Since acquiring Aaron Gordon from the Magic at the trade deadline, the Nuggets have won all 6 of their games with him in the lineup. Over that stretch, they beat the Hawks, who were 9-2 in their last eleven, the Sixers, who had won 6 of their last 8 all without then-MVP-frontrunner Joel Embiid, and the Clippers, who were 6-1 in their last 7.
As he's gone from the second option with the Magic to the 4th scoring option with the Nuggets, Gordon has seen his touches go way down, and his efficiency skyrocket.
| Team | Touches per Game | Usage Rate | Effective FG% | Points per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic (25 games) | 63.9 | 25.3% | 50.9% | 14.6 |
| Nuggets (6 games) | 31.2 | 15.1% | 64.7% | 12.5 |
Obviously, by taking fewer shots, he can fully leverage the scoring gravity and playmaking ability of MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. He has already assisted on 16 of Gordon's made shots; that's more than any of his Magic teammates Vucevic (15) and Fournier (12) did in four times the number of games.
As Gordon is no longer the primary perimeter initiator of the offense, he doesn't have to isolate and create out in space as much: 84% of his field goals are assisted with the Nuggets versus a mere 52% while on the Magic. “He’s in the locker room, like, ‘Man, these are the easiest passes I’ve got my whole career,’” said Nuggets teammate Monte Morris. Gordon has certainly learned to leverage his burst speed and vertical athleticism alongside Jokic. He's cutting six times more frequently from 5.1% up to 33.3% and his efficiency has improved from 1.24 points per cut with the Magic (40th percentile) to 1.57 points per cut with the Nuggets (90th percentile)
As a team, the Nuggets have greatly improved with AG. The Nuggets starting lineup of Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr., Barton, and Gordon has by far been the league's best since the trade deadline boasting a plus-minus of +61 in 90 minutes together. He's essentially filling the Jerami Grant's role on the team last year: a slashing wing that could shoot respectably from beyond the arc -- Gordon is 36.5% on the season -- and add versatility on defense.
Coach Mike Malone stated "the biggest thing is the defensive versatility and athleticism that he brings" when talking to reporters last week. As a 6-foot-8-inch 235-pound athletic stud, Gordon can hold his own against top guards in the league, switch onto wings, and use his verticality to get rebounds over bigs. Though we still a relatively small sample size, the Nuggets with Aaron Gordon have a defensive rating of 108.4, about 5 points better per 100 possessions than the 113.3 they posted prior to acquiring him.
The Nuggets are scorching hot on offense and strong defensively with Gordon, rising up to the fourth seed in the Western conference. Though they will inevitably cool off a little, most of these changes are a result of a schematic shift, not a sudden hot shooting streak. Gordon will continue to be a lethal cutter with the spacing and passing the Nuggets roster provides. Coming off two consecutive 3-1 comebacks in the bubble postseason last year, we will see how Gordon contributes to their playoff aspirations this year.
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