Houston Rockets: 5 goals for Eric Gordon in 2017-18

1. Play solid defense

If you ask any Rockets fan what surprised them most about Gordon’s 2016-17 season, many will surely respond with his defense. The numbers won’t reflect it, but Gordon was solid on that end of the floor for most of the season. He is strong enough to play physical defense on similar-sized guards, and his lateral movement isn’t too much of a liability.

Gordon also showed the ability to use his quick hands to disrupt passes and cause turnovers, with a perfect example coming in this January game against the Golden State Warriors:

Gordon was able to disrupt passing lanes on a somewhat consistent basis, allowing the Rockets to get out in transition.

Although Gordon posted a very poor -2.4 defensive box plus-minus, his defensive real plus-minus (-0.48) suggests he was closer to average on that end of the floor. Most Rockets fans (and analysts) that watched him on that end of the floor would agree with that statement.

Gordon should aim to play at a similar level defensively this season, especially considering he won’t be asked to take on significant playmaking duties this season with Paul in town. Gordon should be able to focus on hitting his 3-pointers and driving to the rim on offense, likely giving him more energy to expend on the defensive end.

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Hopefully for Houston that results in at least average play on that end of the floor as the team looks to make a jump defensively.