Orlando Magic: 3 goals for Aaron Gordon in 2018-19
By Luke Duffy
3. Average a double-double
On the surface, asking Gordon to average a double-double (something he has never done before) seems counter-productive to where this team is trying to go. They will need contributions from all over the roster, such is their lack of elite talent at the moment.
But if Gordon can average a double-double in points and rebounds, then it will have meant that he took over games, and the organization as a whole, more. We saw flashes of this last season.
There was the 41-point, 14-rebound game against the Brooklyn Nets in only his third game last season, not to mention the 40-point, 15-rebound showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Averaging a double-double for a year doesn’t guarantee success, both on an individual and team level. Center Nikola Vucevic has done just this in four out of his six seasons with the Magic. His reward? Orlando has never once sniffed the playoffs and he has been mentioned in trade rumors for more than two years now.
But with Gordon it can be different. The supporting cast continues to improve, while Gordon is just more talented than Vucevic — and he’s only going to get better.
Gordon’s career averages of 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game are pedestrian, but last season saw him move closer to double-double territory (17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game). If he flirted with the idea of being a 20 and 10 player, there’s no question those stats would translate to more wins.
The Magic need that star player to step up and carry the load, and it is fair to expect Gordon to do just that and be more consistent as well.