A Brief Blog About Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets
The should’ve been Dunk Contest winner headlines a day of trades mainly focused on role players.
Unless you’re a Victor Oladipo optimist, a congregant at the church of Pat Riley, or a believer in the powers of Playoff Rondo, yesterday’s trade deadline only featured one move with the potential to shake up the title race: Aaron Gordon heading to the Denver Nuggets with Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and a first-round pick going back to the Orlando Magic. The heavily rumored Kyle Lowry trade never materialized, the Brooklyn Nets made their big move earlier in the season, and the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers largely stood pat, leaving the bouncy combo forward as the biggest get of the day for any organization reasonably in title contention. Is Gordon the final piece Denver needed to vanquish not one, but two different Los Angeles squads?
It’s much too early to say, but I’ll go ahead and say it: Maybe! Gordon, for those of you who have enjoyed the past few years of not watching Magic basketball, is a versatile, dynamic, and unbelievably athletic basketball player in the middle of a somewhat average season. His scoring has dipped four seasons in a row to a middling 14.6 points per game this year; his rebounding (6.6 per game) has seen a similar decline while turnovers are at a career high, field-goal percentage a career low, and steals and blocks numbers nothing to write home about. Are these diminishing statistics just the woes of being in Orlando for six-and-a-half years or should Denver be at all concerned?
While Gordon hasn’t been at his best this season—can’t blame anyone on that front given the past year—he’s made subtle improvements in the right spots. He’s at a career-high 4.2 assists per game and has finally become a respectable shooter from deep (37.5 percent on 4.5 attempts), two facets of his game that will be paramount in Denver. The Nuggets are as pass happy as it gets, thanks to their supremely unselfish superstar Nikola Jokic, and if Gordon can meld his growing playmaking abilities with the talented players around him, his fit should be quite snug. Jokic also finds anyone and everyone on the court, the exact kind of dominant wonder who can bump up his teammates’ shooting percentages with joyous ease.
Defense might end up being where Gordon shines for Denver, though, especially as the team still struggles to account for the loss of Jerami Grant. That the Nuggets have remained one of the top teams in the West despite not really making up for Grant’s production is a testament to their organization and, again, just how damn good Jokic is nowadays. But, as we’re all reminded when the playoffs come around, every single playoff team in the West needs to have a guy who can guard—ok more like not totally get embarrassed by—LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Gordon probably isn’t as good of a defender as he should be given his athleticism and motor. He won’t get embarrassed, however, and it’s a lot easier to be motivated on defense on a really good team with high aspirations than what Gordon’s typically used to.
Ultimately, that’s what a lot of trades come down to for not-quite-stars like Gordon: seeing them in a new environment. How well this works out will be determined if and when all parties, Gordon included, understand what kind of player he is and how to utilize him in Denver. In the desolate wasteland that is the Orlando Magic offense, Gordon has been the No. 1 or No. 2 option, a role he’s never been upset with but also not one suited to his natural strengths or primed to optimize his teammates. In Denver, he’ll be the No. 3 option at most, and that’s if Michael Porter Jr. is feeling particularly shy that night. He’s about as good at everything on the basketball court that a player can be without excelling or dominating in one area or becoming a true superstar. That kind of versatility and dynamism is perfect for Denver, and a closing lineup of Jamal Murray-Will Barton-Porter Jr.-Gordon-Jokic is one of the most formidable in the league.
This is a pivotal moment for both Denver and Gordon. The Nuggets have enough talent led by a guy currently leading the MVP race to think they can win a title. Gordon is in a situation readied to accentuate his strengths, hide his weaknesses, and finally give him basketball more meaningful than a gentleman’s sweep to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Go forth, Denver, you won trade deadline day and, who knows, maybe even more.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference