Aaron Gordon embracing new labels ahead of fifth full season with Denver Nuggets | NBA Insider
Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:
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Labels carry a lot of weight in the Association, and Aaron Gordon’s leaning into a couple of newer ones.
After years of being one of the league’s most exciting, above-the-rim finishers, Gordon added to his game after being traded from Orlando to Denver. Last season, the 29-year-old shot a career-best 43.6% from 3-point range. That would’ve ranked sixth in the NBA had Gordon made enough 3-pointers last season. His previous best in a season was 34.9%, but Gordon is out to prove last season’s label as a shooter wasn’t a mistake.
“Now, I’m just going to increase the volume and hopefully increase the percentage as well,” Gordon said during a promotional tour event for 361 Degrees, the brand that has released his line of signature shoes, in China.
Gordon has embraced another label since he’s helped the Nuggets become a championship contender – glue guy. The power forward was a top-two option for most of his time with the Magic. Now, he’s slid somewhere down the pecking order. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Russell Westbrook at Christian Braun all attempted more field-goal attempts per game than Gordon, but that’s not an issue.
“I love that description. I pride myself on being the best glue guy in the NBA,” Gordon said in the video shared to social media.
“Basketball is a team sport. If I didn’t want to be a glue guy, (if) I didn’t want to have teammates, I would’ve been a boxer or I would’ve played tennis. I would’ve been a fencer. … A connectedness of a team is really what makes basketball special. You can’t do it without a team. So, I just make sure everybody on my team is together, and I do whatever it takes for our team to win.”
After signing autographs at the airport on Aug. 21, Gordon’s first stop in China was the gym for an on-court workout. He’s also made in-store appearances, put on a basketball clinic for kids, judged a dunk contest and had a sit down with Yao Ming.
Gordon’s China trip is set to end Friday. Then, it’s time to put his new labels to use as the Nuggets chase a second championship.
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What I’m Thinking
– Someone owes Malik Beasley some money. Beasley was the subject of a federal investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York for his alleged involvement in improper gambling activity. News of the investigation broke a day before free agency started. Beasley was not charged and is no longer the subject of the investigation, according to an ESPN report Friday. The 28-year-old shooting guard was reportedly set to receive a three-year contract extension from the Pistons worth $42 million. Detroit spent that money on other players during the months-long investigation, and few other teams have the cap space to sign Beasley to a similar deal. Beasley’s reportedly been evicted and had some of his wages garnished to repay loans this summer, as well. The former Nuggets draft pick is coming off one of the better seasons of his career but won’t get a contract reflecting that performance, and that’s not right.
– Don’t put too much stock in a recent report that had the Nuggets interested in acquiring Anfernee Simons from Boston. Simons is a nice player but a move to Denver makes no sense for the Nuggets. Simons is set to make $27.7 million next season on an expiring contract. To make the money work, Denver would have to include a player like Aaron Gordon or Cam Johnson and a young player on a rookie contract like DaRon Holmes II or Julian Strawther. Simons would give Denver a solid backup guard, but there’s no reason to give up a starter and a young prospect to get a deal done. Denver’s interest might have been legitimate prior to Boston’s trade for Simons and Denver’s trade from Johnson, but that’s not the case these days.
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What I’m Following
– Nikola Jokic won the fan vote for the NBA’s assist of the year on Sunday. Jokic’s spinning, over-the-shoulder, no-look pass to Aaron Gordon for a dunk against the Bucks.
– Jokic is always the highest-rated player in this year’s NBA 2K video game, ranking at a 98 overall.
– Jonas Valanciunas has been playing well in Lithuania’s tune-up games prior to EuroBasket. Denver’s new backup center had 16 points, making both of his 3-pointers, and grabbing eight rebounds in 17 minutes of playing time against Iceland. Lithuania went 4-1 in its pre-tournament exhibition games.
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– John Wall announced his retirement last week. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, making his name with the Wizards before ending his career with the Rockets and Clippers. Injuries plagued the end of his career, and he did not play the last two seasons. Wall will join Amazon’s studio crew next season.
– No Bulls player will wear the No. 1 jersey again. The team announced Derrick Rose’s jersey will be retired after the team’s game against the Celtics on Jan. 24. Rose joins elite company, as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bob Love and Jerry Sloan are the only other players to have their jerseys retired in Chicago.