Can Aaron Gordon be a full-time power forward?
Aaron Gordon, prior to his injury, was a revelation. It had many thinking he could fit into the lineup. The question is can he be a full-time power forward?
Aaron Gordon is a forward. Let’s just preface this entire article with that.
Beyond the talking point the Magic like to bring out, he is a versatile forward able to play and guard multiple positions. Versatility has clearly been something the Magic have valued during this rebuild. Gordon has embodied that in every way.
His rookie year was frustrating to say the least. His raw ability was there and he was effective in the open court. But his skills were not quite at a NBA level. His shot was not ready for the league and still needed a lot of work and he could not take too many players off the dribble or out-athlete players like he did in college.
Gordon still had some measures of success. He was getting into a good rhythm early in the season, putting up a big game against the Timberwolves in an overtime win, before a foot injury knocked him out for most of the season. Who knows what his progression would have been.
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Whatever the case, Gordon showed that progression in the safe and sterile setting of the Orlando Summer League. It has gotten everyone a bit excited about Gordon’s potential. That expectation might be tempered now with the news of his fractured jaw and the surgery that came with it. It is a setback to his continued development.
Any debate about Gordon though inevitably devolves into the debate about where Gordon fits and where he can play.
Gordon will not answer that for us.
“Put me on the court,” Gordon said. “I don’t care. I’ll play the five, whatever, it doesn’t matter.
“I’m strong enough and I’m quick enough. I can match up with fours. And then Offensively, they are going to have to guard me too. That’s going to be a problem for them.”
That is the whole point of having a versatile power forward like an Aaron Gordon. He creates matchup problems on one end and is capable of defending a traditional power forward on defense. That was one of the things the Magic looked for when they drafted him. Or at least what they hoped he would turn into when the time came.
The question arises now though because Gordon played so well at Summer League and made plenty of people think Aaron Gordon could be the starter at power forward. He showed such incredible confidence that, before the injury at least, he earned a chance to prove himself and win the position.
Gordon was extremely confident leaving Summer League.
“I think it was big just because it put trust in my teammates, in myself and the coaches,” Gordon said. “That’s really what it’s about having everyone else around you trust you and you trust everyone else around you.”
Considering the other four spots in the lineup seem set, Gordon would have to slide in to this spot specifically to make the lineup. Last season, 66 percent of his minutes at power forward according to Basketball-Reference.
The question is how many power forwards can Gordon really match up? Sure the NBA is going in a smaller direction, but there are still some bruising forwards he has to match up with. At least when Rashard Lewis had to do it, he had the size height-wise — not to mention Dwight Howard behind him.
A small lineup with Gordon playing the 4 may have its flaws. But the Magic appear set to unleash a crazy switching defense that will be able to have four guys cover just about any position on the floor. That might be the advantage of having Gordon on the floor.
Ultimately, one man has the answer to the question of whether Aaron Gordon can be the Magic’s power forward moving forward.
“I think ultimately Aaron is going to be able to guard four positions,” Skiles said. “So the answer is yes. He’s a willing defender and he likes to use his body and likes to be physical. Yeah, I think he is going to be a guy who can guard those guys often. Guard threes and switch onto ones late in the game ifyou need him to. I think he is going to be that kind of defender.”