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Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 39: The unknown will soon be known

By Philip Rossman-Reich

There are a lot of unknown facing Aaron Gordon and the Orlando Magic beyond just the start of the season. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images)
There are a lot of unknown facing Aaron Gordon and the Orlando Magic beyond just the start of the season. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Aaron Gordon’s athleticism has made him a source of promise for the Orlando Magic. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Aaron Gordon’s career has been a frustrating one for sure.

Every time there is a moment of brilliance, he has struggled to sustain and build upon it. Either that or injuries disrupt any kind of push he was going to be making.

This season has been a frustrating one for Gordon for sure. A year after putting together his most complete season and helping be one of the key players for the team in the Playoff push, Gordon has struggled to find any kind of footing.

He is averaging 14.4 points per game with an icy 47.9-percent effective field goal percentage. His rebounding numbers are virtually the same. And he has still provided solid defensive play throughout the season. But he definitely did not take the leap offensively everyone wanted.

Injuries played a large role.

Gordon was seemingly hurt from the very beginning of the preseason — taking a shot to his jaw on a screen in the Magic’s third preseason game. He then sprained his ankle in mid-November. He came back too quickly from that and was still feeling lingering effects into January. It was clearly slowing down.

This is all to say, it has been a long time since we have seen a fully healthy Gordon. When we do, we get results like last year’s versatile season. And we get what we saw in the last 15 games from Gordon.

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    • The time heading into the All-Star Break and afterward were Gordon’s best play all year long. He averaged 16.8 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game and 6.2 assists per game while shooting a 51.3-percent effective field goal percentage.

    He may not be an All-Star and someone the Magic could center their offense around, but he proved to be a versatile do-everything forward. They could still run a lot of their offense through him. Finally picking up the pace and keeping him inside the 3-point line unlocked a yet-unseen playmaking ability in him.

    Gordon will play a huge role in the Magic’s return to play. The team is going to rely on him to keep that up. And the time off should mean he is healthy again. And he plays his best when he is healthy — he had a strong first showing in Wednesday’s scrimmage.

    My posture on what the Magic should do with Gordon has not changed.

    I still believe the duo of Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon can work. But both still have to improve significantly to get there. And time is running out to make that decision. The Magic certainly believe Isaac is a big part of their future and they have to do everything they can to foster his growth and improvement.

    There is no rush to trade Gordon. Like at the trade deadline, it seems like the Magic are likely to shop around and see what they can get for him. But if a good deal does not present itself, they will not pursue it.

    Gordon is still a really valuable player. He proved that in his last 15 games before the hiatus and certainly will do so in the campus setting.

    Gordon is still 24. He has a bright future ahead of him still. This is not the time to give up on him unless a really good deal comes along. But Gordon has to maintain the positive momentum and growth everyone sees in him.