2024 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Aaron Bradshaw
Having signed five of the top 50 recruits in the 2023 high school recruiting class, Kentucky has one of the best incoming freshmen groups in the country. Add in recent commit 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic from Croatia and they're a lock to be one of the best teams in the country again this season.
Another 7-footer to keep an eye on is Aaron Bradshaw, who has legitimate first-round talent. He went to Camden High School in New Jersey with fellow Kentucky commit and sixth overall recruit in the 2023 class, DJ Wagner.
So, what makes Bradshaw so intriguing and a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?
Let's break his game down using a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). It's unnecessary to label any areas of Bradshaw's game as "threats" to his career in the NBA since he's only entering his freshman season at Kentucky. Therefore, we'll stick with Bradshaw's strengths, areas of improvement, and opportunities to grow his game.
Strengths
Roll & Cut Big Projection
Listed at 7-foot and 210 pounds, Bradshaw has the size and ability to immediately contribute as a Roll & Cut Big. He consistently makes contact on picks, is a lob threat off of pick-and-rolls, and is a clear threat in the dunker spot.
Rebounding
Additionally, Bradshaw is active on the offensive boards and uses his length well on the defensive glass. This figures to be an immediate strength for him at Kentucky as well, as he averaged 7.8 (2.4 offensive) rebounds per game at the NBPA Top 100 and 7.3 rebounds per game in the Nike EYBL in 2022 -- both according to NBADraft.net.
Defensive Versatility
Bradshaw is very mobile for his size and will be effective in multiple pick-and-roll coverages at the next level. While he likely fits best in show coverage, Bradshaw has shown switchability at times and potential in drop coverage as well.
Let's start with his ability to be used in show coverage. Below we see Bradshaw execute this, where he temporarily slows down the ball-handler while giving his teammate time to recover.
Perhaps most impressive are Bradshaw's flashes of switchability, where he switches onto and contains three of the most talented players in the country. In the first clip below, in Camden's game against Imhotep Institute, Bradshaw switches onto 6-foot-7 wing, Justin Edwards.
Edwards is the third overall recruit in the 2023 class and is also committed to Kentucky. In the second clip, Bradshaw switches onto and contains 6-foot-8 wing Trentyn Flowers, who is the No. 23 overall recruit in the 2023 class and committed to Louisville. Lastly, Bradshaw contains the quick point guard Rahmir Barno in the final clip, who is committed to Florida Gulf Coast University.
Opportunities
Bradshaw is likely to contribute immediately to Kentucky as a Roll & Cut big, while also providing versatility defensively and rebounding on both ends of the floor. Additionally, there are three main opportunities for Bradshaw to grow his game that NBA front offices will surely be keeping an eye on.
Shooting
The first of these three areas is shooting. To start, Bradshaw's free throw is quite smooth -- signaling potential in his overall form. He reportedly shot 80% from the free-throw line at the NBPA Top 100 and 74.6% from the line in the Nike EYBL in 2022.
His mechanics translate to his jump shot, which has shown flashes of being fairly fluid as shown below.
If Bradshaw can continue to improve his catch-and-shoot threes and midrange, he can be a threat in pick-and-pop and short roll situations -- the latter of which is an area that combines the flashes of passing ability he's shown.
Passing
Another area Bradshaw showed potential in, as mentioned above, was his passing from the post. In Camden's game against Combine Academy, he hit Billy Richmond , a talented Camden guard who is the No. 37 overall recruit in the 2024 high-school class, with accurate give-and-go passes on two separate plays.
Rim Protection
A defensive area of Bradshaw's game he can take to the next level is his weakside rim protection and rim protection as a whole. He's shown flashes of having great timing at the rim and has the length to disrupt any rim attempt. In the first two clips below, we see Bradshaw make slides defensively and effectively disrupt his opponent's shot at the rim -- the first of which was a strong contest while the second was a well-timed block. In the third clip, we see Bradshaw's shot-blocking ability on full display which, in this case, came alive in transition.
According to NBADraft.net, Bradshaw averaged two blocks per game during the Nike EYBL circuit in 2022, which was fifth among all participants.
Area of Improvement
Foul Trouble
To continue with the theme of Bradshaw's ability to protect the rim, one reason he's not currently an elite rim protector is his tendency to foul at the rim. One of Bradshaw's biggest areas of improvement are his contests on drives at the rim. If he can work on keeping his hands straight up, opponents will be shooting lower percentages at the rim, he could garner more blocks, and reduce his number of fouls.
Conclusion
Bradshaw is likely to contribute as a roll & cut big for Kentucky this upcoming season, as he's a lob threat off pick-and-rolls and in transition and can finish plays from the dunker spot. He's also a productive rebounder on both ends of the floor and offers defensive versatility in multiple pick-and-roll schemes.
As his catch-and-shoot continues to progress, he can combine this skill and his passing ability to be a threat from the short roll and also pop instead of roll at times. Lastly, he's shown flashes of rim protection but needs to keep his hands straight up to reduce foul calls and effectively impact more shots at the rim.
Overall, Bradshaw is one of the most talented freshmen in the country and will make an impact on both sides of the ball.
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