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Eric Gordon – Flash Gordon
There was a ray of hope emerging from the Los Angeles Clippers’ nightmare season. Rookie guard Eric Gordon did all he could against the club’s losing nature. And the rest of the league slowly became aware of it.
Text: Johannes Korge
Fans of the Los Angeles Clippers are a special bunch. It takes a special quality to throw your heart around one of the worst franchises in league history. A hint of masochism helps as does a healthy portion of sarcasm. Fans also may have a sense of voyeurism as they bury their heads into their hands at the Staples Center or at home, yet still peek through their fingers. Just like an under-financed horror film, curiosity wins over and spectators watch the latest tasteless twist of plot instead of switching the channel or getting rid of their season ticket. In the latest version of the creepy classic “L.A. Clippers Regular Season XXIV“, genre maestro Mike Dunleavy just builds his own living legend as writer/producer/director and coach. He ventured briefly into the soap opera business last summer with his failed negotiations with power forward Elton Brand. But after the tip-off of the regular season, he provided plenty of shocker moments for the friends of polished adult entertainment.
Impressive remains the old master’s will to innovate. In a move even Stephen King could appreciate, he artistically created an initially safe and sound world with a new shining light in the form of Baron Davis. But just as the tormented spectators started believing in a happy end, Dunleavy directed his team with his own mix of failure, bad luck and ignorance back to the lower depths of the Western Conference. “And Cut!!!” This is a stuff of video store legends.
But a young actor continued to try and torpedo the script with irritatingly solid and consistent performances. Rookie guard Eric Gordon quietly worked his way into the running for the title as best newcomer in the league. And his application materials are quite impressive. He averaged 16.1 points per game as the third-best scorer on the team – ahead of the 65 million dollar man Baron Davis. He also chipped in 2.6 rebounds and nearly three assists per game. And after the season he was fifth in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year.
(zü) Master of advanced stats
Taken seventh in the 2008 draft, the Clippers were hoping Gordon would be a medium-term reinforcement at the shooting guard position. The 20-year-old guard definitely understood the second part of his assignment. But he seems to have trouble with his time management. Forget about any talk of a medium-term alternative. Just a month into the season he had already had his first appearance in the starting five. Against the New Orleans Hornets, Gordon would show off a playing style that turned him into an instant fan favorite at the white-blue-red Staples Center. He drained four of eight three-pointers and made 50 percent from the field in totaling 25 points in 36 minutes of action. The team lost the game – just like 15 of the first 20 – but Gordon looked like a raw diamond getting its first polish. And NBA enthusiasts of all denominations could appreciate Gordon’s offensive game. Purists enjoy his picture-perfect jump shot: lightning-quick approach, intuitive feet positioning, exemplary follow through and a corresponding flight of the ball.
Friends of the aggressive drive to the basket can appreciate Gordon’s explosive first step, his above-average athleticism and the fact that despite having a good jumper he scores about one-third of his points near the basket according to 82.games.com. “What’s important for us is that he plays hard and attacks the basket,” said coach Dunleavy. Despite being only 6-foot-3 – rather small for a shooting guard – Gordon uses his weight to assert himself against bigger defenders. “He is more compact than he looks,” said fellow guard Baron Davis, himself solidly built.
Over the course of the season, injuries started piling up and resulted in the imploding of team chemistry and the coach using what felt like 125 different starting fives. But the team’s youngest player became a real force. Gordon even did not make a lot of rookie mistakes on defense. His defensive game (elsewhere as well) does need a bit of polish, but he fulfills his duties satisfactorily – especially for a player with that kind of offensive arsenal.
