I'm becoming a huge fan of Aaron Gordon

[Tr1boy]

He is good player but is he the right fit for the Celtics, maybe?

He better get a lot better offensively because if not, then the Celtics picked a defensive specialist in the top 10...

I think the Celtics need a rim protector and better shooting.

Not Aaron "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" Gordon!

No. He is a master of defense.  He can do more on offense and right now the priority is to win. I predict in MM he will be a little more selfish on offense

[CFAN38]

after embiid, wiggins, parker, exum, smart and vonleh I would look at Gordon, Randle and Mcdermott. Those 3 all have flaws but potential to excel in the NBA.

I like Gordon but think his limited skill set will never allow him to be more then a high end role player. Depending on the team that drafts him he will either flourish or be a bust. His skill set is complimentary and the players around him will greatly effect how he is viewed. If he was drafted by the T-wolves and played SF next to Love he would look great. Much like Marion with Dirk. Another role would be a running team (also like marion with the suns). Where he will struggle is in the half court at the 3 on offense and the 4 on D.

[hwangjini_1]

There's a good chance the Celtics end up picking in the 5-9 range, so guys like Aaron Gordon and Noah Vonleh might be the caliber of player that gets taken with the pick.

So better start warming up to the idea of potentially getting a super role player out of the tank season.

i agree with you that the celtics are looking at the 5-9 range for their pick right now. but would you please explain why you think vonleh's ceiling is "super role player"? i had seen him as a nba starter, so i am interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

[krumeto]

Really high on this kid too! The Kirilenko comparison is dead on, but Gordon is/will be a bit more athletic than Andrei.

On D he is the type of defender to put on Lebron, Melo, Durant, Gay, etc... and give them troubles. He is long, quick on his feet, smart. No problem guarding a pick and roll action. No problem on switches 1-5.

Raw offense so far, but it is not like the Matrix or Kirilenko are killing it from the outside too. Very good handles for someone of his size. The kid is still 18 (September 1995).

Anywhere from pick 4 on-wards I would be excited with him.

[csfansince60s]

Kyle Anderson  OWNED him in the PAC -12 Championdhip game last weekend.

No thanks.

I'd rather trade down and get an extra pick than pick him with our first.

I wish i could have seen that game! Were those two players really playing head to head?
 
I am used to seeing Gordon playing against forwards, and Anderson playing guard out on the perimeter.

It was a great, tight game.

Here's the only vid I could find on it.

http://pac-12.com/videos/2014-pac-12-mens-basketball-tournament-championship-highlights-ucla-arizona

Seems like they show more Arizona highlights than UCLA. I think they only have a couple of Anderson segments, even tough he went for 21 and 15. Early on in the vid is the only time they show Anderson vs Gordon, but  they interacted a decent amount in the game. Both had their moments.

[Celtics4ever]

They have a guard or named Johnson that impressed me as well.   He had great defense and superb hops.

[Mr October]

Kyle Anderson  OWNED him in the PAC -12 Championdhip game last weekend.

No thanks.

I'd rather trade down and get an extra pick than pick him with our first.

I wish i could have seen that game! Were those two players really playing head to head?
 
I am used to seeing Gordon playing against forwards, and Anderson playing guard out on the perimeter.

It was a great, tight game.

Here's the only vid I could find on it.

http://pac-12.com/videos/2014-pac-12-mens-basketball-tournament-championship-highlights-ucla-arizona

Seems like they show more Arizona highlights than UCLA. I think they only have a couple of Anderson segments, even tough he went for 21 and 15. Early on in the vid is the only time they show Anderson vs Gordon, but  they interacted a decent amount in the game. Both had their moments.

I love it when nba prospects face off. I hope Gordon gets challenged some more in the tournament. Anderson is a very crafty offensive player. I like him with our mid first.

I am all over the map on Gordon. I know i feel really nervous about selecting him in the 5-8 range.

I think he'll be a good 10 year pro. But he has a ways to go to live up to Andrei Kirilenko, mid lottery projections.

[CFAN38]

They have a guard or named Johnson that impressed me as well.   He had great defense and superb hops.

Nick Johnson DJ's nephew, seems to me like a Bayless type undersized two but he played the point as a soph would be a nice guy to trade for in early 2nd rd. Very athletic.

[oldutican]

don't need another undersized PF.  we have one already that's looking pretty good because he's got the bulk to bang and can shoot from outside to boot. 

If Gordon is really the BPA when we pick, I'd rather trade it to move down a little bit and pick up some extra assets.

Agree

[PhoSita]

There's a good chance the Celtics end up picking in the 5-9 range, so guys like Aaron Gordon and Noah Vonleh might be the caliber of player that gets taken with the pick.

So better start warming up to the idea of potentially getting a super role player out of the tank season.

i agree with you that the celtics are looking at the 5-9 range for their pick right now. but would you please explain why you think vonleh's ceiling is "super role player"? i had seen him as a nba starter, so i am interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

I should clarify -- when I say "super role player" I don't mean a reserve (necessarily).

