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

Goal for Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon: 15+ Points Per Game

It’s easy to imagine a world where Aaron Gordon receives fewer scoring opportunities this year than he has in the past with the return of both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. That being said, the Denver Nuggets also parted ways with Monte Morris and Will Barton, their third and fourth leading scorers from a year ago. So, there’s certainly an opportunity for Gordon to still get his on the offensive end.

The Denver Nuggets’ offense is built entirely around effective ball movement, quick cuts, and screens, which allows Jokic to spread the ball around and create open looks for others. The player who’s arguably benefited the most from this style of play is Michael Porter Jr., whose stock only continues to rise by the day as one of the best pure shooters in the NBA.

Outside of his poor showing against Phoenix, shooting just 2-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range in 22 minutes of action. MPJ has had a pretty strong preseason, averaging over 14 points per game with .500/.481/.833 shooting splits. However, this doesn’t mean that he won’t have an off-game or two on occasion, especially given his recent injury history.

Aaron Gordon may not be the greatest shooter or floor spacer, but he’s still an extremely athletic finisher. And with Jokic pulling out opposing rim protectors to the perimeter with his savvy playstyle, that leaves the middle of the floor open for Gordon to eat.

Outside of acrobatic finishes like these, he’s also sneaky good in the post and understands how to take advantage of his size and physical traits with deep seals and quick finishes. Not to mention the deadly pick-and-roll game between him and Jokic, leaving defenders at a severe disadvantage.

While I do believe that it’s possible we see Gordon improve this season as a perimeter-scoring option, it’s no secret that the majority of his points will come within five feet of the basket. The good news is that with Jokic and Murray’s ability as playmakers and MPJ opening up the floor with his efficient shooting, Gordon should still see plenty of opportunities to maintain his points-per-game average.

The four highest-scoring teams last season were the Minnesota Timberwolves (115.94), Memphis Grizzlies (115.61), Milwaukee Bucks (115.49), and Charlotte Hornets (115.33). While the Nuggets weren’t too far off averaging over 112 points per game as a team, all without MPJ and Murray mind you. Having Gordon maintain his scoring output of 15 points per game is certainly a good (and realistic) goal to have.

Each of the four aforementioned teams had four players averaging at least 15 points per game and they all made the playoffs as well, with the exception of Charlotte. Not only that but the NBA champion Golden State Warriors also had at least four players averaging 15 or more points a game (Curry, Thompson, Poole, and Wiggins).

What this tells me is that, unless you have a top-rated defense like Boston did last year, you need to have at least four players that can get you 15 points a night on average. Jokic, Porter, and Murray all feel like locks to hit this number, but Gordon feels like the final piece of the puzzle.