Prospect vs. Player: Would You Rather Have Justise Winslow or Aaron Gordon?

Fresh off a national championship at Duke, freshman Justise Winslow has suddenly emerged as the hottest NBA draft prospect in the conversation. 

Last year, Orlando Magic rookie Aaron Gordon made a late push up boards as well. And he ultimately played a role for Arizona similar to the one Winslow just played for the Blue Devils. 

Though their NBA positions slightly differ, both prospects will have left college as players who impact games with athleticism, motor and toughness. They lack one-on-one ball skills, but Winslow and Gordon each possess qualities or attributes coaching just can't teach. 

Unfortunately, a broken foot three weeks into his rookie season cost Gordon two months and the chance to build some confidence. But nothing has changed with regard to his outlook—fans should be just as excited about Gordon's future as they were when the Magic drafted him No. 4.

Winslow will be looking to generate top-five interest this June as well. 

So whom would you rather have to build with moving forward?

	Age	NBA position	Height	Weight (lbs)	Wingspan
Gordon	19	SF/PF	6'9"	220	6'11.75"
Winslow	19	SF	6'6"	225	6'10"

Defense: Gordon's Versatility versus Winslow's Playmaking and Lockdown Potential 

Both players have earned reputations as current and future defensive assets. It's one of the things that drive their appeal as two-way prospects. 

Winslow made a few eye-opening defensive plays on the ball this past year. He converts energy, burst and killer instincts into chase-down blocks, weak-side blocks, pressure, strips and steals. 

On the ball, Winslow has flashed lockdown potential with that 225-pound frame, foot speed and tenacity. But he's equally as effective as a team defender in terms of his rotations and help. 

At 6'6", he projects as a defender capable of guarding both 2-guards and wings.

However, I'm not sure he can touch the defensive versatility that Gordon can offer.

At 6'9" with a near 7'0" wingspan, Gordon has the size and length to match up with power forwards. But he also has elite lateral quickness that could allow him to blanket wings and guards on the perimeter. 

Gordon registered the fastest shuttle-run time—an exercise that measures how quickly one changes direction—of anyone at the 2014 NBA combine. Throw in a ridiculous 39-inch max vertical and a terrific basketball IQ, and we could eventually be talking about one of the best Swiss army knife defenders in the game.

Winslow's Offensive Upside versus Gordon's Off-Ball Ability 

Neither Winslow nor Gordon is particularly polished offensively. As freshmen, they were each secondary options in the half court. 

	Minutes	FG Pct	Points	Rebounds	Assists	3PTM	3PT Pct.	Steals	Blocks
Gordon (Arizona)	31.2	.495	12.4	8.0	2.0	16	.356	0.9	1.0
Winslow	29.1	.486	12.6	6.5	2.1	46	.418	1.3	0.9

Gordon really isn't adept when it comes to creating his own shot against a set defense. He generates most of his offense through off-ball activity. 

Gordon averages just five points in 15.7 minutes for Orlando. And almost all of his production is fueled by athleticism, quickness and coordination. Though Gordon hasn't scored many points, the majority of his field goals made this year have come in transition, on spot-ups and putbacks, according to NBA.com:

On the bright side, he isn't a player who's going to stop the ball from moving. Gordon plays within his team's offense. But he's also not an option you can feature or run plays through. 

At this stage, neither is Winslow. But Winslow flashed enough offensive promise to suggest improvement will come with time. 

He made 46 threes at a 41.8 percent clip. And as the year progressed, so did his off-the-dribble repertoire. With the game slowed down, Winslow became a bigger threat to attack from the wings, sink a floater or knock down a pull-up jumper.

Over Duke's final 18 games, Winslow actually averaged an impressive 15.3 points.

Among his explosiveness, physical tools, promising shooting stroke and developing scoring arsenal, his offensive upside is high. 

Gordon's Red Flags, Concerns

While Gordon has up to three or four positions on defense, there isn't one for him to naturally fill offensively. Gordon lacks the post game of a power forward and the traditional perimeter skill set of a wing. He doesn't quite have a sweet spot on the floor. 

Adding a threatening jumper would be an easy solution, though he's just 12-of-40 from three and 5-of-17 in the mid-range, according to NBA.com.

Winslow's Red Flags, Concerns

Winslow's offense still needs plenty of work, particularly his in-between game. He shot just 26.9 percent on his two-point jumpers (pull-ups, floaters, runners), according to Hoop-Math.

He also only made 64.1 percent of his free throws, which raises some questions over the legitimacy of his shooting stroke.

Gordon versus Winslow

Imagine you have a blank roster, and you're forced to choose between drafting either Winslow or Gordon as your first forward. You can't go wrong with either.

But I'm taking my chances on Winslow, who has terrific defensive potential, as well as a higher offensive ceiling. Gordon may actually become the more valuable defender, but without a convincing jumper or the ability to create, I question his upside in an NBA offense. 

Winslow ultimately has a more credible track record as a shot-maker and a more believable outlook as a scoring small forward. 

Outside Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns, Duke's Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, who played in China, and Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell, I'd have Winslow right there in the No. 5 spot. And for what it's worth, if Gordon were in this year's field, I'd have him in the No. 8 to No. 10 range.