For years, one of the biggest issues plaguing the Nuggets has been a lack of complementary star power around Nikola Jokic. But with Jamal Murray ready to have a breakout season, and Aaron Gordon looking like one of the best players in the league, that issue may actually become a strength.
If opening night was any indication, AG has raised his game to another level. He put up the most efficient 50-point game in NBA history, hitting 10-11 three pointers and 17-21 field goals overall.
Gordon had a career year shooting the ball last season, hitting over 43% from deep, more than 10% higher than his previous career average. Still, that was a small sample size, and his volume was still fairly low, making just 1.6 threes per game.
But Thursday night made it seem like last season was no fluke, and in fact, something to build on. Gordon looked extremely smooth operating within the Nuggets’ offense, and with this new shooting confidence, and him moving as well as he has in years, this team can become almost unstoppable.
Gordon can be truly unlocked this season
The Nuggets have needed Gordon to play a specific role since coming to Denver, living in the dunker spot, becoming an elite lob partner for Jokic, occasionally spacing out to the corner, and constantly fueling the defense.
But now, with the added reinforcements in tow, there are many more options for David Adelman and his staff, and they can use Gordon like the Swiss Army Knife that he is. AG was a go-to scorer for the Magic earlier in his career, and though he was miscast, it’s still a skill set that he has.
The Nuggets have more depth, more size, and more options on both ends. They can finally allow Gordon to do some unique things on both ends. He can play more on the wing, he can initiate offense, and he can be a guy who comes off screens and not just one who sets them.
A big part of the reason Gordon failed as a primary option was his lack of shooting. Now that his stroke looks elite, there’s no real weakness in his game, and the possibilities are endless. Having elite offensive threats in Jokic, Murray, and now Gordon, with all of these pieces around them, is going to make it almost impossible to stop this team.
The season is still young, and we need to see Gordon keep this up (obviously not to that level) for an extended period of time. But nothing about his performance seemed like a crazy outlier, and if he can channel even half of that, the Nuggets will have an unstoppable offense.