| Ben Gordon
Drafted: #3 Overall

VITALS: 6-2, 192,
Connecticut
OVERVIEW: Gordon
declared for the draft after his junior year at Connecticut, teaming
with Emeka Okafor to lead the Huskies to a national title in April.
Gordon bounced back from a slow start to average 18.5 points for UConn
and upped his numbers to 21.2 in the NCAA Tournament. Gordon is
considered a combo guard with enough skills to play both guard
positions, although his height limits him at shooting guard. Gordon,
who was born in London and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, led UConn
in scoring each of the last two seasons and shot over 41 percent from
the arc all three years in college.
COMPARATIVE UPSIDE:
Dwyane Wade, Nick Van Exel
COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE:
Jay Williams
ROLE PROJECTION:
Immediate starter
POSITIVES: Physically
and skill-wise, Gordon is one of the best prospects in the draft. He
owns a strong compact body with solid height for a point guard and is
an outstanding athlete with quickness and jumping ability.
Fundamentally, Gordon's jump shot is smooth and highly accurate. He is
a good penetrator who can score with the game on the line or the shot
clock dwindling down.
SHORTCOMINGS: Because
of a lack of size, Gordon is precluded from playing his college
position - shooting guard - in the NBA. However, Gordon did show signs
of playmaking ability throughout his collegiate career. As a result,
many believe he will be able to make the transition at the next level.
Others claim Gordon lacks the mentality to initiate an offense on a
full-time basis.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
"There's so much shuffling of the deck up top and there's trade
rumors, but I think he's safe in the lottery."- Boston Celtics
director of player personnel Leo Papile |