I think the vast majority of players in the NBA are role players, in that they have major strengths and major weaknesses, and generally aren't equipped to carry a team or be the focal point of a gameplan on either end. 

So when I say "super role player," I'm talking about the sort of player that falls short of being a cornerstone piece, but who has a lot of value and does many things to contribute to wins.

[PhoSita]

don't need another undersized PF.  we have one already that's looking pretty good because he's got the bulk to bang and can shoot from outside to boot. 

If Gordon is really the BPA when we pick, I'd rather trade it to move down a little bit and pick up some extra assets.

Agree

I think Gordon compares well to a guy like Andrei Kirilenko, who can fit at both forward positions because of his defensive versatility (or maybe become a similar player to what Gerald Wallace USED to be). 

I'd be happy with Gordon as the pick even if it meant playing him "out of position" at small forward because I think he can be a monster defender even at that position, and his offensive game will develop over time.

As a weak shooter, he may not be a great fit with Rondo.  On the other hand, though, we already have two young bigs who can stretch the floor, so if we could just add a deadeye shooter at the SG position (or hope Bradley becomes a more consistent outside shooter -- I'm skeptical), it might not be such a big deal.

[Galeto]

don't need another undersized PF.  we have one already that's looking pretty good because he's got the bulk to bang and can shoot from outside to boot. 

If Gordon is really the BPA when we pick, I'd rather trade it to move down a little bit and pick up some extra assets.

Agree

I think Gordon compares well to a guy like Andrei Kirilenko, who can fit at both forward positions because of his defensive versatility (or maybe become a similar player to what Gerald Wallace USED to be). 

I'd be happy with Gordon as the pick even if it meant playing him "out of position" at small forward because I think he can be a monster defender even at that position, and his offensive game will develop over time.

As a weak shooter, he may not be a great fit with Rondo.  On the other hand, though, we already have two young bigs who can stretch the floor, so if we could just add a deadeye shooter at the SG position (or hope Bradley becomes a more consistent outside shooter -- I'm skeptical), it might not be such a big deal.

I think calling Gordon potentially a monster defender at small forward is overselling him.  He could be a very good one because he's athletic, committed and has a good basketball IQ but he doesn't have that standout physical attribute to make him a monster defender.  His arms aren't especially long for the position and while he's athletic, he's not in Lebron's class or anything.  If he's not a "monster defender,"  his offense is going to have to be better.  He's risky without a potential big payoff.

[PhoSita]

don't need another undersized PF.  we have one already that's looking pretty good because he's got the bulk to bang and can shoot from outside to boot. 

If Gordon is really the BPA when we pick, I'd rather trade it to move down a little bit and pick up some extra assets.

Agree

I think Gordon compares well to a guy like Andrei Kirilenko, who can fit at both forward positions because of his defensive versatility (or maybe become a similar player to what Gerald Wallace USED to be). 

I'd be happy with Gordon as the pick even if it meant playing him "out of position" at small forward because I think he can be a monster defender even at that position, and his offensive game will develop over time.

As a weak shooter, he may not be a great fit with Rondo.  On the other hand, though, we already have two young bigs who can stretch the floor, so if we could just add a deadeye shooter at the SG position (or hope Bradley becomes a more consistent outside shooter -- I'm skeptical), it might not be such a big deal.

I think calling Gordon potentially a monster defender at small forward is overselling him.  He could be a very good one because he's athletic, committed and has a good basketball IQ but he doesn't have that standout physical attribute to make him a monster defender.  His arms aren't especially long for the position and while he's athletic, he's not in Lebron's class or anything.  If he's not a "monster defender,"  his offense is going to have to be better.  He's risky without a potential big payoff.

Yeah, perhaps that is an exaggeration.  I suppose my thinking boils down to this: our team really lacks guys with superlative physicality and athleticism for their position.  I think Gordon could bring that to the table at the SF position.  I think our less athletic, skilled big men (Sullinger, Olynyk, Faverani) will benefit from having a presence like that on the wing.  And of course just because you start a player like Gordon at the wing doesn't mean you couldn't play him significant minutes at the 4 in small ball lineups with Sullinger or Olynyk at the 5.

In short, I want to see the team add talent above all else.  If I felt Gordon could only play at the 4 (which I think is the case with Randle), I'd be less interested in drafting him.  But my perception is that he's versatile enough for our team to have plenty of use for him.

[vjcsmoke]

So if Gordon turns into the next Luol Deng, is that worth a 6-9 area pick?

I don't think he's top 5.  He's too raw offensively.  But I do like his defensive potential to be a 'lockdown' defender at the SF position.

Basically, Aaron Gordon would be our - the ping pong balls didn't go our way pick.  But considering that our only other SFs are Jeff Green and Wallace.  Yeah, it would be nice to upgrade that position.  But hopefully Gordon's ceiling is higher than either Green or Wallace.

[csfansince60s]

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist seems like the best comparison for me.

Their nbadraft.net profiles are eerily similar, especially when the individual categories are broken down:

http://nbadraft.net/players/michael-kidd-gilchrist

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/aaron-gordon

No O, close to same size and measurements, lock down defender.