Who's the better one-and-done: Arizona's Stanley Johnson or Aaron Gordon?
A year ago, the Magic drafted Aaron Gordon in the first round. Though Gordon didn't produce much during his rookie season, he was dealing with injuries. He still isn't even old enough to drink. He showed promise on the defense end and is a tremendous athlete. If he ever learns how to shoot, he could turn into a real player.
Now, another Arizona product is coming into the NBA after one year: Stanley Johnson. So, which former Wildcat is the better player? Gabe Encinas tries to answer that exact question at SB Nation. Here's some of what he had to say about Gordon:
You can read the full breakdown of both players here, highly recommended. Johnson projects to be a high draft pick and could become an even better player than Gordon. Now, we just wait to find out which one actually ends up becoming the better pro.
(H/t to Gabe Encinas at SB Nation.)
Per game, you could expect Aaron Gordon to finish with 12 points, eight rebounds, a few assists and a block. There typically wasn't a whole lot of fluctuation in his game night in and night out.
But Aaron Gordon started to breakout once Brandon Ashley went down. He was able to move freely from the 3-5 spots and still change the game. Now, having Nick Johnson and a healthy Brandon Ashley on both sides of you in the lineup is a nightmare for opposing teams. Coaches would pretty much have to pick which ones they'll focus on and hope that the others don't go off on them.
Some might think differently, but it might be fair to say that Aaron Gordon lived up to his hype coming into college. Although, you could also say there was less pressure on Gordon to score and take games over, with Nick Johnson being the heart and soul of the team.
