WCC NBA Draft Profile: David Stockton

Mar 23, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard David Stockton (11) shoots against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half of a men

David Stockton has finished a rather successful four years at Gonzaga, as a legacy at his NBA Hall of Fame father John Stockton’s alma mater.  Four years of contribution started with Stockton walking on, redshirting and making a surprise impact in 2011.

He will never be the first name that pops into your head upon hearing the last name.  Not one media session will go without bringing his Hall of Fame father up.  He’ll never be the most talented Stockton, and will never escape his father’s shadow, but at this point in David’s career he is in the best scenario possible because of it.

As a senior at Gonzaga, Stockton averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 assists. He was a four year contributor and started his final year at the point guard. His most memorable games at GU were the final two in the 2014 WCC tournament.  He went off in a blowout against St. Mary’s for 21 points, four assists, and six boards, then followed it up with a tournament win over BYU with seven dimes and five boards.

Strengths

• One of the biggest comparisons to his father is their similar court vision.  David weaved in and out of traffic well, controlled tempo, and often had success getting to the basket.
• As the main court facilitator this past season, Stockton’s increased playing time often moved Kevin Pangos to the shooting guard position, as Stockton was the better facilitator.
• Trust.  Few trusted him in the game, with the ball, and starting. Many questioned his move into the starting lineup, creating a small backcourt rather than a go-to backup guard.  It may not mean much to the casual fan, but a professional guard needs to be trusted with the ball.

Weaknesses

• Size does not play in his favor.  At 5’11” and 165 lbs, Stockton would be one of the smallest and lightest players in the league making him a huge liability defending prototypical NBA guards such as Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, and Rajon Rondo.  That being said, he porved to be a pest on defense averaging 1.5 steals per game in his last two years.  Most undersized guards in the NBA either posses an elite (or at least spark plug) scoring/passing ability (i.e. Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving), or an elite feel for the game (i.e. Tony Parker, Steve Nash).  While size is something Stockton cannot control, it is one of his biggest hindrances.
• Stockton is not a go-to scorer, and not a good enough passer to make up for it. While his main job was a facilitator, the four other starters were often more reliable scorers.  Point guards who cannot get defenders to respect them as scorers lose ground on the offensive end (e.i. Kendall Marshall).
• Turnovers. He played almost 10 more minutes per game his senior season moving into the starting role, but upped his turnovers from 1.2 to 2.o per game. More importantly, with six turnovers each in losses to BYU and Arizona, he coughed the ball up in big games. Need I remind fans of the heartbreaking inbound throwaway leading to Butler’s buzzer beater winner.

Current Preparations

Stockton has worked out for two teams in preparation for the draft, and the organizations he has played with seemingly align with personal connection.   Along with eight other potential picks, he partook in a pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz, giving him the opportunity to wear the same logo as his father did.  Since Stockton was raised in Salt Lake while John played for the Jazz (before moving back to Spokane), he grew up in an organization that is now giving him an opportunity to showcase his game.  Stockton recently worked out with the Phoenix Suns as well. Suns’ coach Jeff Hornacek, who completed Utah’s backcourt with John Stockton in the 90s, reportedly coached David’s AAU team at one point.

Bottom Line

It is heavily unlikely Stockton is drafted. Comparatively, he does not match up with the other guards in this immensely deep draft. That being said he should make a good guard professionally oversees.  CBS college basketball insider Gary Parrish etched up the best 17 point guards going into the draft, in which the last choice was Florida PG Scotty Wilbekin, whose number one seeded team competed in the Final Four . Some 13 point guards were drafted last year, and nary has his name been mentioned beyond workouts.  Stockton could get a shot as an undrafted free agent, or in the summer league but is a much more intriguing prospect to test the waters overseas.