The greatest sixth man from each NBA team

Greatest sixth man in Houston Rockets history: Eric Gordon

The Houston Rockets under head coach Mike D’Antoni have pushed the boundaries of “modern” NBA, jacking up 3-pointers galore and spacing the court like no team in NBA history. 2017-18 MVP James Harden has carved up defenses inside, helped by the extra space afforded him by sixth man Eric Gordon.

Signed in the summer of 2016, Gordon is completely unafraid of taking shots from downtown. Only one player in NBA history has hit at least 200 3-pointers while starting 30 or fewer games in a season: Eric Gordon, who did so in both 2016-17 and 2017-18. He was one of the first players to regularly spot up from a significant distance behind the 3-point arc, further increasing the spacing inside.

Lineups with Gordon, Harden and All-Star point guard Chris Paul are some of the most potent offensively in recent NBA history. In 2017-18 the average lineup featuring those three players outscored opponents by 22.2 points per 100 possessions per Cleaning the Glass.

By coming off the bench Gordon was able to pair with either Paul or Harden easily and ensure the Rockets always had two of their three primary creators on the court. The sheer production Gordon has provided may float him into the starting lineup full-time, but he has already banked a pair of uniquely long-range seasons off the bench.