“ I tell all the young people coming in to find a niche that will help them stay in the league. », Reports Aaron Gordon. His “niche” to him, as he says, is now defense. “ If I can take on the task of defending the best player night after night and make it easier for the guys around me to focus on their job, I’ll do it every time. “Develops the Nuggets winger.
He will have another opportunity to show his talents in this area in the days to come. After taking care of some of the biggest names in the league in these playoffs (Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns…), Aaron Gordon is tackling a new challenge: Jimmy Butler.
“ Jimmy is hard to cover, for different reasons than the guys I kept in this campaign like KD and LeBron, KAT. Jimmy does everything. He does all the intangible things. He plays in transition, makes cuts, takes offensive rebounds, plays the ‘backdoor’ “, lists the teammate of Nikola Jokic.
A journalist asks him if he would be able to keep his opponent under the average of 22 points, for example. ” I don’t really set goals for myself when it comes to points. I just want to make it as hard for him as possible throughout the night, for 48 minutes, for a whole streak. Making everything he gets difficult. Make it work for everything retorts Aaron Gordon.
Not his sole responsibility
” It’s not one-on-one. Basketball is played five-on-five, and there will be a five-man defense on the court “, he recalls, echoing recent remarks by Mike Malone, who had declared: “ You don’t stop a guy like Jimmy Butler with just one player. It won’t just be the responsibility of Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. or whoever defends on him. […] It must be five guys defending as one to try and stop such talent. You have to offer him different match-ups, disrupt him, and get all five players to focus on this task, one possession at a time. »
For his part, Jeff Green recalls that his teammate, whose physical density and athletic qualities can make the difference, is able to adapt in defense, against a star or not.
” He does a good job in approaching his mission against the one he defends, but also in realizing which players are involved if there is a ‘switch’, he does a great job. It is partly thanks to him that we are here. It all starts with defense he is our figurehead in defence. »
To see how Aaron Gordon is doing against the indisputable best player in the Eastern Conference in these playoffs, with his impressive stats: 28.5 points (48% on shots including 36% from afar), 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 interceptions. If the latter reaches his average points but with less efficiency, Aaron Gordon thinks that it will already be “ a victory “.
| Aaron Gordon | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2014-15 | ENT | 47 | 17 | 44.7 | 27.1 | 72.1 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 5.2 |
| 2015-16 | ENT | 78 | 24 | 47.3 | 29.6 | 66.8 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 9.2 |
| 2016-17 | ENT | 80 | 29 | 45.4 | 28.8 | 71.9 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 12.7 |
| 2017-18 | ENT | 58 | 33 | 43.4 | 33.6 | 69.8 | 1.5 | 6.4 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 17.6 |
| 2018-19 | ENT | 78 | 34 | 44.9 | 34.9 | 73.1 | 1.7 | 5.7 | 7.4 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 16.0 |
| 2019-20 | ENT | 62 | 33 | 43.7 | 30.8 | 67.4 | 1.7 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 14.4 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 50 | 28 | 46.3 | 33.5 | 65.1 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 12.4 |
| 2020-21 * | ENT | 25 | 29 | 43.7 | 37.5 | 62.9 | 1.6 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 14.6 |
| 2020-21 * | DEN | 25 | 26 | 50.0 | 26.6 | 70.5 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 10.2 |
| 2021-22 | DEN | 75 | 32 | 52.0 | 33.5 | 74.3 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 5.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 15.0 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 68 | 30 | 56.4 | 34.7 | 60.8 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 16.3 |
| Total | 596 | 29 | 47.2 | 32.5 | 68.6 | 1.7 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 13.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
