By John DentonOct. 21, 2015
ORLANDO – Even though Aaron Gordon’s preseason has been filled with more nagging stops and starts, Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles feels he’s seen enough of the versatile forward to know how he can be a difference-maker this season in a variety of ways.
The Magic have big plans for Gordon, the No. 4 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, but those have had to be put on hold a bit this preseason because of a couple of injury issues. Gordon, who had a fractured bone in his left foot last season and a fractured jaw in July, was on a minutes restriction on Wednesday night when Orlando hosted the New Orleans Pelicans. The same will be the case in Friday’s preseason finale in hopes of protecting Gordon while also allowing him to build some chemistry along with fellow forward Tobias Harris.
If Gordon can give the Magic steady production at small forward, it will allow them to shift Harris to power forward to ease some of the logjam on the wings. Also, it should make the team faster and more athletic and it could potentially help defensively.
“I want to get (Gordon) to play with Tobias some. It’s not like we’re doubting that they can play together because we know that they can, but it’s just a matter of actually going out there and doing it,” Skiles said. “Then, it’s about figuring out after Friday who we want to start Opening Night and things like that (with the rotations).”
Orlando sees Gordon as someone who can use his rare blend of size, athleticism, strength and improved shooting to play small forward or power forward. While well aware that Gordon can play two spots, Skiles prefers the second-year pro at small forward because of his elite-level defensive skills and his ability to stay in front of small forwards with his lateral quickness.
All of that, of course, is dependent on Gordon being able to stay on the floor. He missed a six-week stretch of his rookie season with the foot fracture and then he was held out the first three weeks of training camp and the first four preseason games as he fully recovered from a fractured jaw suffered in mid-July. Gordon played well last week in preseason action against the Miami Heat, but some minor pain returned in his foot, knocking him out of last Saturday’s exhibition game in Brazil.
Gordon has since been cleared by doctors and he was back on the practice floor on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. During one post-practice drill, Gordon showed off his vast improvement offensively by drilling eight of 10 shots from various spots around the 3-point line. Gordon said he is comfortable and confident enough now with his outside shot that switching to the small forward position should not be an issue.
“Any shots at all, I’m seeking shots now and I’m looking (to score),” said Gordon, who at times shied away from outside tries as a rookie. “If I’m open, I’m shooting it for sure.”
FREEBIES AND FOULING: Not long after being hired as the Magic’s head coach last May, Skiles started pouring on statistics from the previous season to cull Orlando’s strengths and weaknesses as a team.
A couple of glaring numbers figuratively jumped off the stat sheet at Skiles: Orlando ranked last in the NBA in both free throw attempts (1,565) and makes (1,141) last season. To put that into perspective, Magic opponents shot 313 more free throws and made 269 more freebies. On average, foes outscored the Magic by 3.3 points a game from the free throw line and got to the stripe nearly four more times a game.
Whereas Orlando has made progress defensively and moving the ball on offense this preseason, the dearth of free throw makes and attempts is still a major concern.
Through the first six games of the preseason, Orlando made 94 of 126 free throws – or 15.7 makes and 21 attempts a night, which is up slightly from the 13.9 makes and 19 attempts on average in the 2014-15 regular season. In the first four victories of the preseason, Orlando was making (18.3) and attempting (24.8) dramatically more free throws than in the two losses (10.5 makes and 13.5 attempts). In one of those defeats, Orlando had just five free throws – and none in the second half – against Indiana.
The Magic are still getting hammered at the free throw line when compared to their opponents. The first six opponents made a combined 38 more free throws and attempted 60 more shots from the stripe – numbers that bother Skiles for a couple of reasons. Orlando’s three primary offensive threats – Victor Oladipo (11 of 16 before Wednesday), Nikola Vucevic (10 of 13 before Wednesday) and Harris (3 of 4 before Wednesday) – have struggled in consistently getting to the free throw line. Also, Orlando is committing 26 fouls a game on average and that hinders the team’s chances of at least drawing even at the free throw line.
“We continue to talk to the whole team about it and the discrepancy can’t continue to be as big as it’s been,” Skiles said. “If your opponents are making more free throws than you shoot, that’s a bad statistic. There’s almost nothing you can do to overcome that. You might win a game here or there, but over a 10-, 12- or 15-game span you are going to be well below .500. It’s just one of those stats that you can’t (overcome).
“So we’ve either got to get to the line more or stop fouling as much so the discrepancy isn’t as bad,” Skiles added.
ANDERSON’S APPROVAL: Prior to signing a free-agent deal with the Magic last July, forward Jason Smith made a quick call to close friend and former teammate Ryan Anderson – a wildly popular power forward for Orlando from 2009-12.
Anderson had nothing but good things to say about his time living in Orlando and the way that Magic players are treated by the ownership of the DeVos family. With those recommendations the 7-foot Smith jumped at the chance to sign with the Magic. Anderson, who was back in Orlando on Wednesday as his New Orleans Pelicans were facing the Magic, said the Magic couldn’t have landed a person with better character than Smith, Anderson’s former teammate in New Orleans for two seasons.
“For me, Jason will forever be one of those guys who is a near and dear friend,” said Anderson, who got moral support from Smith following the death of his girlfriend. “He’s been there for me in the great times and the not-so-great times. He’s just been a great, supportive guy – one of the best teammates that I’ve ever had. He’s a guy you could call at 2 in the morning and he’d help you with anything. He’s a genuine friend and a good teammate. So I hope the people in Orlando love him.”
