ORLANDO - Prior to this season, nobody really thought of Aaron Gordon as a playmaker.
That has certainly changed this year, as the five-year pro has become one of the Magic’s best at orchestrating the offense and putting his teammates in better positions to score.
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, considering court vision and passing were considered two of Gordon's strengths before he was drafted fourth overall by Orlando in 2014.
Through hard work, both in the gym and in the film room, the 23-year-old has incorporated those qualities into his offensive repertoire this year.
Much has been made in recent years about how stretch fours and fives have changed the way the game is played. That is undoubtedly true, as it’s become necessary to have floor-spacing big men who create more room for ball handlers to drive into the paint and either finish at the basket or kick the ball out to shooters on the perimeter.
Playmaking fours and fives have also altered the way the game is played. Several of today’s best teams – including the Warriors, Bucks and Nuggets – run most of their offensive sets through their frontcourt players. Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, in fact, are three of the best playmakers in the NBA.
Although maybe not quite at the same elite level as those three, Gordon and teammate Nikola Vucevic have joined that crowd.
While Vucevic already has two triple-doubles on his career record, Gordon has been flirting with them quite often lately. He finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists during Friday’s game against the Wizards. If not for the Magic struggling with their outside shooting, the San Jose native would have had a good chance of logging his first NBA triple-double in that contest.
As long as he continues to make good decisions with the ball, there’s no reason to believe he won’t notch his first triple-double in the near future.
Check out a few of his assists from recent games:
BACKDOOR TO ROSS
KICKOUT TO AUGUSTIN
WRAP AROUND TO VUCEVIC
