Orlando Magic: Aaron Gordon Finally Comfortable

The Orlando Magic are looking like a more team that can compete every night and Aaron Gordon's return to power forward has been central to this.

It hasn't been the smoothest of seasons for Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic so far.

A new head coach in Frank Vogel meant new ideas and this included spending time at the small forward position.

It didn't work out and alongside Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, the floor looked extremely cramped.

This was even more true with point guard Elfrid Payton doing his best work around the basket and Evan Fournier missing some time through injury.

Gordon's numbers reflected this, with some of his stats falling as a result. This including rebounding (from 6.5 to 4.8) and three-point shooting percentage (27.4 percent).

Gordon's long-range woes came as a result of being asked to shoot more three-point efforts in his new position.

Mar 1, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon (00) keeps New York Knicks guard Courtney Lee (5) back while possessing the ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

His first two years in the league, Gordon shot on average 1.0 and 1.8 three point efforts per game respectively.

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This season, that number has jumped up to 3.4, with many of these coming while playing in the more unfamiliar small forward role.

This is just one example of ways in which Gordon was forcing what he did on the court. With Ibaka gone and Terrence Ross onboard however, things are looking much better for Gordon.

With that failed small forward experiment behind him, Gordon looks reborn playing the 4 in a smaller lineup that likes to get out and run more.

His numbers are only beginning to pick back up again, but there is much reason for optimism since the team returned from the All-Star break.

They're 3-4 in that time, but really their record would look a lot better were it not for a tough one-point loss to the Washington Wizards and a failure to close out the Portland Trail Blazers.

Learning how to win will come and Gordon's continued improvement will be key to that. A look at his numbers since the break suggests he will continue to get better and quickly.

Gordon has averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in the Magic's first seven games back.

He's averaging 11.6 points for the season, as well as 4.8 rebounds.

There are areas of concern, however, and improvement in other parts of his game will need to come.

Only then will he be considered what many feel he is destined to become, and that is the face of this franchise.

Gordon's Player Efficiency Rating of 13.2 is below average and well down on the 17 he posted last season.

He has also seen his offensive (minus-0.7) and defensive (minus-0.3) plus-minus numbers slip into the red, a regression from last season.

Where fans can find some hope that those numbers will improve is with the match rating numbers he's put up recently.

Four times in the last seven games he's posted numbers that were top three among players on his team and in their most recent loss to the New York Knicks, he led the team (plus-8).

This is to go with a plus-27 and plus-18 Gordon recorded in wins over the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat respectively.

Where expectations need to be managed, however, are with some of the other numbers put up during that time frame (minus-15 vs the Trail Blazers, minus-13 in the previous loss to the Knicks, the second-lowest mark on the team).

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What then is Gordon doing to ensure he only helps this team positively as the season winds down?

Well, he's back to doing what he does best and that is rebounding and making plays around the basket.

Gordon's shot has improved (effective field goal percentage of 48.1) as a result of being used as a small forward, he looks more comfortable in how he takes jump shots.

He's also developed a kind of go-to move that defenders struggle to stop, where he pivots and jumps into position before taking a shot.

It's kind of looks like this, although isn't always as difficult it appears below and does not always feature Gordon fading away from the basket (video via 3ball).

But it's a move he tries roughly once a game and which he has had moderate success with.

Getting to the line only 2.5 times per game is something else that needs to improve as well.

This number was more acceptable when Gordon spent more time prowling the three-point line. But as his game has returned inside, that number must improve.

The fact it ties his career high is no excuse and is something which should see an increase, especially with Gordon acting as a key rebounder with their smaller lineups.

So much like Elfrid Payton, it looks like a change in personnel and system has helped Aaron Gordon immensely in a short span of time.

He looks comfortable on the court again and at only 21 years of age, he will enter his fourth season next year as a young veteran on this team.

Until then, however, it's about improving game by game and helping this team finish the season as strongly as possible.

Exactly what the return to power forward is allowing him to do.