potential veteran counterpart in L.A. 

Maybe it really would be "absolutely insane" to see these two playing together. 

Then again, it's not like the Lakers have any bad options at No. 7. 

Boston Celtic fans everywhere were hoping that, with one of their worst seasons and one of the best prospective drafts in recent memory, their team would get a top three pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid are three of the best prospects in some time and every team in the lottery wanted a shot at them. When lottery night came however, the Boston Celtics found themselves three spots away from their goal with the No. 6 pick.

Luckily the draft has a lot of depth and the Celtics need help across the roster. One good thing about the Celtics is that there is no particular strong or weak position on the roster, allowing the team to just draft the best player available.

One area that the Celtics do need help in is down low because they do not have a big center. With Embiid being the only true center prospect in the draft worthy of a top-ten selection, it is likely that the Celtics will not find an exceptional seven-footer in this draft.

This does not mean that the team will not draft a big player. There is particular depth at the power forward position in this year’s draft class and the best player available may very well be one.

Here is a breakdown of one player at each position on the floor who the Celtics may be able to draft with their first pick. 

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Point Guard: Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6’4”, 220 lbs.

Don’t worry, Rajon Rondo lovers: This guy won’t come in and take his spot. Marcus Smart is still a viable option to select this early in the draft though, and if Rondo does not come back to full form, Smart could take over. 

Smart can either be the 1- or 2-guard. The biggest problem in his game is that no one knows which one he would be better suited at. He has the size of a point guard but has the skill set of a 2-guard.

Smart is a great defensive player and a very solid offensive player. If I were to compare him to an NBA player, it would be Dwayne Wade. Smart's game is obviously a long way away from that of Wade’s, but Wade was not a top-three selection coming out of college either.

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Shooting Guard: Dante Exum, Australia, 6’6”, 196 lbs. 

Dante Exum is yet another tweener, but better suited to the 2 than Smart, so we will give this position to Exum. Exum is a very tall guard out of Australia.

He is a smart player and seems very mature. He has good handles on his way to the rim and has great touch on his inside shot.

Exum would bring a level of athleticism that the Celtics do not currently have. It seems that the rumor mill has swirled Exum into the very top tier of the draft, and many, like Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, do not expect him to make it to the Boston Celtics selection: 

Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid & Dante Exum all won't work out for Celtics. They all expect to be gone by the 6th overall pick.

— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) May 28, 2014

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Small Forward: Doug McDermott, Creighton, 6’8”, 225 lbs.

One of the best players in recent memory, Doug McDermott is still one of the least talked-about prospects in this draft class.

McDermott was a 3-time All-American since his sophomore season, owns the NCAA record for most double-digit scoring games with 135, is fifth in NCAA history in points scored, and in a year where the top of the draft is supposed to be the best in years, McDermott was named National Player of the Year.

He is fundamentally sound and is also an underrated athlete. At the NBA Draft Combine, McDermott measured in with 36.5” max vertical jump. This was higher than that of Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart, Kentucky’s Julius Randle and Australia’s Dante Exum.

The Celtics could definitely use a scoring threat like McDermott, especially from the perimeter. Kevin O'Connor from WEEI said, “Brad Stevens values players who can space the floor and shoot the 3, and no player in this draft does that better than McDermott.”

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Power Forward: Aaron Gordon, Arizona, 6’9, 210 lbs.

After Andrew Wiggins, the next best athlete in the draft is Aaron Gordon.

Gordon is a physical specimen that can play multiple positions on the floor. His athleticism mixed with his size makes him a phenomenal defender and shot blocker. He can defend the 3, 4 or 5 in the NBA.

The Celtics have good big men, but they do not have shot blockers or great athletes. Aaron Gordon could provide both.

According to Jay King of Masslive, Aaron Gordon seems to be fond of Boston head coach Brad Stevens as well: “Real, real good guy. Loves basketball. Good heart. Enjoys the game, enjoys coaching, enjoys seeing the game,” Gordon said. “Just one of the guys that I would like to be around."

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 Center: Noah Vonleh, Indiana, 6’10”, 240 lbs.

Noah Vonleh is definitely better suited at the power forward position, but he is the only player outside of Embiid (who will have already been selected) who is feasibly draftable with the sixth pick to play center.

