[NBPA] How Eric Gordon Has Found His Groove in Houston: ‘I’ll Be Sixth Man Every Year’

Didn't see anyone had linked to this yet? good article.

http://nbpa.com/how-eric-gordon-has-found-his-groove-in-houston-ill-be-sixth-man-every-year/

How Eric Gordon Has Found His Groove in Houston: ‘I’ll Be Sixth Man Every Year’

by Jared Zwerling in Features
January 25, 2017

The last time—and only time—an NBA player was an All-Star and won the Sixth Man Award in the same year was former Celtics great Kevin McHale in 1984.

Could Rockets star Eric Gordon, the NBA’s frontrunner for Sixth Man, be a Western Conference reserve next month in New Orleans?

“All-Star for sure,” James Harden said about his scoring sidekick in early January.

While Harden has arguably been the league’s MVP, here’s how important Gordon has been to the 34-win Rockets: in 10 of their 14 losses, he didn’t reach his scoring average of about 18 points per game. Overall for the third-seeded Rockets, Gordon has been the NBA’s best offensive player off the bench, averaging his most points since 2012-13—in only 30.5 minutes per game. And he’s second in the league with 166 three-pointers, making them at a standout 39.2 percent clip (entering Wednesday).

“I just like how our record is,” Gordon told the NBPA on what makes him most proud as the team’s sixth man. “Me taking the sacrifice and coming off the bench and having the record that we have, I’ll do it every year. So as long as we just keep on continuously playing well, I’m more than happy.”

Gordon has been so dangerous from downtown that his streak of seven straight games with at least four three-pointers—from late November to early December, including eight against the Lakers on Dec. 7—was the second-longest in NBA history. On the season, the 6’4″ guard is averaging 3.6 long makes per game—second-best in the league—and his most potent accuracy has been further beyond the arc from 25 to 29 feet (40.5 percent, according to NBA.com/Stats). In fact, 71.7 percent of his three-pointers come from that range.

Even from longer distance, Gordon is able to run fluidly to a spot off of a screen, get his feet set quickly squared to the basket and shoot on-balance without hesitation. He has the strength from his legs (with his stronger 215 pounds for his height), coupled with his fast release with little jumping, to power his shot from longer range before defenders can react.

Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni told the NBPA that the deeper shooting is the first time he’s “ever experienced anything like that” in his 44-year pro basketball playing and coaching career. And Gordon’s unique ability has opened up D’Antoni’s trademark space-out, free-flowing offense—focused on three-pointers, layups and drawing fouls—even more for other Rockets to make plays.​

Lots more at the link. Worth the look.

 

media conspiracy

 

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