[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2025 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Labaron Philon
Frame: 6’4″, 180 lbs
Position: Guard
Team: Alabama Crimson Tide
2025 Draft Age: 19
Stats via www.sports-reference.com

Offense

Philon’s ability to knock down push shots or floaters was his scoring weapon at Alabama. His handle and quickness allowed him to get to his spot, where he could get off his shot. He is a crafty ball handler who utilizes stop-and-go moves and snake dribbles. His frame allowed him to slither around ball screens, making him an effective scorer. The floater with the right hand, particularly, has touch and a soft release. Philon shot 44.4 percent on 54 attempts on twos away from the rim (4.2 percent assisted).

Philon’s facilitating is a significant part of his game. He is an unselfish player and a willing passer who often makes the right read and hits the open man. Philon has shown he is a capable pick-and-roll ball handler, typically attacking the big man defender to get his screener an open look. Philon is also capable of finding shooters on the perimeter or finding cutting teammates. However, Philon can struggle when asked to make more advanced reads and is best suited as a combo guard, who can play off of a true lead guard. Philon averaged 3.8 assists to 1.7 turnovers this past season, with an assist percentage of 24.9 percent and a turnover percentage of 17.2 percent. 

Philon must improve his finishing around the rim. Despite his frame and quickness on the perimeter, he isn’t a vertical athlete, which leads to him struggling to finish among big men. He can also be pushed off his path by stronger guards. However, Philon does a good job cutting and filling in open spaces on the court; he gets down the court quickly in transition and can blow up defenders on their back foot for easy finishes. Attacking closeouts and playing off better guards in the NBA should help, but he must add more weight to finish through contact. Philon shot 58.1 percent on 136 attempts at the rim while being assisted on 17.7 percent. 

As a shooter, Philon has room for improvement. He shot 31.5 percent on 124 attempts (87.2 percent assisted). Despite the percentages, his mechanics are relatively solid, his form is a bit stiff, but he has a high and compact base. His guide hand does flare out a bit, but not enough to impact his shot significantly. Philon also shot 76.7 percent on 90 attempts from the free throw line, where his compact mechanics played better. Philon should not be expected to be a shot creator from behind the arc, but spot-up looks could be in his repertoire, with potential for more if fluidity is added to his shot. 

 

Defense

Philon shined for the Crimson Tide on the defensive side of the ball, acting as their primary defender against perimeter threats. Philon’s motor, hand speed, and length gave opposing ball-handlers fits, often beating them to their spots before them, or plucking the ball from their hands without fouling them. As mentioned before, his length allows him to guard some wings, but his thin frame gives him trouble with some physicality. As a pick and roll defender, Philon can be inconsistent, but sometimes he can slip around a ball screen, while other times he gets caught by the big man, and the offense has an advantage. Filling out his frame should help with this. 

Similarly, Philon has some difficulties getting through off-ball screens, especially from the weak side, where he can’t get around them, leading to an open look for the opposing team. Philon is also susceptible to falling asleep a bit, but his speed and hands can disrupt plays. This was prevalent in his strong side defense, where he excels at jumping passes, swiping at driving ball handlers to bother them, or picking off a kick-out. Philon averaged 1.4 steals with a steal percentage of 2.9 percent. 

Looking Ahead

Philon is a two-way combo guard that excels as an on-ball defender and playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. He can play on and off the ball, with room to improve as a shooter, and reasons to believe he will do so. 

Philon projects as a guard off the bench at the next level, with upside as a quality starter if the shot improves. He initially slots as a late first-round pick in this year’s draft.