The Celtics need players who can stretch the floor and that is Vonleh’s forte. He has ridiculous length with over a seven-foot wingspan and the biggest hands of any player.

Vonleh’s length makes him capable of playing the 5, but he has more of a Chris Bosh type of game with a great shot from the perimeter. This year in college, Vonleh shot 48.5 percent from 3-point range.

Celtics told Noah Vonleh they want him to come in for a workout and they've been watching him since high school. (Haverhill native)

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 16, 2014

The Boston Celtics are clearly interested in Vonleh, and with his versatility, he could develop into one of the top players from this class.

The 2014 NBA draft continues to inch closer—the annual rite of passage will take place on June 26. The Los Angeles Lakers will be picking at No. 7 in the first round, which narrows down the choices to some extent.

Ask yourself this question, however—if the Lakers could sign Blake Griffin for $2.5 million, would they?

Of course they would.

That’s exactly what Aaron Gordon brings to the table—plus some added versatility. Maybe the comparison has been beaten to death, but that doesn’t make it untrue. Gordon, who played just a year at the University of Arizona, has an insane motor, plays above the rim and dunks with the same ferocity that resulted in Kia car ads and a monster throw-down reputation for Griffin.

Last Friday, BDA Sports, an elite sports management group, held workouts in Santa Monica for a number of its prized draft prospects. Gordon was among those participating in 45-minute drills. And among those watching were Lakers owner-executive Jim Buss, general manager Mitch Kupchak, assistant manager Glenn Carraro, director of scouting Jesse Buss, assistant director of scouting Ryan West and scouts Jordan Wilkes and Chaz Osborne.

According to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, Gordon had this to say about the prospect of being drafted by the Lakers: “I love L.A. I have family in L.A.”

Yeah, you’d better love it, buddy. The Purple and Gold may be signing you to a long-term contract.

Pros of drafting Gordon

You’ll hear the word versatility used a lot to describe Gordon—this isn’t a one-trick dunk machine. In the NBA, he’ll likely be used as a combo forward, depending on matchups.

The 18-year-old has excellent passing skills and has a great sense of floor spacing and awareness, knowing when to flash out to the wing position to exploit a one-on-one mismatch or dive to the post, ready to catch the ball down low in prime position or rising up to snag a lob for a rim-rattling finish.

At the recent Chicago 2014 NBA Draft Combine, Gordon measured out at 6’8.75” with a 6’11.75” wingspan. As for his leaping ability, the kid blew everyone away with a 39” vertical.

According to Ricky O’Donnell for SB Nation, Gordon actually downplayed his gravity-defying liftoff, saying, "I can jump higher than I just did, but it doesn't matter to me. I wanted at least 40. I can get 40. I've gotten 42 before."

Gordon also had the best time of anyone at the combine in the shuttle run at 2.76 seconds. The Griffin comparisons have often been made, but there’s another one people are evoking as well—Shawn Marion, the undersized hybrid forward with the ability to do a lot of different things right, including those sky-high dunks.

Aerial theatrics aside, it’s the defensive end where Gordon truly shines—he can guard three or four positions, has great footwork and lateral mobility and is able to wall off opponents without picking up the foul. The Wildcats are losing arguably the best defensive stopper in college basketball—their loss could be the Lakers' gain.

The cons of drafting Gordon

The most obvious negative that people will bring up is Gordon’s suspect jump shot. That can be worked on, of course.

In fact, during a Chicago combine draft interview, per Draft Express, Gordon discussed merging different shots into one in order to get a more consistent stroke: “Now what I’ve done is connected my three and my pull-up and my 17-footer, and now my free throw—it’s all one shot, it’s all connected and it feels great.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raBoU-GL6Ow

Of course, getting his jumper off against top NBA defenders will take more than a little practice. That’s okay—he can dish it off to Kobe Bryant and get some up-close-and-personal lessons.

Gordon’s a little light at 220 pounds for the power forward position and could find himself getting knocked out of position by some of the league’s bulkier bigs. Then again, he’ll be a size upgrade from Wesley Johnson, who at 6’7” and 205 pounds was often asked by Mike D’Antoni to play the 4 this past season.

