Labaron Philon Jr. NBA Mock Draft scouting report: Alabama point guard made the right bet on himself

Labaron Philon Jr. could have entered the draft last year, where he would likely have been taken somewhere at the end of the first round. Instead, the Alabama point guard decided to work on his weaknesses and improve his draft stock. 

That looks like the right move today. Philon has been one of the best players in the SEC as a sophomore, leading the Crimson Tide with 21.6 points and 5.0 assists per game. He's part of an extremely promising class of young point guards in this draft, and he's broken out on the national landscape by leading his team to a deep NCAA tournament run. 

Philon's skillset should translate well to the NBA. Here's what scouts see in the potential lottery pick.

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Labaron Philon Jr. stats

Labaron Philon height, weight, year

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 177 pounds
• Year: Sophomore

Labaron Philon strengths

Philon is one of the best bucket-getters in college basketball. He has excellent craft, change of pace, and has improved substantially this season. 

Alabama has the No. 3 offense in the country, and it's Philon that is leading that attack. He's a good pick-and-roll ballhandler who is very capable of pulling up from 3, attacking the midrange, or driving directly into the teeth of the defense. After struggling to convert on layups during his freshman year, he's up to 66.3 percent at the rim this season, ranking in the 81st percentile of players. He isn't the flashiest passer, but he can make good reads and doesn't make a ton of mistakes.

Philon isn't a killer athlete. He has a knack for snaking into the paint though with a good handle and shows great touch when he gets to the rim. He plays at his own speed and doesn't shy away from contact, getting to the line almost six times a game this season. 

Labaran Philon bagwork pic.twitter.com/zhc1jaSvoW

Philon's biggest improvement has come as a shooter. After only connecting on 31.5 percent of his 3's last year, he's up to 39.7 percent this season. He's a good pull-up threat, hitting 37 percent of those 3's, and even better on catch-and-shoot 3's where he shoots 40.0 percent. That shooting should allow him to play on or off the ball in the NBA.

Defensively, Philon is up and down. He was a great point of attack defender last season with a lesser offensive role. When he is locked in, his 6-foot-6 wingspan allows him to disrupt passing lanes and contest shots effectively. It's reasonable to think that he can be average on that end of the floor in the NBA.

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Labaron Philon weaknesses

Philon doesn't have elite size, strength, or athleticism. He is somewhat skinny and will definitely need to add muscle when he gets into the league. He's been able to lean on his craftiness to finish in college. In the NBA, that will be tougher to do. There are concerns that he may struggle to finish over the top of elite rim protectors who won't be as easily fooled by his change of pace.

Philon's translation is also made a bit murkier by Alabama's system. They have terrific spacing around him, allowing him to have big driving lanes. They also play a fast pace that is well-suited to his style. He's in the perfect situation, which may inflate his production a bit.

Philon's defense wasn't great as a sophomore. His effort dropped off considerably with an increased offensive load. He can run into trouble on switches, he's not a great screen navigator, and he had issues staying solid. 

Philon isn't old by any means, but as a sophomore he does have less room for growth than the other freshman guards expected to go in the lottery. Darryn Peterson, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr, and Keaton Wagler are all a full year younger than him. 

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Labaron Philon NBA Mock Draft projection

Mock Draft projection: Late lottery / Middle of first round

Philon's strong sophomore year has helped him move way up draft boards. He usually shows up in the back half of the lottery or right outside of it, falling most consistently around picks 11 to 18. If he continues his strong tournament play, he could easily slide into the top 10 for a team in need of backcourt scoring.

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Labaron Philon NBA player comparison

Plays like: Immanuel Quickley

Quickley is a smaller guard who has become a low-end starter for the Raptors. He turned himself into a good 3-point shooter and a capable driver. He's not athletic enough to break defenders down one-on-one consistently, but he's good at using ball screens and has a nice floater for when he can't get all the way to the rim. He's not a great point-of-attack defender but does contribute by getting into passing lanes and having good anticipation. 

Philon has more upside than Quickley, but they're similar types of guards. They can both change the tenor of a game with a flurry of 3's and microwave scoring. Philon has a promising floater like Quickely, which he doesn't need to use quite as much in an Alabama system that deprioritizes midrange shots. Both players are not great at breaking down players one-on-one to create separation, but Philon looks like he can one day be a starter in the NBA. 

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