Hoosiers in the Pros: 5 Things to Know About Eric Gordon
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The NBA returns to action this week, with teams back in their home towns instead of the bubble in Orlando like they did to finish off last season just a few months ago. There are several former Hoosiers currently in the NBA, and we'll take a look at what's going on with each of them.
We'll start our series today with Eric Gordon, a guard with the Houston Rockets. Gordon, the Indianapolis native who played one college season at Indiana in 2007-08, is entering his fifth year with the Rockets.
Here are five things to know about Eric Gordon and his Houston Rockets;
1. True veteran
Eric Gordon is heading into his 13th NBA season and will turn 32 years old on Christmas Day. The 2007 Mr. Indiana Basketball award winner is entering his fifth season with the Houston Rockets and is coming off four straight trips to the NBA playoffs in the tough Western Conference.
Gordon has been known as one of the best perimeter shooters in the game, and he's made 1,553 three-pointers in his career, good for 31st all-time. The 6-foot-3 guard is a key piece of a Rockets team that went 44-28 last year and lost the the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Gordon averaged 15 points per game in the preseason, where the Rockets went 3-1.
2. Different role?
Gordon averaged 14.4 points per game last season – the second-lowest scoring output of his career – as he battled back from a knee injury as part of the Rockets' high-powered offense. This season, the Rockets, a title contender for the last five years, are going through several changes that surely will affect Gordon.
All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook was shipped to Washington in exchange for John Wall and a first-round pick. Westbrook took more than 22 shots per game last season, and Wall, who is more of a true point guard, is coming off two years of injuries and shoots significantly less than Westbrook. Austin Rivers, another guard who played similar minutes to Gordon, is also no longer with the team.
There is also a new head coach in Stephen Silas who likely will be more traditional in his approach to game-planning compared to former coach Mike D'Antoni. It will be interesting to see how Gordon fits into their new offense. Silas said Monday that using Gordon off the bench might be the best way to get scoring production out of him.
"I want him to get his shot attempts. I want him to be a primary scorer, and I felt that with the first group, it's a little bit harder for him to be that," Silas said.
3. Dramatics
Gordon is now in the middle of a team that will see a potential circus-like atmosphere this season.
Not only did they ship out Westbrook, but there are multiple media reports surrounding superstar James Harden's demand for a trade. Gordon has played with Harden the last four seasons and meshed nicely into their uniquely built offense that allows players to shoot three-pointers at will.
Who knows, if the Rockets decide to break up the aging roster and do a complete overhaul, Gordon could be moving teams as well. The Rockets open the season on Wednesday with a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
4. Bounce-back season
Not only was Gordon's scoring down last year, but he also was limited in games played. He only played in 36 regular-season games because of the shortened NBA season and because of knee surgery and later an ankle injury.
Before last season, he had played 68-plus games for three straight years. The career 37-percent three-point shooter who shot as high as 44.8 percent from three in 2014-15 also struggled to find his shot.
Last season, he was 36.9 percent from the field and just 31.7 percent from three-point range. Those numbers are highly out of character for the guard who has made a living off his sharpshooting ability. Maybe having a more defined role will help.
"It’s always been tough and weird for me, so I just want to have some consistency to where I either just come off the bench, or start.,'' Gordon said Monday, "I know previous years, I’d always go back and forth, and it was sometimes frustrating as a player. Because when I start, Coach wanted me to use me to guard the best perimeter player, and keep the floor spaced.
"But over the years, I know that all the coaches want me to have more opportunities offensively, to really be explosive if I come off the bench. I’m fine with either role, but I know I’m going to come off the bench [this season], and create a big spark for the second unit. I look forward to it.''
5. New businessman
The Indiana native has spent his entire professional career playing for teams in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Houston. But he's a name in Bloomington once again, as well.
This year he has opened "Eric Gordon's Greek Pizzeria" in Bloomington right off IU's campus across the street from Memorial Stadium. According to their website, the Bloomington store is the first location attached to Gordon's name, and there is plenty of IU memorabilia inside the shop.
