Aaron Gordon got himself out of a shooting slump in Wednesday’s win over the Dallas Mavericks. Shot selection is his focus as the season concludes.
The Orlando Magic were determined to get Aaron Gordon involved early on. After three straight games where he shot 13 of 49 total, Gordon was struggling to get his offense going. No one was losing confidence in their young star.
Especially not Mario Hezonja.
Mario Hezonja and the team talked about getting Aaron Gordon a good first look. And getting his offense going closer to the rim.
It happened in transition early on for Gordon. Wesley Iwundu getting a rebound and finding Aaron Gordon cutting to the basket for a one-handed jam.
Hezonja perhaps provided the highlight of the night. Collecting a rebound and seeing Gordon streaking down the court. Hezonja started the break and slinged a jumping bounce pass directly to him for another dunk.
Now Gordon had his rhythm. And a bounceback offensive game for him.
"“We were searching for him,” Hezonja said. “I’m not even worried about that he misses. I know he is going to make it because we run a lot of our stuff through him. He can get it going at any time. I told him when I get it just run the floor. It’s not about me, I’ll find you. I don’t see any problem except he has to remain calm and not force. He can disrupt the team rhythm. I don’t have any doubts he can get it done.”"
Hezonja indeed found him in transition. And the Magic found him again and again. Putting him in better positions to score. They posted him up a lot on smaller defenders. And those early looks seemed to calm him down and his shot selection.
Gordon scored 16 of his 20 points in the first quarter, finishing 8 for 16 from the floor. He still hit just two of his six 3-pointers. But coming off his last three games, Gordon was seemingly back to a more normal and regular shot selection.
Gordon looked much more active and in the flow of the team’s offense. He was patient with his shots and purposeful with his dribble. If there was no room to attack, he kept the ball moving and passed it quickly.
That is a constant conversation with the Magic’s young star between coach and player. Learning when to take his shot, when to take over and where to look for his offense. It is a constant narrative for fans seeking a start and someone to believe in for the future.
"“It was an important night for him,” coach Frank Vogel said. “He had a tough last couple games. We have been talking one on one about getting him going and taking the right shots and playing within himself more and letting the game come to him rather than forcing it. I thought he did a great job of that tonight.”"
This has been a constant message to Gordon throughout the season. Vogel has often said after Gordon’s big games that it felt like he was getting it through the flow of the offense. In other words, it never felt like Gordon was doing much more than making shots off reversals, running the floor and getting to the basket.
Orlando Magic
Those lessons have always been hard. Partly because the Magic are devoid of a great playmaker. Their offense has not been among the best in the league.
Gordon’s run through this season has had some supreme ups and plenty of downs. Figuring out stardom is not an easy thing. And Gordon is often trying to do too much.
And so the conversations continue between player and coach. Learning when to take the right shots and where the right shots come from.
"“That’s the mentality I have had as a basketball player,” Gordon said. “Shooters shoot. So I’m going to keep shooting the ball. Tonight, they went in.”"
That message has not always set in with Gordon. He has floated around too much and tried to dribble himself into shots, forcing things at times. That was plenty evident in his last three outings.
Gordon remained confident despite the poor shooting efforts. The bulk of his play to this point has suggested he is much better than those last three games might otherwise show. And he knows what he is capable of doing.
A return to some normalcy like this was not unlikely.
Gordon said he liked a lot of his shots in his 3-for-15 shooting performance against the New York Knicks. You could say the same about his game against the Chicago Bulls too. The shots were not terrible, but they felt like he was settling. And his confidence was a bit rocked.
Gordon said it was important to make sure his first shot of the game Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks was not too difficult. He wanted to reduce the degree of difficulty and make sure the shot came in rhythm. If that happened, he could keep things going.
That is a good reminder for Gordon. Too often it seems like he creates shots that are more difficult. Sometimes because he was looking specifically for his own shot. Gordon has been surprisingly good with defenders close in on him — 50.4 percent field goal percentage with a defender within 2-4 feet of him, according to NBA.com’s player tracking statistics. But that is still not the ideal shot.
It is still better for Gordon to get out in transition or to get the ball in spot-up positions. But he is also still exploring and expanding his game. And these final games are important for Gordon to reinforce better habits.
"“A lot of people can look at the organization and say they’re not playing for anything or they’re playing for picks. That’s not true,” Gordon said. “You play for the respect of the game. You play for the respect of your teammates and the respect of your organization. so when it comes time for those playoff game, it makes it even easier because you know when there was nothing to play for, you were playing hard. There is no time to skip. We have to take care of what is happening now with these games.”"
He may not be finishing games — wins and losses do not feel so important anymore for Gordon. He was a team-best +14 which probably feels more important for his minutes right now. But Gordon still has a lot he needs to accomplish.
Especially heading into his contract year. Restricted free agency beckons and his future is not certain. This is his last statement before Orlando makes that decision.
Next: Grades: Orlando Magic 105, Dallas Mavericks 100
Gordon has broken out this season. He has taken a step forward. Now comes learning how to balance his new skills and make them more productive and efficient for his team. For now, that starts with his shot selection and creating a better rhythm from the start.