Can Eric Gordon's Return Drive Rockets to NBA's Best Offense?
The Eric Gordon of the first nine games of 2019-20 was almost unrecognizable to the player who helped guide the Rockets to three straight 50-win seasons from 2016-19. Gordon started this season in a serious funk, averaging just 11.8 points per game while shooting a dismal 34.1% from the field. The eye test was more concerning than the metrics. Gordon had lost his burst to the tin, and his legs looked tired when launching from beyond the arc. But Gordon wasn't just playing himself into shape. He was dealing with significant pain.
"I wasn't able to be as explosive as I wanted to," Gordon said at Rockets practice on Dec. 27. "My preparation was to feel good every day, and now, I can just be more worried about basketball and the things I need to do and want to do on the court."
Gordon appeared to be laboring through the start of 2019-20 as he battled a right knee injury that required surgery on Nov. 13. The Indiana product missed 22 games before returning to the floor of Dec. 29 against the Pelicans, yet he's turned a pair of efficient performances as the Rockets regain full health. The Gordon of old is beginning to return.
Gordon is still a step away from a complete return to Houston's rotation–he had a 25-minute restriction against Denver–but his recent slate of performances is certainly encouraging. The Rockets attack can be dominant with Gordon, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Clint Capela all healthy, evident in Houston's thrashing of the Nuggets at the Toyota Center.
Houston's sixth man adds a dynamic element to the Rockets' rotation. Their perimeter players consist largely of two non-Harden groupings, split between the shooters and the slashers. Danuel House, P.J. Tucker and Ben McLemore comprise the first group, while Westbrook (and to a degree Austin Rivers) make up the latter. Gordon is an impactful hybrid. He made 159 threes beyond 25 feet last season, the ninth-most in the league. Gordon adds horizontal spacing that is pivotal alongside Harden and Westbrook, and he's already benefiting from the gravity of Houston's two MVPs.
Gordon is far more than a stationary shooter. He's strong and decisive driving toward the basket, with a propensity for unleashing dunks in traffic. We haven't seen Gordon fully return to his previous form as a leaper, though he's still finding success near the rim in his last two games. Gordon is effective both on 4-on-3 opportunities and traditional pick-and-roll settings. His two-man dance with Isaiah Hartenstein on Tuesday night is a wrinkle that didn't exist in Houston a week ago.
"[Gordon] adds a whole other dimension to our offense," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said on Thursday. "He makes it easier of everybody. Another guy that can either iso or go through what we do, and he spreads the floor even. ...There's a lot of benefits with him playing."
The Rockets were stretched thin in Gordon’s absence, increasingly relying on seven and eight-man rotations. Their offense held in the top five, though they enter Friday's matchup with the 76ers ranked No. 17 in defensive rating. Gordon should help drive Houston toward the top ten as an impact wing defender.
"I plan on putting [Gordon] on the ball probably more than he would like," Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner told RocketsMaven. "But he's physical, and watching him before I even came on board, he has a knack for getting around screens. ...He has that experience too which is key. You need that experience."
We may not see Gordon at full strength until later in January. Houston's guard said on Thursday he will still need time to regain his athleticism, playing up to full speed and strength through the next few weeks. The Rockets were the NBA's No. 3 offense in 22 games without Gordon. Now adding a explosive offensive threat, they very well could be the league's top attack through the rest of the regular season. Houston's championship aspirations remain intact entering 2020. Gordon believes the best is yet to come.
"We definitely want to be the best offensive team in the league," Gordon said on Thursday. "We're right there. We just got to continue thriving during each game, and I want to make things easier for everyone as I come back."
