Orlando Magic Playbook: Aaron Gordon’s passing helped unlock his game, Orlando Magic’s game

Where he started

Aaron Gordon entered the league full of potential. It was his athleticism that caught everyone’s eyes. And he made his name in his early career on that front.

Gordon entered the league promising to be one of the best defenders in the league — a goal he still has.

But that was never going to be what would take him to the next level if being an All-Star was among his dreams and goals.

Gordon needed work on his overall offensive game. And he put in that work to become a more reliable shooter.

In the 2018 season, Gordon emerged as a scorer. But much of that came in isolation.

It was a fair criticism of Gordon’s season that he was a bit too focused on his own scoring and those trappings of stardom. It was fair to wonder how much all that exploring of his own game helped the team win.

It was all a good part of the learning experience for Gordon in the end. Starring players have to go through the trials of taking their raw skills, elevating them and then bringing the rest of the team with them.

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In that 2018 breakout season, Gordon averaged 2.3 assists per game. That was his career-high at the time. His assist numbers have bumped up incrementally every year of his career.

Even with his usage rate hitting a career-high 24.7 percent, his assists were trending up. Although 2.3 assists per game on that high a usage rate and considering the large number of possessions he got in isolation is not encouraging.

This was a part of his game he would have to foster. Passing and playmaking was not something that was at the top of Gordon’s skill list.

It probably never will be. But it can still be a vital part of his game.

Coach Steve Clifford came in and said he saw a playmaker in him. He felt Gordon was a good passer. It was part of what he hoped Gordon could grow into.

"“I told him early in the year it was one of the things that stood out to me when I watched him play,” Clifford said in March. “He’s a very good passer. He throws interior passes. He throws passes into the paint, which not a lot of guys can do.”"

Passing became a goal for everyone on the team. Clifford identified ball movement as a critical component for the Magic to find success offensively.

Orlando was 12th in the leauge in assists with 25.5 per game. The team was fifth in the league in assist rate at 63.2 percent. The team was more successful offensively when the ball was moving to the open man.

It sounds simple. But this was a key to the team’s success. And something Gordon started to bring to the game.