Let me tell you, I love what the Clippers did.
Amid a whirlwind of speculation and rumors about trading up, or trading players, or moving down, etc., the Clippers ended up holding onto their pick and drafting Eric Gordon out of Indiana University. I really like this pick despite the naysayers (yeah, you Kelly).
Let’s break down why.
As unlikely as it might seem, there were professional people who went into last season hyping Gordon in the same breath as O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose. Let’s compare their season statlines.
Ppg Apg Rpg Tpg Spg FG% 3pt
Rose: 14.9 4.5 4.7 2.7 1.2 47 33.7
EG: 20.9 3.3 2.4 3.6 1.5 43 33.7
Mayo: 20.7 4.5 3.3 3.5 1.5 44 40.9
Gordon’s statline is not all that impressive outside of the 21 ppg. In fact, his 3-point shooting is exactly the same percentage as Rose who is known for his lack of ability in that area. The high turnovers and low assists are also quite alarming. One thing that these stats don’t show, however, is the before and after picture.
Gordon sustained a back injury about a fourth of the way into the season in a game against Tennessee St. He missed the next game. Prior to that injury, Gordon was lighting it up to the tune of 26.5 ppg on 54 percent shooting and 52 percent from beyond the arc. At that point in the season, he was leading the nation in scoring, ahead, of yes, Michael Beasley.
He also sustained a wrist injury. After the injuries, he averaged only 19.8 ppg on 40 percent shooting and a putrid 29 percent from downtown. Quite the splits.
Averaging 24-25 ppg for the season with high percentages would have easily boosted him past the UCLA kids and possibly O.J. Mayo in the draft. Sure, naysayers will point out that he only got those numbers in 7 games and the level of competition wasn’t top notch—both true statements.
But as Lakers fans saw with Kobe Bryant during the Utah series, a back injury really saps the strength and lift in one’s whole body. Gordon is a great athlete who is an explosive finisher at the rim and a bomber with range four feet beyond the arc.
With his back out of sorts, and an injured wrist, both elements of his game that he really excels at were effectively shut down. As a result, his shooting percentage dropped considerably.
One definite fact to note is that Gordon still managed to get to the line on average 8.6 times per game, showing that he didn’t shy away from being aggressive.
He’s also a quality defender, and at 6-3, will be large for a point guard.
There is that horrific assist to turnover ratio, but those kinds of stats are ones that can be fixed with practice, learning and a deeper understanding of the game. Kid’s only 19. Mayo, on the other hand, is already 21.
He fits perfectly on this Clippers team too. With Elton Brand coming back and Chris Kaman’s breakout year and the high energy and athleticism of now sophomore Al Thornton, the Clips have a bevy of inside game. What they lacked, sorely, was an outside game. Maggette had a career year from beyond the arc, but Maggette’s at his best (and worst) when he’s attacking he rim and getting to the line.
Gordon can play that game when necessary, but he can also rain threes from all over the place. All over.
Cuttino Mobley can help manage the ball. It’s not the best option, but to initiate the Clippers slow down offense, all they need to do is be able to get it into the post.
The Clippers win with defense, and as stated above, Gordon brings that to the table. He's tough and physical.
If I were to blue sky the future with this team, Shaun Livingston comes back and perfectly complements Gordon. Livingston, a 6-7 point guard (who played some shooting guard and small forward two seasons ago) will be able to cover the shooting guards and Gordon can cover the point guards. Gordon could play a small 2 and the majority of the the ball handling would be Livingston's job.
Gordon has the potential to be really, really good, and at 19, the aspect of his game that needs the most work, is also the aspect of his game that can be effectively worked on. Turnovers are mostly mental mistakes. I’m not saying that Gordon will be able to average 5 plus assists...well, ever...but he will cut down his poor decision making and thus be a very efficient 20-23 point deep-threat scorer from the 1 who can lockdown defensively. I’d have taken that with the 3rd pick, and believe it was a steal at the 7.
And, that little second round pick of DeAndre Jordan is just phenomenal. Sure there are questions about his drive and his focus, but at no. 35 in the second round, there is no downside to this pick. He could be Dwight Howardish and a possible insurance policy if Brand opts out or gets traded.
He’s big. Athletic. Explosive. Strong. Etc. Etc. All he needs is discipline.
Finally, things are starting to look up in Clipperdom.
Keywords: Deandre Jordan, Derick Rose, Elton Brand, Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers, O.J. Mayo
