Despite currently posting career-low clips from the field and beyond the arc, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon has recently managed to recapture his shooting stroke as of recent times.
Prior to being inserted into the Houston Rockets starting lineup in mid-December, Eric Gordon appeared to be on the verge of producing arguably the worst shooting campaign of his 12-year career.
The 30-year-old shooting guard — who captured the 3-Point Shootout crown in 2017 — shot a career-low 36.4 percent from the field through the first two months of the season for Houston. All the while averaging just 12.8 points per game on 31.2 percent from 3-point range, as the former Indiana Hoosiers product began to show little to any signs of confidence in his jump shot.
Now, Gordon is working overtime to try and make up for his sluggish start, as the former lottery pick — who was once regarded as one of the NBA’s top scorers off the bench — has recently shown signs of returning to old form.
BANG. ERIC GORDON SENDS US TO OT. (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/z5Cq80gF9r
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 20, 2019
Since becoming a full-time starter prior to the new year, Gordon has provided the Rockets offense with an instant spark, averaging 18 points per game on an improved 41.5 percent shooting mark from the field over his last 20 outings.
"“He’s [been] playing unbelievable,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said per Salman Ali of Rockets Wire last month after Gordon scored 16 of his 30 points in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime to guide Clutch City in a 138-134 comeback win at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 19.“He’s a really good defender…we need him and going forward we will have to have that.”"
Although the man known to many as Splash Gordon is still shooting at a career-low clip from the field and downtown respectively, one could argue that better days are potentially on the horizon based on the 2017 Sixth Man of the Year’s production as of late.
Since making his return to the lineup from a right knee injury in mid-January, Gordon has shown positive trends of improvement from beyond the arc, shooting 36.3 percent en route to knocking down 3.3 triples per contest over the last 15 games. All the while generating the bulk of his points via driving and scoring around the rim, as the 6-4, 215-pound product has also played a key role in helping an often injury-ridden Houston squad secure wins within the past month.
#Rockets like to run 1/2 pick-and-roll late in games, that means two guards run pick-and-roll instead of a Big setting a screen for a guard. It usually creates a switch and isolation for Harden. Miscommunication by Knicks gives Eric Gordon an open 3! https://t.co/qJNLtSN7md
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 24, 2019
On a night where the Rockets were without the services of Chris Paul and Clint Capela, Gordon sought to play the role of hero on one of basketball’s most hallowed grounds, by canning a go-ahead 3-point shot with 9.8 seconds in regulation — and scoring 20 points — to give Houston a 114-110 victory against the New York Knicks on Jan. 23 at Madison Square Garden, in addition to recently putting together another impressive performance in the sudden absence of the league’s scoring champion.
In a game that the Rockets attempted to generate quality offensive looks without James Harden’s assistance, Gordon found a way to help the team hold serve, by pouring in a team-high 25 points on 8-for-20 shooting in Houston’s most recent win against the Golden State Warriors. (118-112)
"“He’s so offensively gifted and talented,” Harden said when describing Gordon’s game to reporters earlier this season. “Being able to shoot the basketball, being able to get to the rim, being able to make plays for others.”“When you get a guy like that on the floor with you, it makes the game easy for not only myself but for everybody.”"
Gordon and the Rockets will seek to capture their sixth win in the last ten games when they face rookie sensation Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.