THIS YEAR, the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon is doing what coach Frank Vogel has asked him to do.
Patience, better decision-making on offense pays dividends
SAN FRANCISCO — Frank Vogel calls a sequence involving Aaron Gordon on Friday night in Phoenix “one of the best plays” of the Orlando Magic season so far.
Gordon, stationed near the left break of the 3-point arc, threw a bounce pass to Nikola Vucevic near the left edge of the lane. Gordon cut toward the lane, and Vucevic passed to Gordon.
Gordon received the ball in the paint, about 12 feet from the hoop. But instead of attempting a shot or driving to the rim, Gordon immediately rifled a pass to the right corner for Shelvin Mack. Mack made a 3-pointer, prompting Vogel to pump his fist on the sideline.
“He’s playing the right way,” Vogel said.
Less is more for Gordon. In his first three NBA seasons, he often
forced contested shots or attempted to be fancy with his dribble, creating problems for himself and hampering the Magic’s ball movement. But this year, he’s doing what Vogel has asked him to do. Gordon has reduced his ill-advised shot attempts and simplified his ball-handling, and his improvement in those areas has helped the Magic open their season with an 8-5 record.
The Magic will face the toughest challenge of their season so far tonight when they face the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.
Gordon might face his most difficult individual test of the season, too.
He’ll be tempted to put his stamp on the game. Gordon grew up in nearby San Jose, and he attended his first NBA game at Oracle Arena when he was 7 or 8 years old. He always pictured himself running out of one of the arena’s tunnels one day, either playing for the Warriors or for a visiting team.
And yet, to help his team most against the Warriors, Gordon will have to suppress his impulses to take control, even if those impulses tantalize him. The Magic have been at their best when they’ve moved the ball, avoided contested shots and passed up OK shots for good shots or passed up good shots for great shots.
Gordon turned down a potentially good shot when he passed the ball to Mack in Phoenix.
“I love passing,” Gordon said. “Assisting is fun. Assisting is scoring. They’re on the same level to me. So seeing Shelvin open in the corner, me making that extra pass — it’s just as rewarding seeing Shelvin make the 3 as me getting the bucket.”
Gordon is discovering he doesn’t need to force shots to be effective. In fact, he has posted the best individual statistics of his career so far this season. His 19.0 points per game rank second on the Magic. He leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.7 boards per game. And he leads the entire NBA in 3-point shooting, having made 55.3 percent of his attempts.
Another statistic also impresses: his 2.5 assists per game.
That figure still could be higher, but it’s an improvement.
“A lot of growth,” Vucevic said. “I think the fact that he does that also helps his game, makes it easier for him to not get into those tough positions to take a tough shot. But he’s been playing great for us. He’s been really good on both ends of the floor. But offensively, his growth [is] making the right play, playing for his teammates. It’s good to see. He’s a hard worker.
“He’s a good guy. He’s only going to get better. He has really a high potential and he’s still so young. So we expect a lot from him.”
Tonight, Gordon will have an opportunity to show his loved ones how much he’s improved.
Friends and family typically occupy a suite inside Oracle Arena when the Magic play against the Warriors in Oakland.
Gordon will just have to remember that less is more.
“...offensively, his growth [is] making the right play, playing for his teammates. It’s good to see. He’s a hard worker.” Magic C Nikola Vucevic on Aaron Gordon