Making his second start of the preseason, Orlando Magic rookie Aaron Gordon turned in a solid effort against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. In 22 minutes, the Arizona product tallied six points on 3-of-4 shooting, three boards, three assists, and two steals. He made two excellent plays in transition, as highlighted in the video embedded in this post, which plays demonstrate how his athleticism can impact the Magic on the break, adding a new dimension to the team.
In the first play, Gordon streaks up the right side of the floor after a Pacers miss, which shot Tobias Harris rebounded. Harris keeps his dribble and charges up the center of the court. No Pacer thinks to check Gordon, and as Harris reaches the top of the key, he lobs to Gordon for a two-handed slam over Indiana big man Roy Hibbert.
In the second play, Evan Fournier grabs a loose ball and shovels ahead to Harris, who attacks the basket against two retreating Indiana defenders and misses a finger-roll. Gordon, following the play and unencumbered by Pacers, is there to slam home Harris' miss.
While one must note the Pacers' complicity in surrendering these easy scores, one also must, in fairness to Gordon and his team, point out that his very enables Orlando to exploit those mistakes in the first place.
Further, the Magic's lack of players who can score consistently and efficiently in the half-court magnifies the importance of their handful of transition opportunities per game. Even converting on the break twice or thrice more per game could change the team's fortunes.