The Phoenix Suns have been busy this offseason, moving quickly to add a multiple time All-Star in Bradley Beal at the expense of Chris Paul. This was followed up by adding the kind of depth most thought would elude a franchise paying ridiculous sums of money to four players.
This aggressive roster building was seemingly built upon more, with center Deandre Ayton now looking like he is not going to be traded. A top 10 big in the league, why would the Suns move the 25-year-old now that they also have the depth they so desperately needed to put around Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant?
The team still had one more addition to make however, with Eric Gordon the final piece of the 2023-24 puzzle.
Gordon, the 34-year-old who helps he organization become the most talented in the NBA right now, has spent the bulk of his career with a Houston Rockets team who for most of his time there were bonafide contenders. He finished last season with the L.A Clippers, a group who the Suns promptly booted from the postseason in the opening round.
With the Suns seemingly able to get any manner of free agent on a veteran minimum deal, they even somehow managed to snag Yuta Watanabe, was spending a valuable roster spot on the ageing Gordon the right move for this team to make as they attempt to win a first ever championship?
On the surface, this is exactly the kind of move they should be making to round out a team. Gordon wants to win, he was thoroughly over the experience of being the only adult in the room with the rebuilding Rockets, and the Suns represent one of his best chances in the entire league to do this.
Gordon not only spent a lot of time standing in the corner watching former teammate James Harden take as many shots as he wanted, he was also tasked with defending the best players who that team came up against. He performed this admirably, using his stout frame to stay in front of and stick to much larger opponents. This is exactly what the Suns will want him to do as well.
https://twitter.com/dubsuns/status/1676749019463163912?s=46&t=dnVlUuW2beSaXcM7WE5KAQ
Gordon certainly has some miles on the clock, and he has lost some juice on the defensive end. That being said, the Suns will only need him to be at his best once the postseason begins next year. Chasing around elite offensive players in November will be reserved for younger teammates such as Keita Bates-Diop and Chimezie Metu.
On the offensive end, Gordon won’t be a complete liability either. The Suns got Watanabe, one of the best 3-point shooters in the league last season, to be the open man while their embarrassment of offensive talent go to work each night. Gordon also falls into that category, and was an excellent marksman from the corners last year. Exactly the kind of guy who thrives next to Durant and Booker.
The Suns saw that Nuggets series and learned from all the missed corner 3s. They've assembled a rotation of corner 3 snipers:
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 6, 2023
Damion Lee: 51% last year
Yuta Watanabe: 51.4%
Eric Gordon: 45.2%
Bradley Beal: 38.5%
Keita Bates-Diop: 37%
Devin Booker: 36.7%
Kevin Durant: 55.6%
As an added bonus, Gordon also adds some much needed depth to the backcourt rotation. It is not yet known if Gordon will start, and right now it seems more likely he comes off the bench but also closes games depending on the matchup. Either way, it will be a welcome sight to see another player who may be able to take some of Cam Payne’s minutes from time to time.
To be clear, Gordon has never been a true point guard. But what he can do is spend a few minutes per game handling the ball and distributing accordingly. He has averaged three assists per season before, and if he can get close to that again, that will mean the ball is moving and Gordon is also defending opponents on the other end. The main reason he was signed for two years, $6 million.
Looking at this another way, and Gordon could play in lineups next to Booker where he remains the more conventional two-guard and we get to see even more of point Booker. Beal, Durant and Ayton could fill out that five man group, ensuring the Suns have all of their stars on the court, and a veteran who wants to defend high level players and has done so brilliantly in the past alongside them.
So outside of the age concerns, and the over 800 regular season games Gordon has played, there is no doubt he is going to help this team. Gordon brings an additional layer of versatility to lineups, and has no problem being an afterthought offensively, as well as latching onto elite scorers of all shapes and sizes. He is also a career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter, and from 2016-20 took over eight attempts from deep per game.
Gordon is the kind of player that championship teams have on their roster. The Suns were never going to be able to afford their Aaron Gordon, but in getting an older player of the same name, they have done the best they could to remedy the situation. Gordon strikes the balance between the young and unproven players who the franchise added, and the superstars who are in or approaching their primes. A fantastic pickup.