The much maligned Eric Gordon is entering his 6th NBA season. Gordon is one of the most prolific scorers in the game when healthy and there lies the issue.
Gordon has only played in 70 or more games one time in his career and that was in his rookie campaign. Ever since then, the most games Gordon has played in during a season is 62. He’s only played in 51 games out of 148 possible the past two seasons.
While Gordon could still end up being a viable part of the new look Pelicans, the front office is not going to bank on it. New Orleans acquired All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday and former King Tyreke Evans this off-season to bolster their talent.
If the Pelicans are able to keep Gordon healthy to go along with those other guys, the Pelicans could potentially be a playoff team. Gordon has been battling knee problems for over a year now. His main priority is getting to 100 percent by training camp.
Gordon went on to elaborate while speaking with the Boston Globe.
“Health-wise, I’ve been doing pretty good, been taking it slow but moving around really well,” he said. “As long as I get to the 100 percent point before training camp, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
The Pelicans guard averaged 17 points per game last year, but shot a career-low 40 percent from the field. Gordon is looking forward to starting with a fresh slate this season.
“It’s not like I’ve been playing terrible, I just haven’t been fully effective to where I should be,” he said. “I look forward to that this year.”
There’s no doubt the Pelicans are loaded with talent across the board. The question will be can they stay healthy and how the chemistry will work.