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Orlando Magic: 5 Preseason Overreactions to Avoid

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jonathan Isaac and the Orlando Magic had some impressive moments during the preseason. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jonathan Isaac and the Orlando Magic had some impressive moments during the preseason. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs
Aaron Gordon helped lead the charge as the Orlando Magic brought the fun back. (Photos by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Aaron Gordon Will Recover from His False Start

It is easy to feel hyped for Aaron Gordon‘s upcoming season. There are a lot of people who believe the 24-year-old forward is poised to take a big leap.

We have written on Orlando Magic Daily about how vital he is to the team taking the next step as a group. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com predicted Gordon would be in the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago this February.

After a strong all-around season that included a recommitment to his defense, there is a lot of optimism and hope in Aaron Gordon.

But his preseason? His preseason felt like a dud.

Gordon averaged only 9.8 points per game and he shot 35.8 percent including just 5 for 23 from beyond the arc. Those are hardly the numbers of someone who is ready to take over and make an All-Star push.

It looks even worse when you consider the game log and how those games ended up getting distributed.

With Nikola Vucevic out against the Boston Celtics, Aaron Gordon missed his first 12 shots in finishing 1 for 14. He was trying to force his way to the basket, his shot selection was not necessarily bad. But the shots were not going in.

It would be easy to dismiss this as an aberration. But he proceeded to shoot 2 for 12 against the Philadelphia 76ers and then 3 for 12 against the Miami Heat.

Is this a cause for concern?

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Denver Nuggets forward claps back at Noah Lyles after Finals comments
Denver Nuggets forward claps back at Noah Lyles after Finals comments /

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    • Perhaps if the goal is for Gordon to be a primary scorer it was concerning. Perhaps it was more concerning that with Nikola Vucevic out, nobody seemed able to step up or get the offense moving. Maybe it was Gordon trying too hard to take over the offense himself, sabotaging the team’s efforts to move the ball.

    Maybe none of that really matters. Maybe the team gave Gordon a bit more freedom to freelance in these games just because it was preseason. Maybe defenses keyed in on Gordon and the team just could not create enough space without key players like Vucevic out.

    Gordon showed earlier in the preseason he could do all the things he struggled to do in those final three games.

    Against the Detroit Pistons, he scored 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting. He fit into the gaps offensively and ran the floor well, beating the Pistons in transition and taking it right at Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.

    Gordon has improved his footwork in the post. But he is still working to finish.

    Maybe Gordon is not everything that was promised. But his poor shooting is not going to continue.