Orlando Magic: Ben Gordon will have opportunity to score
By Wes Goldberg
It’s been quite a while since Ben Gordon was relevant to the NBA landscape. Since he left the Chicago Bulls after the 2008-09 season to be exact.
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After scoring 20.7 points per game in his final season with the Bulls, Gordon signed a massive contract with the Detroit Pistons which he didn’t live up to–scoring just 13.8, 11.2 and 12.5 points per game in three years. After that, he was traded to Charlotte (along with a first round pick for Corey Maggette), where he was a role player on a developing team.
As a free agent this season, he signed a two-year $9 million deal with the Orlando Magic. It seemed strange that rebuilding team would give a 31-year-old guard a fairly large contract but, according to Alex Kennedy of basketballinsiders, the Magic are planning on Gordon playing a significant role.
"I haven’t heard anything, but we’ll know very soon when training camps open. I’m still scratching my head over that contract, especially since it didn’t seem like Orlando had any competition to sign him, but I guess they felt comfortable with Gordon since they were familiar with him (Assistant GM Scott Perry had Gordon in Detroit while Assistant GM Matt Lloyd had him in Chicago). Orlando is desperate for scoring, so it seems Gordon could have a significant role there. I don’t know if he’ll return to form, but he’ll definitely have every opportunity to succeed. If he can’t do it in Orlando, I think it means he’s never going to be that above-average scorer again."
It seems like another overpay for Gordon, but the Magic were desperate for shooters. They signed Gordon and Channing Frye to help stretch the floor for second-year guard Victor Oladipo and rookies Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Peyton.
I wouldn’t expect Gordon to return to his Chicago days, but his role as a floor spacer should suit him well.
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