Gordon accepts decision to be a reserve
The Rockets’ former Sixth Man of the Year will be a sixth man this season.
Guard Eric Gordon is heading back to the bench and is fine with that. More than fine, he was happy to learn his role won’t frequently change one way or another throughout the season.
“It’s always been tough and weird for me,” Gordon said. “I just want to… either come off the bench or start. I know previous years; I always go back and forth. It’s sometimes frustrating as a player. When I start, I’m the best perimeter defender mostly, (keep the) floor spaced. Over the years, all the coaches want me to have more opportunity offensively to be really explosive if I come off the bench.
“I’m fine with either role. I know I’m going to come off the bench and just create a big spark for the second unit and that’s what I look forward to.”
Rockets coach Stephen Silas said it was “huge” to have an established player and that has succeeded in both roles to have “the character” to accept coming off the bench.
“I guess for him it needs to be something consistent,” Silas said. “It can’t be game-to-game whether he is starting or coming off the bench. Players play their best when they know kind of what’s coming. We talked about it. I want him to be comfortable on the floor. I want him to get his shot attempts. Iwant him to be a scorer. And I felt with the first group, it’s a little harder for him to be that.
“Iwas good kind of going either way. As a veteran he deserves that conversation. We both came to the conclusion him coming off the bench would be a good thing.”
Silas said he is “still working through” his decision about the fifth starter with James Harden, John Wall, P. J. Tucker and Christian Wood, but that Danuel
House Jr. has been working with the starters in the Rockets’ practices and scrimmages. House started last season when Gordon was out and when Gordon came off the bench.
“That’s what most likely will be, but I reserve the right to change that,” Silas said. “I like House because he can guard the best player on the other team and can live off what James, John, C-Wood do and then have Eric’s veteran scoring, defending punch off the bench in a more featured role.”
Gordon has been more effective in his career as a starter, averaging 17.2 points on 43.2 percent shooting and 37.7 percent 3point shooting in 34.1 minutes per game as a starter. He has averaged 14.3 points on 40 percent shooting and 35.1percent shooting off the bench.
In his first season with the Rockets, when he was the 2016-17 Sixth Man of the Year, he averaged 16.3 points on 37.6 percent 3point shooting as a reserve, scoring more points in fewer minutes and with a better shooting percentage off the bench than when he started.
“My first thing since I’ve been here, I just really worry about winning,” Gordon said. “I knowwhen I started previously, we always had two prominent, dominating guards, James and Chris (Paul,) James and Russ (Westbrook) and now James and John (Wall.) I just know, teams got to respect me and still don’t want me to shoot 3s and … I space the floor. If I come off the bench, I’ll have more of a chance to have the ball in my hands and create a lot of opportunities for us offensively.
“I’m fine with either or. I really don’t care. I’ve been telling every coach since I’ve been here, I really don’t care as long as we’re winning. That’s the main thing.”