Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Areas to improve for Aaron Gordon

By Ryan Doyle

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 27: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball as P.J. Tucker #2 of the Toronto Raptors defends during the first half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 27: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball as P.J. Tucker #2 of the Toronto Raptors defends during the first half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics
BOSTON, MA – March 31: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics on March 31, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Shooting

For Gordon, being able to be at least a minor threat from the outside could change his entire game.

At the moment, opponents know Gordon is better left wide open from behind the arc — he shot just 29.0 percent on 3-pointers where he was “open” or “wide open” according to NBA.com. When he is on the floor, defenses are going to clog the paint with another big man because they know Gordon is not capable of scoring from the outside consistently.

This makes it nearly impossible for players like Evan Fournier and Elfrid Payton to drive into the lane and score. If Gordon can make defenses think twice about ignoring him on the perimeter, the entire offense can open up.

Along with helping his teammates, Gordon will do a major service for himself by extending his range.

Gordon was effective from mid-range last season. He hit 46 percent of his shots from 10-16 feet out according to Basketball-Reference. He can be efficient from that range, especially when he makes a quick move to attack the defense before it can get set and load up on him.

He will be able to continue to success from that spot at the 4 next season. The question will remain about his 3-point shot. If he can add that to his game, he becomes a dangerous weapon. Teams will no longer be able to counter Gordon’s athleticism by playing off of him.