Orlando Magic: 3 goals for Aaron Gordon in 2018-19
By Luke Duffy
1. Become an All-Star
This is by far the most ambitious goal on this list, but there is reason to believe Gordon could get there next season for a variety of reasons, no matter how you approach this question.
If you believe the All-Star Game is strictly a popularity contest, and by and large it is, Gordon’s game is tailor-made for the big show and always has been.
The key difference this year is his impressive performance in the Uncle Drew movie, bringing his appeal to a more mainstream audience.
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If you’re of the opinion that stats matter above all, then if Gordon can complete the other two goals on this list, he will be hard to ignore for an All-Star spot. Forwards who can average a double-double, carry the load offensively and shoot consistently from deep aren’t easily found.
But if you think that there are just too many other great players in the league today, it is worth remembering that they are not spread evenly throughout both conferences. This summer, LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan, two Eastern Conference All-Stars last season, headed out West.
The East may have added Kawhi Leonard, but beyond seven or eight perceived locks for the game, there is the potential for others to force their way into the conversation. Did many people really think Victor Oladipo was going to be there last season?
The only possible knock on Gordon’s potential case would be the fact he will likely be putting up impressive numbers for a bad team. Some will believe that should not be rewarded, but then again, that never stopped Demarcus Cousins during most of his tenure with the Sacramento Kings.
Getting selected to an All-Star team is difficult, and it is a big ask for Gordon given that he plays for a team in Orlando that is in a small market, that will hardly get any national exposure and that will lose more games than it wins.
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The more positive spin on all of that, however, is that he is likely to be the best player on a young team, with more appeal than ever and a style of play that is marketable. It would be a real sign of change for Orlando if Gordon could get there next season, making it his most important goal.