2016-17 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Aaron Gordon
By Bill Johnson
The Good and the Bad
| G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 72 | 28.7 | .454 | .288 | .499 | .719 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 12.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/26/2017.
Aaron Gordon ended the season improving on most of his numbers from last season, but expectations led to the perception his season was down. Gordon averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds in 28.7 minutes of action for the year, slightly up from his sophomore year, but not the progress everyone hoped for.
Gordon’s rebound average went down 1.5 rebounds per game from last year, but considering his position change and the big men brought in, that stat is still impressive. He increased his free throw percentage to 71 percent, and his other shooting percentages remained the same despite an increase in shots.
The perception that his stock is declining comes from the position switch and his first half of the season. The expectations for the small forward and power forward are much different. A small forward has to be comfortable shooting and handling the ball.
Gordon has improved his shooting and ball handling exponentially since he left college, but that part of his game is a work in process. The shooting numbers attest to that fact.
Gordon made 230 out of 365 field goals (63 percent) from within eight feet of the basket. From a distance of 8-16 feet, he shot markedly worse hitting 50 out of 121 field goals (41.3 percent). The further out he got from the basket, the lower his shooting percentage. His shots near the basket were down — 219 of his 393 made field goals (55.7 percent) were from inside the restricted area.
Based on the fact Gordon likes to operate close to the basket, it is not surprising he struggles with wide open jumpers. He hit 67 out of 231 (29 percent) 3-pointers where the defender was four feet or more away, according to NBA.com.
It is true Gordon’s inability to knock down the open 3-pointer was a contributor to the floor spacing issues that the team experienced this season. But having him on the perimeter neutralizes his greatest asset.
He did bounce back. After the All-Star Break, he began to look like the player who could dominate the league and grow into a star. He averaged 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor. These numbers from the final 24 games are in line for what Orlando hoped from Gordon all along.