Orlando Magic: 3 things we don’t want to see in the bubble

1. Poor play from Aaron Gordon

If the Magic as a whole can struggle with inconsistencies, then Aaron Gordon is the very personification of that problem. There is no player on their roster who can go from looking like an All-Star one night to a trade candidate to improve other areas of their team the next. When Gordon is good, he is really good.

Two seasons ago he averaged 17.6 points a night, and although his 3-point shooting percentage of 33.6 percent wasn’t brilliant, it was clear he was becoming more comfortable shooting it from deep. This improved last year as he reached a shade under 35 percent from that area, on 4.4 attempts per game.

This season however the 3-point percentage is down noticeably (30.1 percent), and so too is his scoring (14.4 points). What makes this so frustrating at times is that, if this was who Gordon was, a really good third option on a team, then that would be alright. Not what the Magic would have hoped for when they drafted him in 2014, but at least they would know and could plan accordingly.

But just when you think that’s who Gordon is destined to be, he will go a number of games at a time where he looks like the best and most consistent player on the court for them. For a rebuilding franchise like the Orlando Magic that may not seem like a big feat, but center Nikola Vucevic has been the definition of consistency for years now.

To be outperforming him on a nightly basis, as Gordon occasionally does, shows that there is clearly another few levels to his game, but that we rarely see. The most annoying thing that could happen, and there is a strong possibility that it will, is that Gordon hits the ground running in the bubble, before tailing off when they really need him.

Alternatively, he could start sluggishly, before coming to life when it may be too late and the Magic aren’t in a position to make any noise. Either way, neither of these scenarios are what the team wants to happen, but based on everything we’ve seen from Gordon in his career so far, this is likely what will occur. It needs to be avoided at all costs if the Magic are to take the next step.