The progress of Aaron Gordon

It has been a slow grind for Orlando Magic rookie Aaron Gordon. The team still sees plenty of hope through his rookie hardships.

There has not been that one moment of clarity yet for rookie Aaron Gordon. At least, not one fans can point out. Frankly, fans have not had a whole lot of time to watch Aaron Gordon. He has played in just 39 games and 15.1 minutes per game.

It was not that a whole lot was expected of Aaron Gordon. He was drafted as a project to begin with. The Magic got their man in Elfrid Payton to be something of their sure thing with their two lottery picks this offseason.

Gordon was always the one with the uncertain, yet high ceiling. And, almost immediately, the Magic’s first-round pick was put on the shelf. Just 11 games into the season, it was interrupted by a fracture in his foot. Gordon did not play for a little more than two months.

From there, the extremely raw rookie had to wait to get into the rhythm of the long season and find his wind, conditioning and skill all over again. It was not the ideal way for the 19-year-old forward to get his potentially long NBA career started.

Last Friday, after the Magic defeated the Trail Blazers, Gordon told reporters he was fully healthy for the first time all season. Just in time for the final 10 games of the season.

“These are the best players int he world,” Gordon said. “If you are trying to hobble around and guard them, it’s not going to work that well. Now that I kind of have both my feet back under me, it’s easier to play defense and easier to make energy plays and it just flows.”

It is hard to quantify exactly what Gordon does. He has his moments where he looks like an already capable and potentially elite defensive player. That is very encouraging. And then there are moments where he looks every bit the 19 year old he is and struggles to find his place offensively.

He is extremely raw after all.

And Gordon missed a ton of valuable time for a young player. He had to start from scratch while getting healthy. Foot injuries are never fun to try to recover from on their own, let alone when you have to get used to NBA speed and develop your skills to a NBA level.

Those specific skills have not gotten to that point in his rookie year, but no one can deny his drive and willingness to give effort and compete for all the minutes he is out there.

“I saw a competitive spirit, and that’s his strength,” coach James Borrego said following the Magic’s win over the Trail Blazers. “He’s a competitor, he wants to win. He’s got great energy. He’s a defender. And we saw that. He changed the game in a lot of ways. He got his hands on rebounds, deflected some passes, got a steal, got a putback. Some energy plays that we needed to get through that game against a very good opponent. He was tremendous tonight.”

Again, Gordon’s raw statistics do not say much about his rookie season. And there is certainly a lot of pressure that comes from being the fourth overall pick in the Draft coming to a rebuilding team, with a fan base becoming increasingly impatient with the rebuild’s progress.

In that sense, Gordon has not had a strong season. Not anywhere close. He has gotten inconsistent minutes and his injuries have not helped him get any rhythm or consistency as he has a lot to learn.

“Really proud of him,” Borrego said. “He has really worked hard on his shot. He just looks more comfortable. I think all of watching him, that stroke is looking better and more confident. I’m really proud of how hard he has worked and how committed he is to taht shot. And I think overall his offensive game in general, he’s just more comfortable out there. I think he is moving the ball, he’s attacking where he can and he’s finding his rhythm offensively.”

His shot has shown some improvement and Gordon has never been short on confidence. His time in and out of the lineup has not helped him find a rhythm however, and that has ultimately hurt his production.

This is a big stretch for him, Borrego said. He is still finding his way in the NBA and finding a way to impact each game. Even just with his boundless athleticism and energy, he can find ways to make a difference defensively. If you do not quite have the full NBA skill, you might as well use effort to make up for it.

That may not always translate statistically. It may make him seem a bit lost at times. But, as Gordon has shown, at other times, it makes him look like he belongs. As his skills catch up to his athleticism and effort, production will come.

The question as always is whether the organization will be patient and give him the opportunity. There is certainly a legitimate complaint that his current usage does not give him that opportunity to grow. Then again, Gordon is not quite ready to contribute to a team going for wins.

The Magic’s unfocused identity and roles are not helping Gordon get into focus and make the most of his rookie year.

Even then, the Magic have begun to lay the foundation for him. This season, as truncated as it was for Gordon, has laid the foundation for his career. He has gone through the ups and downs of a season, and faced a lot of downs this season.

When he gets his chance to play a full season, he should be better for it.

“This hasn’t been the smoothest rookie year,” Borrego said. “But, in the end, it could make him stronger. It’s a platform, it’s a foundation to build off of. He’s coming along, he continues to play, he’s not pouting, he’s not crying about his situation, he’s just getting better. We’re really excited about his future.”