Denver Nuggets: 3 goals for Aaron Gordon in 2022-23

Goal for Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon: Improve to 35% 3PT shooter

With the return of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, it’s clear that the Denver Nuggets won’t be relying on Gordon’s scoring ability as much in 2022-23. Both Murray and MPJ are capable of averaging (at least) 20 points a night, and this is likely the expectation now that the team has entered a championship-or-bust window.

That being said, Gordon’s impact won’t just come down to what he’s able to do defensively but also how efficient he is with his opportunities on offense.

With the best passing center in NBA history primarily working out of the post, the floor will open up even more for Gordon as Murray and Porter look to re-establish themselves within the rotation. Maybe he can pick up some tips from rookie Peyton Watson too.

What makes the Denver Nuggets so difficult to defend is how they’re able to set up Nikola Jokic for quick flashes and seals within the flow of the offense, as opposed to just dumping the ball into the post and letting their All-NBA center go to work. Allowing Jokic to bully defenders to get to just about anywhere on the court.

Attempting to slow down and prevent Jokic from dominating the paint only opens up the court for everyone else, as defenders are forced to slide over and commit more players to one side of the floor. Leaving the defense vulnerable to the Joker’s most identifiable trait, his passing.

Standing tall at 7’0″, Jokic is able to see the entire floor and get the ball to every single spot on offense. While his ability to sneak dimes into even the smallest of windows at lightning-quick speed already complements Gordon’s athletic and acrobatic finishes at the rim, it also creates more scoring opportunities from the perimeter as well.

Obviously, Murray, Porter, and Hyland will handle most of the perimeter scoring on a nightly basis, but this team could be unbeatable if Gordon can improve in this area as well.

While he’s only a career 33 percent three-point shooter, averaging just over three attempts per game. It was just two years ago when he was shooting better than 37 percent from deep on 4.5 attempts per game, even if those numbers dropped down after joining the Nuggets via trade.

If Gordon can remain active on the glass and on defense while also looking to improve as a three-point shooter, Jokic will be completely surrounded by elite shooting, which will only improve the chances of outpacing other high-scoring teams like Milwaukee, Phoenix, Memphis, and Minnesota.