Sam Vecenie reveals where Labaron Philon’s NBA Draft stock stands

NBA Draft analyst Sam Vecenie said Labaron Philon is a late first-round pick type of talent in this year’s draft class. The former Alabama guard has decent stock going through the process.

Right now, Philon is focused on the draft. But, you can’t totally rule out a return to school as he mentioned throughout the process.

As Vecenie broke it down, there’s a lot to like about Philon going into the NBA, particularly on defense. But, there’s still some room for improvement.

“Very skinny and, like, very developmental, but if you’re at 30, like, that’s probably where the reality is,” Vecenie said on Game Theory. “I was hoping to end up, like, a little bit higher on Philon than I did. I had him  25 to 30, like, somewhere in that ballpark … Quick Twitch athlete, like fuzzy speed, like his feel for the game. I think he really processes things quickly around him. I like him best on defense. I thought he made it really hard for opposing players, really quick, just like, beats guys to their spots. 

“Really likes to crowd them and get into their space. I think it takes really good routes in ball screens to get around them and navigate them, even though, if he gets flipped, it’s kind of over, just because he’s so skinny right now, and like, needs to continue to grow.” 

Philon started 29 games as a true freshman in 2024-25 and averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from 3-point range and 76.7 percent at the free-throw line. He scored in double figures 21 times.

“He really fights and competes … I really like that,” Vecenie said. “Constantly trying to poke at the ball offensively, like he’s more of a traditional point that just like, didn’t get a chance to do that this year all that often. I like how decisive he is as an attacker. Like, if he was, you know, attacking a closeout. I really liked how aggressive he was. I love him in transition. Super attack oriented mindset. Best out of ball screens, really good pace … I think his best skill is probably the passing, though it’s either the passing or the defense. 

“Just a sharp play maker, good touch on lobs … but like, 3.8 assists versus 1.7 turnovers, played the third most minutes this year on an Alabama team.”