The Nuggets traded for Aaron Gordon nine months ago. Two days ago, Gordon played his first game back in Orlando since the deal. DNVR Nuggets takes a look back on the trade, discusses Gordon’s impact since arriving last season from Orlando, and debates what’s next for him in Denver.
Nine months after the Aaron Gordon trade, how do you grade the deal today?
Adam: A+
For starters, Denver didn’t really give up a whole lot in that deal. RJ Hampton may still turn into a fine player but he almost certainly wouldn’t be an impact player for the Nuggets this season. But cost aside, Gordon has been a perfect fit with Nikola Jokic and there is no doubt in my mind that he is a championship-caliber piece of the puzzle.
Harrison: A++
Watching Gary Harris and RJ Hampton two nights ago in Orlando cemented this for me. It’s tough to watch Harris and think about the player he was four years ago and the guy he is today. Defensively he can still help — as Denver saw on Will Barton’s game-tying 3-point attempt — but offensively he’s not giving you much. I still like Hampton’s potential but he’s not helping the Nuggets in the playoffs this season. Bones Hyland is better right now anyways. The future first-round pick Denver gave up does hurt when you have a drafter like Tim Connelly, but Gordon has been so good for the Nuggets. When you consider the fact that the Nuggets signed him to a fair-market-value contract that keeps the 26-year-old in Denver for the foreseeable future, this was a fleecing.
Brendan: A
No one can argue his positive impact since the trade. He’s displayed the skills Denver hoped to acquire when they shipped out young RJ Hampton — who Denver already dealt a pick for — along with a protected first-rounder and fan-favorite Gary Harris. There’s no doubt Tim Connelly made the right call, but higher marks are for the ultimate goal. Gordon is the piece meant to put them over the top, injuries notwithstanding. If they reach the finals, it’s an A+.
Who has been the Nuggets’ second-best player this season, Gordon or Will Barton?
Adam: For the first 10 games it was Barton but Gordon has been more consistently valuable over the entire season. I suspect it will fluctuate throughout the year since Barton has higher peaks but Gordon seems to provide a steady two-way impact every night.
Harrison: This was pretty even through the first several weeks of the season, but it’s Gordon for me right now. The two-way impact he’s making is unmatched, and Gordon’s offense has actually flown under the radar. He’s third in the NBA on field goal percentage on drives this season (62.8%), which is higher than Giannis, Luka and Kevin Durant. Gordon also has also registered a 59.9 true shooting percentage this year. It’s by far the highest of his career. He’s played to his strengths and given the Nuggets what they’ve needed. Will Barton has been good, but he’s had more peaks and then valleys than Gordon so far this season.
Brendan: Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić set the tone for the improved defense. The Nuggets dropped to 19th in Defensive Rating, per Cleaning The Glass, but the injuries put a dent in an impressive start to the season. Numbers don’t lie, though they can be deceiving. This defense has a higher ceiling than any in the Malone era, and Gordon guards the best player on the opposition more often than not. He deserves credit for that.
Gordon said two days ago that he still has “another level to get to.” What does Gordon leveling up look like on the court?
Adam: I’m skeptical that his game looks too different over the course of the season but it’d be great to see him get more confident attacking off of the dribble. At times he can play like sort of a mini Zion Williamson where he bullies his way to the basket. That’d be a great skill to scale up if he is capable of it. But I think the more likely growth from Gordon comes from continuing to discover where he can take advantage of Jokic-ball on duck-ins, offensive rebounds, and cuts.
Harrison: My read on Gordon is that he’s fully converted to the way of Jokic. How he played in Orlando, the ISO ball, the settling for jumpers, the inefficient offense, it’s never coming back while he’s here. I think what Gordon’s referring to is leveling up in how he reads the game, picking his spots on offense better, growing his own basketball IQ, and learning to play more with Jokic and in this system. Gordon is still pretty green in Denver and has only played 46 total regular season and 10 playoff games in a Nuggets uniform. He can become even more of a star in his role with time.
Brendan: It probably manifests as a more assertive Gordon. He’s understood his assignment in Denver, focusing his energy on his skills that overlap with the team’s deficiencies. He’s hard to stop when he attacks the rim, and more of that is welcome. Gordon can fall in love with the one-on-one aspect of the game, though, opting for flashy moves over a north-south approach. The latter is what we hope to see. As Adam mentioned, the key to him truly taking over a game — if that’s what he’s implying — is doing so through Jokić, who is both The King and Kingmaker in Denver.
