To know Eric Gordon’s full basketball repertoire, it’s best to go back to the beginning.
February 1, 2007.
That night, Gordon, inside North Central High School’s gym and an introduction to the big stage via an ESPN2 broadcast, cast a spell on Marcus and Jeffrey Jordan. Forty-three points on 17-of-25 shooting. A dominant, dizzying performance. Power and control at the rim. Range for days.
Air Gordon:
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Gordon was often brilliant during his one-and-done, 2007-08 season in Bloomington before a wrist injury marred him in a shooting slump to end the year.
He led the Big Ten in scoring at 20.9 points per game. The league named him freshman of the year and granted him a spot on the first team all-conference.
He was too good for high school. Too good for college.
It was time for the NBA.
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As the No. 7 pick in the 2008 draft, Gordon played well his rookie season. He started 65 games for Mike Dunleavy, averaged 16.1 points and hit an impressive 38.9 percent from three.
The Clippers finished 19-63.
In 2009-10, Gordon stayed the course: 16.9 points per game, 37.1 percent from three.
The Clippers finished 29-53.
So far, so good enough.
After two years, Gordon proved to be a good shooter that drew fouls at a strong rate, but wasn’t quite attacking the way he’d shown he was capable of in high school and college — his jaw-dropping power had gone underutilized.
