This final stretch of games after the All-Star Break will show Aaron Gordon either crashing to earth as he struggles or the Orlando Magic’s improvement.
As the season goes on, it is clear the Orlando Magic have taken a step back.
The offense has been inconsistent. And the defensive intensity seems absent in stretches. Then, the players who were expected to show growth and take charge of this team have not done so. But it can be said there have been reasons why it has not happened, whether it be injuries or any other circumstance.
There have been questions whether this team will even make the playoffs and whether they will be able to generate enough offense to stay competitive in a first-round series.
Although there are questions about the offense, the Magic have shown they can make shots and make them when it matters most.
In the last two games, Orlando made shots in close games. Against the Atlanta Hawks in the 135-126 win, the Orlando Magic shot 52.6 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three. Then, in the 116-112 win over the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic shot an overall 45.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
This burst of offense is a direct consequence of Aaron Gordon‘s resurgence.
In the last seven games, he has averaged 19.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 45-percent shooting from the field and 41 percent from three.
After a struggle to start the season, he seems to finally be coming around, and this is essential to the Magic.
It has undoubtedly been a struggle for Aaron Gordon this season. After many expected Gordon to take a leap into stardom, he has struggled to get off the ground.
This season, he is averaging 14.2 points per game, a significant regression from his last two years, and shooting a career-worst 47.3-percent effective field goal percentage. His 3-point shooting has risen greater than 30-percent in just the last few games.
Injuries have played a role. He suffered an injury when he took an elbow to the head during the preseason, stopping a strong run to start the season. He then suffered a sprained ankle in late November. After missing three games, he returned but still complained of tightness in that ankle and surrounding muscles.
It has been tough for him to get going all year. It was always something of a failure to launch for the high-flying Gordon.
The team’s struggle to create movement within the offense and slow pace has not played to Gordon’s strengths. He works best when he has space to attack and a free run to the basket.
The fact the Magic have played at the third-slowest pace in the league (by possessions per 48 minutes) has not played to Gordon’s forte. Despite all his struggles shooting, he is still one of the best players in the league at scoring on cuts to the basket.
He ranks in the 95th percentile of the league in scoring off cuts, scoring 1.57 points per possession on cuts. However, only 8.0 percent of his possessions come off this play type. That is up from last year. Getting Gordon in motion and cutting toward the basket is still the best way to get him going.
Gordon still works too much in isolation — he scores just 0.70 points per possession in isolation — and his spot-up shooting has greatly decreased too. He is posting a 43.4-percent effective field goal percentage on spot-ups this year according to NBA.com’s Synergy data. Last year, Gordon posted a 51.4-percent effective field goal percentage.
That is a significant decrease. Gordon’s regression as a 3-point shooter has affected so much of his game. But that is also how the Magic use him. He still has to find his way within his role.
When Gordon is playing well, it makes the Magic a good offensive team. The offense moves differently when Gordon is playing at a high level. When he is cutting and stretching out the floor effectively, it spreads out the defense and creates space for players such as Markelle Fultz and Nikola Vucevic.
As Gordon is a major key to unlocking the offense to this team, the Magic as a team must find a way to continue to create momentum offensively and continue to be a good defensive team. Getting back a player such as D.J. Augustin will help significantly overall and give Aaron Gordon even more room to operate with another shooter on the floor.
Also, the Magic need to create a sense of urgency for themselves as they did last season.
With that being said, there are too many differences between the two teams to be compared as such. This year’s team needs to find their urgency to make sure they continue to improve and make a late push for the seventh seed, and Gordon needs to be a major contributor for Orlando to do so.
This final stretch of games after the all-star break will show Gordon either crashing to earth as he struggles or will continue to improve and shine bright as the Magic continue their fight to finish to end the season.