Aaron Gordon’s goal is to turn his versatility into a weapon on both ends

Gordon’s evolution

Aaron Gordon’s game has evolved a lot since that initial experiment with him at small forward. He became a better 3-point shooter and a much more consistent scorer off the dribble. That has made him a more consistent scorer and slasher.

Gordon is a viable weapon offensively in a way he was not back then.

Pairing him with Jonathan Isaac has kept some questions about whether the two can work together as forward. But it doubled down on the notion that Aaron Gordon can play both forward positions. The idea it seems is that both can play each position.

Gordon’s game continues to evolve too. Last year, he showed a better inclination to make plays off the dribble and his potential as a playmaker. That helped the Magic make the playoffs and helped grow his offensive game.

Gordon did not put up the gaudy numbers some hoped, but it was his best all-around season on that end. He still fell into some bad habits off the dribble. His lack of post-game also left some points and scoring opportunities on the board.

It was clear that without this part of his game, Gordon was not the full player he could be.

Offense is not Gordon’s natural skill. He is a defender first and foremost. Something maybe he forgot in the course of his development and rediscovered a bit last year.

That defensive versatility is what the Magic originally drafted.

Next, he has to find versatility offensively. He has grown his game on the perimeter and is now working to exploit the matchups he struggled to on the interior.