The great attraction: The Phoenix Suns and Aaron Gordon
By Adam Maynes
How good Aaron Gordon is
It has been reported that the Orlando Magic are open to trading their star power forward Aaron Gordon, a budding star and potential superstar, in the mold of the aforementioned Blake Griffin. An incredible dunker, Gordon is an exciting player. He is a lot of fun to watch, mainly because of his dunking, but much like Griffin has an athleticism to him that is unreal.
This season, Gordon is averaging 18.4 points per game, a career-high. He is also taking and making more field goals per game at a career clip, as well as 3-point shooting, which he is also draining them at a career-high clip (34.6%), a very respectable percentage for a power forward.
As a scorer, there is no reason that he cannot average 20+ points per game for a long time in the NBA, beginning as early as next season, certainly depending on the situation. Even if he plateaued as a 34% 3-point shooter, that would be a very fine rate for a big man, the type of percentage that would force defenses to both honor his ability to shoot and drain the 3, as well as his ability to slash to the whole with impunity.
Having that kind of scorer next to Booker – something that T.J. Warren must be able to do eventually as he is a perennially poor outside shooter – would not only help to open up space on the court for Devin Booker, but provide point Booker (if this continues to be a thing) with additional players to pass to knowing they will score when he himself has been double or triple-teamed.
Gordon’s age too is a serious positive for the Suns if they become suitors as he is only 22-years-young, fitting in precisely with the core young Suns of Booker, Warren and Jackson, with the potential of Bender and Chriss, should neither of them be in a blockbuster trade for Gordon.
Having the core of Booker, Warren, Jackson, and Gordon, plus the team’s first round pick (presuming that selection is nailed), and there is no reason to believe that for the next five or so years easy, they could become perennial contenders, particularly if future unseen moves are also successful.
It is easy to imagine that a 22-year-old star with amazing athletic ability and the potential to be a very good player could help to make the Phoenix Suns a playoff mainstay for many years to come. As Gordon and Booker grow together, one would have to assume that their chemistry would be off the charts, and the combination of the two alone would create a powerful set that would rival some of histories best one-two offensive punches.