I do believe all of the trade talk probably bothers EG. As some have noted, he's rushing his shot and that's part of the problem. Hopefully, things will start to settle down and he'll get his groove back. However, he's a smart guy and he knows that he's our best trade chip, and that DM is always on the prowl to improve us--problem is he's not helping his trade value with this slump. The two 3s he hit last night were more like the EG of old. Let's hope that he's finding his rhythm, we need to go on a serious run to get back in the mix for Top 4. I can't believe Memphis is in first place--crazy!
I never said he's not. I'm saying he is performing worst than he's ever performed on offense. Defensively, he's the same as last season. This is a net loss for the team. The fact that other people are carrying the team while he's on the floor is irrelevant. Paul, Tucker and Harden are all being overplayed so it's no surprise the bench units look better. Oh and I'm not interested in having this conversation about one of my fav players with you speaking like that. If you can't keep it together, let's just not discuss.
No one's trying to make him the scapegoat. How can anyone be the scapegoat when we're winning? He is not playing well. I know it, he knows it and the team knows it. It's beyond a dip in form. It's a total collapse. That distinction is important, we can't just blur it up. Look at @aelliott stats - his worst stretch last season was no eclipsing 30% from 3 for 10 games. He is averaging 32% from the FIELD in 13 games right now. What is unacceptable is subjective. However, 32/25% is objectively unacceptable. If he averaged it for a season he would struggle to find a minimum offer. To repair it, he has to have the best 69 games of his life. However you cut it, this is bad. Last season we had the same Gordon who defends just as well and draws a defender just as well but he scored 4 more points on roughly the same number of shots and minutes. That's a big deal in the NBA, and others are having to pick up the slack. Harden is playing on a weak hamstring, while Paul and Tucker are among league leaders in minutes in their mid 30's. Frankly if all this is because of mental fragility, he needs to grow up. I'm the last person to ever say this and Gordon is one of my favorite players, but he is a world class talent and makes $12m a year no matter where he's traded. You can't be moping while the team with championship aspirations is trying to dig its way out of the basement of the Western Conference.
I get the whole shooters keep shooting thing, but when you’re shooting 25% from 3 it may be time to stop chucking from 5 feet beyond the 3 point line. Our offense is perfectly capable of creating more quality looks than the ones he’s been taking
Hmm, ok fair enough I came in a little rude here cause of your first post, my apologies. But, I'm just saying he's historically streaky shooter and a career 37% 3 point shooter, we will be ok. I have faith that the law of averages will be in play here.
Ryno was great here until he found out he was being shopped then he became trash city! Hmmmm Egos feelings hurt?
But that's the thing he isn't "moping". Moping about means playing without energy ala Ryan Scrubberson duting last year's playoffs. He isn't moping, he is playing the same way he has always played except he is not hitting the shots he has made before. Its not really in his control so you can't just make all those shots go in just because you huff and puff at him. Its like if a guy is depressed you can't tell him to be happy and then he will be happy lol. A lot of the stuff you say don't really makes sense as well. You say nobody is making him the scapegoat but then blame him for Harden playing on a weak hamstring and moping when the team "is trying to dig themselves out of the basement in the Western Conference. Which is again not true since he isn't moping and the Rox are just 2 losses behind 1st seed. I mean 8th seed is the basement of the WC now? Who knew? 13.5M in today's NBA isn't a lot of money, its the right amount for the 6th man which is the role Gordon is making. Even with his cold streak Gordon is still worth that money on the court since opponents still treat him like he is hot and I would still trust "cold" Gordon over Ennis or Green when the game is on the line. I'm not denying Gordon's shooting has been horrible, we all know it and he knows it too I'm sure. But like I said there's nothing we can do about it except wait for him to get hot again. Pinning all the troubles on him ie making him a scapegoat even if the team is winning won't make him shoot better. And before you deny that you are making Gordon the scapegoat read your post saying Gordon is to blame for Tucker's extended mins. I mean think about it Gordon is a pg Tucker plays PF and C. Why is it Gordon's fault if Tucker is leading the league in mins? Lulz!
