The 2026 NBA draft has been hyped up for its depth of exciting guard talent, with 5 or 6 guards projected to go in the top 10. This of course has excited Mavericks fans, as there is no other team with a more desperate need at guard.
But due to multiple meaningless late season wins, the Mavericks could be in an unenviable position where none of those great guard prospects are available.
But what if there was a guard who posted a rim FG% higher than Kingston Flemings. Shot better from three than Darryn
Peterson and had more assists per game than Keaton Wagler. A guard who will surely be available wherever the Mavericks select.
That guard, would be none other, than LaBaron Philon Jr.
The basics
LaBaron Philon Jr. was born Nov. 24 2005 in Mobile, Alabama. He would attend Baker high school in Mobile county, where he would become a consensus 4-star recruit and ON3’s number 5 point guard in the 2024 recruiting class.
He would sign with the University of Alabama, where he would end up starting 29 games as a true freshman.
His freshman season was up-and-down, as he regularly showed flashes of elite two-way upside, but was held back by poor shooting efficiency.
Philon would declare for the 2025 NBA draft, but would return to school after a lackluster combine performance.
This decision was the correct one, as Philon would show marked improvement in almost every aspect, average 22 point and 5 assists per game, while leading the Crimson Tide to the Sweet 16.
For his efforts, Philon was recognized as a Third-team All-American, and First-team all SEC.
Now, he will return to the combine, and most likely become a top-15 pick.
The good
- The biggest improvement for Philon in his sophomore season was the massive improvement in efficiency. Philon posted a below average TS% of just 54.9% as a freshman, compared to an elite mark of 62.9% as a sophomore. Philon was efficient at every level, shooting 65% at the rim, and nearly 40% from three, as seen below.
- His shot diet was also elite, as a vast majority of his shots came from either behind-the-arc, or at the rim. leading to 80th percentile MOREY percentage. Furthermore, most of his shots were unassisted, meaning he was creating almost all of his three’s and layups. These three’s came from a variety of platforms, as he was simultaneously deadly off-the-catch, and on his dribble jumpers, as seen below.
- Unlike some other’s in this class, Philon has a truly refined handle, with counters to almost anything a defense can throw at him. He also possesses real first-step quickness which allows him to beat defenders with one move. This handle extends to his paint scoring, as he utilizes a variety of strep-throughs and euro-steps to slither around rim protectors. All-in-all, Philon possesses the best handles in this class, and combined with real athletic juice, gives him an elite scoring profile.
- The final piece of the Philon puzzle is his size, standing at 6’4 in shoes, with a nearly 6’7 wingspan. These measurables lead to real defensive upside, especially if you look at his freshman statistics. Philon posted a 3.3 DBPM as a freshman, which was 81st percentile. This was one of his big strengths as a prospect last year, and gives me hope that he could become a real weapon on both sides of the court in the future.
The bad
- Philon’s primary weakness is his frame and lack of strength, which shows up on both sides of the court. Offensively Philon can struggle with bigger, stronger defenders, often settling for tough threes or layups. But this lack of strength really shows defensively, as he can simply become a target for bigger slashers. This will become a much bigger issue in the NBA, with bigger wings being able to hunt Philon whenever they please. This leads to the interesting conundrum with his defense; is he year 1 Philon? Or year 2 Philon?
- With his offensive load massively increasing, it led to less effort and focus defensively. His defensive numbers were just plain bad, posting a drastically reduced DBPM, STL%, and OREB%. This has brought up an interesting question about whether the year 1 metrics were inflated due to him defending weaker offensive players, or did the increase in role lead to the decrease in production. Either way, the physical limitations will make his defense a massive question at the very least.
- While Philon shot 39.9% from three, his FT% was only 79.8%, which makes his three point shooting a little bit questionable. Usually, a players FT% is a great indicator for three-point shooting in the NBA, and since Philon is just Ok, it makes his shooting a small concern.
- Finally, Philon lacks the elite physical tools that are often required in a star guard. Whether this be: elite vertical athleticism, a lighting quick first step, or overwhelming positional size. This forces Philon to be entirely reliant on his craft and skill, which can become a problem for guard like him in the postseason.
Fit with the Dallas Mavericks
Of all the guards in this class, Philon might have the most versatility in how he could be used. In the Mavericks context, I think he would fit perfectly, as he could both start next to Kyrie Irving, or be a sparkplug off the bench.
In the long-term context, Philon is the exact type of guard that would be perfect next to Cooper Flagg, as Philon’s size will allow him to compete on the defensive end, which is a requirement in today’s NBA. Furthermore, he is not a player who requires constant touches to be effective, as he can be just as deadly off the ball as he is on.
The ability to learn from Irving is an underrated part of any guards transition with the Mavericks, but Philon would benefit extra from the tutelage.
No matter where, or how Philon plays, he would be a seamless fit for the Dallas Mavericks, both now, and for the future.
Player comparison
Philon is a very interesting player, but a player comparison I love is Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers. Not only do they have incredibly similar measurables, but their play-styles are also very similar. Nembhard is a very versatile two-way combo guard who can fill a variety of roles, which is exactly what I think Philon will do in the NBA. Obviously Nembhard isn’t the flashiest player, nor is he a true #2 option, but he’s a great player, and one that every NBA team would covet.
Final thoughts
LaBaron Philon Jr. doesn’t have any one skill that outshines his other guard contemporaries, but he may be the most well-rounded guard in the class.
He possesses an NBA-ready skillset, while also having tremendous upside as an offensive creator. His length and defensive priors show a player that is at least willing to defend, even if he isn’t the most physically gifted.
While physical tools are flashy, betting on: feel, skill and effort usually work out in the long run.
