Gordon ready to get going
Former Sixth Man of Year returns to rotation looking to turn around another slow start
With guard Eric Gordon returning to practice on Friday, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni offered a succinct update. “He’ll be fine,” D’Antoni said. He was not talking about Gordon’s sore left hamstring.
Days removed from Gordon sitting out Wednesday’s game against the Warriors, that too is not expected to cause any problems. Though listed as questionable, Gordon said that taking the game off will allow him to play Saturday against the Bulls with no concerns.
D’Antoni, however, was offering the prognosis of Gordon’s so
far broken shooting touch.
“I think he’ll get his shot going,” D’Antoni said. “Last year too, we can say it’s this or that. Probably with James (Harden) and different guys it just takes a while to get into the rhythm and flow. He’ll get there.”
Harden began to rediscover his shooting touch in the past two games, making 13 of 32 3-pointers after connecting on just 21.5 percent in his first six games. The Rockets have sought a similar turnaround from Gordon, but D’Antoni’s confidence that Gordon will get going is not based on blind faith.
The Rockets have seen him start slowly and turn things around before.
Through his first seven games last season, Gordon made 13 of his 55 3-pointers (23.3 percent), 36 of 112 shots overall. Through seven games this season, he has made 14 of 60 3-pointers (23.3 percent) and 25 of 90 shots overall.
He began to find his shot several games later and by December he was on a roll. Gordon made 40.7 percent of his 3s in his final 36 games, not only leading to a confidence that seven games is far too small a sample size to inspire concern, but to also demonstrate how valuable he can be when his shooting touch and range is added to the mix.
With that in mind, D’Antoni had moved Gordon into the starting lineup for two games ‘to get him going.” D’Antoni said he had not decided on a starting lineup for Saturday. He would prefer, he said, to settle on a rotation and stick with it, but that there was no rush yet to determine his starters.
Matchups are not a factor.
“It’s just about our team,” D’Antoni said. “I don’t like to match up. I think in my mind we’re the best in the league. People should match up with us. We’re going to play the best we can play. If people
match up with us, so be it. Either Eric will start or (Danuel) House will start. We’d like to get there. Everyone should know their role.
“It worked last year. Sometimes you make decisions, it works out. It’s just coincidence. You try to do the best you can do, try to react to new information you have and talk to the players, make sure they’re comfortable and go with your gut.”
Gordon said he is entirely comfortable with either role, having started through most of his career before he was Sixth Man of the Year in 2016-17 and runner-up the following season.
He started 53 of the 68 games he played last season, averaging 16.9 points on 37.7 percent 3-point shooting and 42 percent shooting overall compared to 13.7 points off the bench on 29.3 percent 3-point shooting and 36.7 percent shooting overall.
This season, however, he is getting good looks, attempting the most wide-open 3s (4.9 with defenders more than six feet away) in the NBA. He has made just 14 of 54 open or wide-open 3s.
“It’s all about us trying to play the right way, doing what is best,” Gordon said. “I don’t care (about starting). I really don’t care. I can come off the bench. I can start. As long as I’m making an impact, that’s all that matters. I’ve done that over the years. This year, I need to do better.
“That’s always what matters. Yeah, I’m going to miss shots. There are going to be good games and bad games. I definitely want to be consistent. That’s no question. At the end of the day, it’s all about doing what’s important for the team and making an impact when you’re on the court.”
Gordon came off the bench in the first five games of this season, including the Rockets’ win in Washington when he hit a lastminute 3-pointer to help secure the win. The confidence Harden had in him to deliver that pass and D’Antoni showed to have him on the floor could demonstrate as much about their belief he will turn things around as anything they can say.
Gordon can look at last season to offer an example that a slow start has been temporary before, which would seem to help, though he said it does “Not really help.
“It’s all about everybody getting into a flow,” Gordon said. “I definitely need to shoot better. There’s no question. I already know that. It’s all about picking my spots and finding where I’m going to get the ball and knowing where I’m going to get the ball. Once I know that, it’s more comfortable.
“It’s all about mostly how we play as a team. When things are going well and guys are knocking down shots, it’s in rhythm. It becomes a more fun game. When it’s a fun game, you’re knocking down shots and doing everything well.”