Aaron Gordon has always been a very good NBA player, going back to his early days in Orlando. He was a top five pick for the Magic and was always a first or second option for hte team, but he - and they - was always held back by his lack of shooting as lead creator, initiator, and scorer.
Even in his best season as a scorer, when Gordon averaged almost 18 points per game in the 2017-18 season, Gordon shot just 33% from three-point range, his exact career average over 11 seasons.
But something clicked last season, and Gordon, in his age-29 season, had a career year, shooting almost 44% from long range. At first, it seemed like the hot shooting was a fluke, but as the season went on, Gordon maintained it all year on 3.4 attempts per game, then followed it up by making 15 of his 34 attempts from long range over the seven-game series loss to the Thunder, good for 44%.
If Gordon can maintain marksmanship, Nuggets will be unstoppable
There’s obviously still a chance that last season was a complete outlier, as AG has never even approached 40% shooting before the year. But there’s also reason for optimism. His mechanics looked different, and his shot and form looked much smoother; in other words, the eye test matched the numbers.
About to turn 30, Gordon should still have plenty of solid seasons ahead of him, but some of that athleticism that made him so special is starting to fade. It makes sense for him to remake his game a bit and focus on things that should add longevity, namely, shooting.
So, it may be time for AG to trade in some of his highlight reel dunks for corner threes, and that could be a great thing for the Nuggets.
Inside/Outside game for Denver will be dynamic
With guys like Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas, the Nuggets are going to destroy teams around the rim. In the past, that could have been an issue for Gordon, who has thrived in the dunker spot, cleaning up with lobs and second-chance points.
But now, the team is much more versatile, and that includes Gordon. He can now space all the way out to the three-point line and is a real threat that teams can’t ignore. When he was hitting closer to 30%, teams were happy to leave him in the corner to crash down low on Jokic.
If Gordon is shooting closer to 40%, that’s no longer an option. Hopefully, he is able to sustain this newfound skill and build on it. If he keeps shooting anywhere close to this, with the team’s new additions, their offense is going to be unstoppable.