Fortunately, D'Antoni is now out of the picture. 

Finally, Gordon’s free-throw completion of 42 percent during his one year at Arizona is an obvious Achilles' heel. He’s working to improve his shooting form, but let’s face it—that’s pitiful.

At the No. 7 slot, the Lakers aren’t going to get a perfect player. There are those who will argue vociferously for other candidates—pointing toward Noah Vonleh as the paint warrior the Lakers need, or Julius Randle with his offensive arsenal or Marcus Smart with size and strength at the point guard position.

All three are fine possibilities. But Gordon could bring a combination of all-out frontcourt intensity, athleticism and versatility that have been all too lacking in recent years for the Lakers.

Maybe it’s time for the second coming of Lob City in Los Angeles. With a Matrix twist.

It is hard to improve upon what the Arizona Wildcats did during the 2013-14 season.

The Cats were undefeated through their first 21 games. They won the Pac-12 regular-season championship, and they made a deep run in the NCAA tournament, getting to the Elite Eight.

The U of A is also losing the two best players in the conference, Nick Johnson (Pac-12 Player of the Year) and Aaron Gordon (Pac-12 Freshman of the Year), to the NBA draft.

So, is it crazy to consider that Sean Miller's squad could actually be better next season? No.

Does Arizona have a chance to win more games, be more dominant and get to the Final Four for Miller's first time and the program's first time since 2001? Yes. Yes and Yes.

Here are the biggest reasons why this is more than just wishful thinking:

Tough on Defense, Ferocious on the Glass

The days of labeling Arizona as soft are long gone. The Wildcats no longer play a finesse game that depends on perimeter prettiness.

The identity of this team will be established with shutdown defense and brutality on the boards. U of A's size and length alone will cause severe challenges for their opponents.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski return to give Arizona one of the most formidable front lines in the country. Incoming freshman Stanley Johnson is a relentless wing that will add further physicality and force to the Wildcats lineup. Very few teams will be able to match up with this frightening foursome on either end of the court. 

Senior point guard T.J. McConnell is one of the most crafty on-ball defenders in the nation. The Pittsburgh native brings a nonstop motor and gritty determination to his role as floor leader.

As the season unfolds, U of A will again be one of the best teams in field-goal percentage defense, as well as one of the top rebounding teams in the nation.

Outstanding Depth

When Ashley broke his foot at the beginning of February of this last season, Miller was forced to reinvent his rotation because of limited options off the bench.

This year, Miller's "second five" could be a Top 25 team by themselves.

Rising junior guard Gabe York stepped into the starting lineup and emerged as one of the Cats' most dangerous three-point shooters. Elliott Pitts established himself as another deadly beyond-the-arc marksman.

Along with Johnson, Miller reeled in another first-rate recruiting class, featuring power forward Craig Victor, point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, shooting guard Kadeem Allen (a National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year) and 7-foot Serbian center Dusan Ristic.

If you are keeping track at home, the Cats could have an 11-man rotation. Don't count on it, because Miller usually rolls with eight or nine players.

Regardless, Arizona will have virtually no drop-off when the reinforcements come off the bench in 2014-15. They will be able to keep their foot down on the accelerator from start to finish because of a remarkable amount of talent from the top to the bottom of their roster.

Unlimited Will to Win

Great teams are made of talented players that keep the main thing the main thing. They are focused on doing whatever it takes to win. Personal stats and individual accolades become secondary.

Miller has assembled a team that is unassuming and determined, humble and hungry.

Starting with the starters, the Wildcats know that if they play hard, play smart and play together, everyone will get the recognition and rewards for which they are all hoping.

McConnell's leadership will set the tone. Hollis-Jefferson's mixture of intensity on the court and lightheartedness off the court is contagious. Even freshman phenom Johnson's team-first mindset will make a big difference in how the season takes shape.

Looking Ahead

The 2014-15 Wildcats will be the kind of team that will work hard individually and collectively this offseason. The weight room will be hit. Skills will be sharpened. Teamwork will be developed outside next season's bright spotlight.

Unless something unforeseen happens between now and the first week in April 2015, watch for the Wildcats to make their way to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to play in the Final Four and maybe even the NCAA championship.