Aaron Gordon is refocused, poised and primed for a career year

Aaron Gordon attacked his offseason with a focused mindset. He wanted to work smarter and not harder. Gordon poured over the film from his own 2021-22 season. He dissected his three best and worst games of the year and picked out where he shined and where he fell shot when he was playing at both his highs and lows. He set a goal of raising his basketball IQ and becoming a more efficient offensive player to better complement Nikola Jokic.

Not a lot went right for the Nuggets in their 123-102 regular-season opening loss to the Jazz. Quite frankly, it was an embarrassing effort from a championship contender against an organization that’s likely going to miss the playoffs entirely. The Nuggets’ energy was awful to open the first quarter. Their defense was poor throughout most of Wednesday night. Denver’s bench needs serious tweaking already. Most of the Nuggets — not including Gordon — played as if they didn’t know the regular season had started.

There was a spirit to Gordon’s game vs. the Jazz that the rest of Denver’s roster desperately lacked. He played with a fire and aggressiveness that few others did. Gordon finished with 22 points on an efficient 10-17 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal in 33 minutes. It was an effective and efficient night from Gordon. It was the type of night we envisioned from the forward after hearing about his offseason focus. It was exactly how Denver needs and wants him to play this season.

“I feel like I’ve become a more efficient player mentally,” Gordon said at the onset of this season. “I feel like I’ve raised my IQ.”

Here are his 10 baskets against Utah. All of them came in the restricted area. Six of them were dunks. Everything was toward the rim.

Gordon’s back in the perfect role for Denver. Last season, he was thrust into a lead offensive option with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. missing most of the season. He was miscast as that guy, but Gordon still turned in the most efficient season of his career. That’s kind of what happens a lot when you’re playing next to Jokic.

Now, Gordon’s back in the role that Denver envisioned when the Nuggets traded for him two seasons ago. He’s a secondary scorer who’s behind Jokic, Murray and Porter in the offensive hierarchy. It means that basketball should be easier for Gordon right now than it’s ever been. The same efficient, at-the-rim shots that were available to Gordon in Utah will be there every single night if he wants them with how much defensive focus will be elsewhere. He can cut the mid-range, off-balance jumpers from his arsenal completely. He doesn’t need them.

Gordon entered this season with a refined off-court focus too. He spoke at practice this week about his own spiritual journey, one that he’s recently re-focused on and made a part of his life again. Gordon’s working on being grateful for where he’s been and where he’s going. I get the sense that Gordon is in the process of his own awakening and a full-on shift into a new chapter of his career.

He’s been through more than most know. When the now 27-year-old got to the NBA, he got his mother and grandmother out of debt and allowed his parents to retire. He’s had surgeries on his knee. He has a screw in his foot right now. He’s experienced the pain of personal loss. All of that has shaped Gordon into the player and person he is entering this season.

“I think you guys are going to see a much more focused, calm, and poised person,” he said.

Gordon backed that claim up on opening night but few of his teammates followed his lead. The Nugget got a solid but unspectacular game from Jokic, who finished with 27 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. The Jazz did a great job of keeping the back-to-back MVP who averaged 13.8 rebounds per game last season off the glass.

Porter had a fine game too, tallying 15 points and 7 rebounds. In his first official NBA game in 18 months, Murray went for 12 points on 5-13 shooting. He’s obviously going to need a significant amount of game action and reps to ramp up to something close to the player he was before his ACL injury.

But Gordon’s game was something to get excited about. I’m a believer in this Aaron Gordon. I think it’s who he’s going to be. There’s a belief within the Nuggets that Gordon can be the best version of himself this season, and it seems like he’s buying into that notion too.