He was never great he was just a decent player who became a scrub in the playoffs. My opinion is Anderson already reached his peak the year before we signed him and he started declining right qfter only relying on passes by Harden and Paul. Thats why now that is gone from the team he is shooting 20% from 3 just not an NBA player anymore.
Maybe he's having family problems. Evidently, that's been going around. Hope not. And I hope he gets things turned around. If Gordon heats up, this team will be flying high.
Lol it’s not intentional. He was the same last year it just wasn’t as noticeable because we won 65 games.
He's certainly taking the same shots from the same places. I don't think he is as psychologically interested in how that affects the team as he was last season. There are attitudes other than committed or moping. Come on. We've won 5 straight after having one of the worst starts in the league. We are climbing out of the basement. I feel like you are consciously twisting that. Certainly, the rest of the team has had to pick up the slack. He is not the reason for all our problems and he is the reason for some of our problems. He is part of why we're winning, and he is also a far smaller part of it than he's been in the past. It's not complex in any way. Here is where we are disagreeing without a resolution in sight. You feel like this can be washed into the same boat as a usual Gordon cold streak. I really don't. The numbers are significantly worse, and I think it is not a reasonable assessment to say it is just another cold streak. He will also have his post All Star break slump, as he does every year. He is almost certainly not going to average the numbers necessary to avoid making this his worst season as a Rocket. It is a colder streak than the past, and the hot streak required to erase it would be the hottest streak he's ever had. We can't do anything about it. But Gordon can or won't. This is the kind of streak that can only be attributed to something like a family member dying or something. He was included in trade discussions for a top 15 player after he rejected an extension. It's not cause for the worst 13 games of his Rockets career, especially in times of need. We are running with a short rotation even by MDA's standards. Of course if Gordon is below expectations 15% through the season, who do you think is picking up the slack? Tucker was discussed in these deals as well. Why isn't his shot in tank mode? Why was Butler able to play almost as good as always? What about Covington? Dieng? It's just too much. He will make more just because he's literally at the bottom of the 450+ NBA players offensively right now. What we need from him is to recover quick and have the hottest 69-game streak of his life. That's not ideal for us at all.
I just don't think he cares about making shots as much as he does where he's going to be living and paid in the future. Understandable maybe, but hurting us nonetheless.
See this where I have a problem with what you are saying, you're thinking because of his cold streak there is something wrong with his head. Not only that, you think that because he's shooting significantly worse than he has before its unreasonable to think its anything else but a mental problem. But what you have not addressed is that if he had quit on us or didnt want to be here, he wouldnt be playing defense but he is. He wouldnt be a net positive on the floor but he is. He still draws out defenders. I think its more unreasonable for you to say its a mental issue than simply a really bad shooting streak.
He is playing defense same as last season because that's visible if he quits. He's not a better defender or trying harder. Advanced individual defensive stats are practically worthless, and all you have to do is look at the rankings to see that. Also important: I don't think he wants to miss. His mind is just not into making the shot. To me, he is visibly heaving them with less attention. That's a totally subjective assessment. His mind is not there. He doesn't want to let them team down. But he is letting the team down, and I think it is in his control to leave trade talk behind once the game starts. If you are making the argument that this is just any other Gordon cold streak, I really don't think we can have a real argument. That would be a disagreement at both of our base assumptions. I feel like everything you're saying is true, but incomplete. It does not explain the depth of his poor offensive performance. In my opinion, it is catastrophic and we are reaching a decision point with him. I don't think Morey will let another high value asset degrade due to their insecurity about the team's commitment to them. Ryno was worse, but the explanations people are providing seem the same. His shot is just not falling, he's not mentally checked in, etc. Ryno was trying his best as well on defense, it's just that Ryno's best effort on defense is terrible whereas Gordon's best effort on defense is very good. Morey doesn't make the same mistake twice. If you ask me, Gordon has till the 15th before Morey reluctantly pulls the trigger. That's 5 or 6 more games I believe and a spark here or there is not going to make enough of an impact. If we can get two rotation players for Gordon and Chriss, I think he will do it. My hope is that Gordon lights it up better than he's ever done his entire career and we forget this mess. But it's really starting to look like one of "those" situations. Would really suck for us.
