I remember the people who criticized the Orlando Magic for picking Aaron Gordon fourth in the 2014 NBA draft. Well, nobody is complaining now.
So far this preseason, Gordon has really impressed the Magic with his athletic ability and smarts. Gordon may not have the offensive talent that a lot of the top picks in the draft possessed, but Gordon possesses something that those draft picks had little of — intangibles.
Gordon was noted more for his defensive skills in college, and he is bringing that same defensive toughness to a Magic team that sorely needed it. Although Orlando has a wealth of offensive skill in the frontcourt, the Magic needed that player who was not afraid of doing the dirty work.
That player is Gordon, and so far, the freak of nature is turning heads. Gordon made a game-tying pass that sent the Magic into overtime against the Miami Heat. Gordon’s final line: six points, eight rebounds and a block, an example of the type of game that Gordon can provide Orlando this upcoming season.
And if that were not enough, Gordon provided his first highlight-reel dunk of the season with a nasty alley-oop duck over seven-footer Roy Hibbert. It is this wealth of energy that proves that Gordon was worthy of his high draft pick.
Gordon is going to make all the difference for Orlando in 2014-15, and when he is in the running for Rookie of the Year, I will take great pleasure in saying I told you so.
Kareem Gantt is an NBA featured writer and covers the Orlando Magic for Rant Sports. For more from this author, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘like’ him on Facebook, and ‘add’ him to your network on Google.
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