Orlando Magic: 2018-19 player grade for Aaron Gordon
By Luke Duffy
Weaknesses
For all the good that Aaron Gordon did on the court, he still didn’t look entirely capable of taking over close games. He didn’t look like somebody who can be a closer either, at least not yet anyway.
So while knowing he can play alongside more gifted players on both ends of the court is a bonus, it now looks more clear that he may never reach true superstar status himself.
That could change, and in some ways it might not even matter either. Jonathan Isaac looks to be positioning himself as a franchise cornerstone, if he takes the necessary steps in his third season that it is hoped he will.
If we’re highlighting this as Gordon’s biggest weakness however, while still acknowledging that he has All-Star potential, he is not doing too badly.
Player Efficiency Rating measures how much of an impact a player has on their team when out on the court, and the league average is 15. Vucevic had the ninth-highest mark in the entire NBA last season with 25.5.
It is a figure that can tell you the kind of impact somebody is having, even if their basic numbers or what they’re doing on the court don’t seem as impressive.
That Gordon posted only a 15.1 in this area was concerning, even more so when measured against the previous year, when he put up a 16.5. He should be having more of an influence on what the Magic are capable of doing nightly.
This links into the other area which needs to improve more, and that is consistency.
We have reached the point now where you could say Gordon is consistently good each night. He scores in different ways and defends to a high level, and that is great. What we need to see now is a consistency in his better performances.
Periods where he can average over 22 points in a six-game stretch, while also shutting down opponents.
If this feels like we are picking on Gordon then it is only because he looks capable of delivering in a bigger way. Not as the best player on the team, but as the second or third option that consistently has more of an impact overall on how the Magic are playing.
Really, though, he is very well-rounded.