The 2019-20 NBA season was largely one to forget for veteran Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon. Now 31 years old, the 6-foot-4 sharpshooter missed half (36) of Houston’s 72 regular-season games due to various leg injuries, and many of his efficiency metrics plunged to career lows.
Over Gordon’s initial three seasons in Houston from 2016-17 to 2018-19, he shot 41.4% from the field and 36.4% on 3-pointers. In 2019-20, those numbers sank to 36.9% and 31.7%, respectively.
But Gordon’s shooting did recover to nearly 41% in the playoffs, and he finished third on the roster with a 17.3 points-per-game scoring clip.
In the new 2020-21 season, the Rockets hope that Gordon can build on that, now that he’s closer to full health. From Kelly Iko of The Athletic:
Gordon will be looking for a bounceback year, and there’s real internal confidence that he could be a comeback player of the year type in 2020-21. The Rockets need him to return to his 6MOY [Sixth Man of the Year] days and not the laboring, injury-prone guard we saw last season. Stephen Silas should make this one of his top priorities, as a healthy and firing Gordon not only makes Houston’s rotation that much more potent, it allows you to not lean so heavily on James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
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— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) November 27, 2020
Having a more stable role might help that cause. According to a recent story in The Athletic, Gordon wanted a more defined role from former coach Mike D’Antoni — either as the starter at small forward, or the sixth man off Houston’s bench. Instead, D’Antoni often bounced back and forth between utilizing Gordon and Danuel House Jr. in those roles.
With training camp for the 2020-21 season set to begin Tuesday, D’Antoni’s replacement (Silas) could present a more definitive plan.
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For his part, Gordon says he’s finally healthy heading into 2020-21 and ready to make amends for last season’s subpar showing. In a recent interview on The Ashley Nevel Show, Gordon set this ambitious goal:
Next season, I need to get back to being easily top five in most 3s made. My goal is to shoot over 40% next year while being top five in total makes. I would love to get back to that. I’ve done it for years. It can happen. I’ve done it, and I just need to get right back to it. That will be my main focus.
It all boils down to team chemistry, and me staying healthy. The past year or two, I’ve had minor knick-knack injuries, but I won’t have to worry about that. I’ve just got to stay laser-focused and stay in shape, and it’ll come.
It’s clearly an ambitious target. But for a veteran team determined to contend for the NBA’s 2020-21 title after bowing out in the second round of the playoffs for two straight years, that type of internal growth from existing players could be their most realistic route to taking the next step.
Gordon is signed for at least three more seasons at close to $55 million in guaranteed money. Combine that contract with last year’s disappointing form, and it’s not as if Gordon is likely to have positive trade value around the league, at this juncture. Instead, the best path forward for the Rockets likely involves giving Gordon another opportunity, in hopes that a clean bill of health and a new season (and coach) helps him turn the page.
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