After finishing my Raja Bell post yesterday, I started to think about what player in college reminded me most of Raja Bell. After initially struggling to find someone, it eventually became clear that Aaron Afflalo can be Raja Bell in the NBA. He's an undersized two guard who's made his name on defense and outside shooting. NBA scouts knock him for his lack of length and lack of athletic ability, believing that a long athletic defender can shut him down offensively. These days, scouts are using Afflalo's performance against the length of Corey Brewer as proof that he'll have trouble against those types of players in the NBA. I can't say that I disagree with them much on that front. But why is it that scouts are always looking for superstar player in the draft? And why is it they are always willing to waste a first-round pick on a seven footer with perceived potential? Sometimes, for a good team, adding a good role player that works hard, has a positive at ude, and is a proven winner is something that can be more valuable than a player that has all of the potential in the world. Aaron carries himself in a manner that I wished all star college athletes would (I even told his dad such when I met him at the NCAA tournament last year).
Afflalo hasn't announced he's coming out, but at this point, I can't see any reason for him to stay in college. Unless he grows two inches scouts are going to continue to say the same thing about him. Next years draft class has the potential to be just as deep as this one, so I don't think he'd go any higher next year than he would this summer.
I think the best thing Afflalo can do is hire an agent that is committed to marketing to him to teams the right way. He needs someone that is going to be honest with teams about his weaknesses but prop up his strengths. If Afflalo is able to market himself as a Raja Bell type, rather than a college star whose height and athleticism doesn't translate to the NBA, I think he'll have a chance of ending up in a better situation than he's currently projected.
A team like Phoenix, that is always open to role players that can defend and shoot the three would be foolish to pass on Afflalo. When Raja Bell goes to the bench, they could bring the young Afflalo in to spell him. As well, they will eventually need someone to replace Bell one day. Afflalo seems like the perfect candidate to me. If the Suns aren't open to it, there are a couple of other teams (see the Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Hornets) that are trying to emulate the Suns style. Aaron would be a good fit in any of those places.
Anyhow, good luck to Aaron. We need more good guys like him in the NBA.
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). Honestly, I don't know about you, but I spend a good amount of time watching college basketball when its on (and its on a lot). Yet I've never seen any Finnish team just happen to be on ESPN. But just because the vast majority of us casual fans don't know them doesn't mean that the group of professional scouts from the Spurs camp aren't old friends with the guy.
