Orlando Magic have reason to worry on offense

Aaron Gordon on the ball

Taking a look at the projected Magic starting lineup, Aaron Gordon is going to be the starting small forward. This is going to be a tall task for Gordon as his current skill set is not ideal for a swingman, particularly his offensive game.

As Gordon works the rest of his summer now that Team USA select team training is done, he will be trying to develop his skills to become more suited to playing small forward. He does not have an outside jumper and developing one is paramount for him to be a threat to score.

NBA teams are fully aware of Gordon’s ability to drive to the lane and throw down monstrous dunks, but they don’t respect his outside game. This lack of versatility on offense is a big problem for a wing player. Most NBA rosters have talented wing scorers. Without Gordon being able to score on a consistent basis when he is playing small forward, the rest of the unit will struggle.

Gordon’s scoring is not the only issue with his offensive game. In his short career, Gordon has rarely had to be a ball handler.  Although Gordon has said he is excited to become more of a ball handler, it could come with a major learning curve.

Gordon has not shown many flashes of being a threat off the dribble. Nor has he shown that he is a reliable passer. Gordon has a lot to improve upon to be a prototypical small forward.

Next: Still in progress at point guard