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Aaron Gordon remains a beautiful contradiction.
He is a vibe off the court, but a dog on it. He is chill, but leaves defenders running hot. He brings all eyes to him when he walks into a room, but humility defines him.
As the Nuggets face the Timberwolves in Game 7, the focus on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is on sharp display. Denver cannot win without the pair playing well, so it should surprise no one that Murray was the last player on the court Saturday practicing floaters.
But success is impossible without multipliers. Murray has to shoot better, and that is something he controls in a make-or-miss league. However, look for the Timberwolves to make Jokic more dependent on his teammates, doubling him on entry passes to the post. It means The Other Guys must hit their open looks, sneak into vacant space.
No one is more important in this role than Gordon. He has more dirty jobs than Mike Rowe.
Offensively, Gordon will be counted on to knock down 3s, forcing Minnesota to rethink its strategy at times vs. Jokic. He has drained 10 of 17 in this series, and it is difficult to see the Nuggets advancing without him sinking a pair on Sunday. In Game 4, Gordon went 11 of 12 from the field with two 3s. Rudy Gobert compared Gordon’s heater to Kobe Bryant, admitting there’s little Minnesota can do if he shoots like that.
No one is expecting another Kobe game, but Gordon contributing from behind the arc, the paint and above the rim is what winning looks like for the Nuggets.
To add to his duties, Gordon is now leaned on to bring the ball up the court, a breathtaking skill for a 6-foot-8 wing player. It allows Murray to rest from the full court pestering of Jaden McDaniels, preserving energy and the Nugget star’s left calf. When Murray has burst, he is at his best. Gordon’s ball skills help make this possible.
Defensively, Gordon’s versatility turns him into a cheat code. Watch No. 50 for multiple possessions. You will see him banging bodies with Gobert, facing up with walking highlight Anthony Edwards and challenging Karl-Anthony Towns on the perimeter. The requirement is difficult. And Gordon must manage the task with finesse, avoiding early foul trouble that would fuel a caffeinated Timberwolves start.
Coach Michael Malone preaches defense, but knows in this series that the Nuggets’ scoring is more important. It limits Minnesota’s transition baskets, establishes confidence in role players, and creates better matchups.
But the Nuggets must play offense like they are on defense. They must be physical, tough, engaged and opportunistic. This is the Cliffs Notes summary of Gordon since he arrived in Denver.
The hotter the temperature, the cooler he gets. His teammates feed off this in ways very similar to Jokic, a player Gordon admires and emulates with his selflessness.
“I learned it from him. He’s the best basketball player in the world, a three-time MVP and he’s the most humble dude you will ever meet,” Gordon said. “So, if a three-time MVP can do it, I can do it too.”
After the Game 6 debacle, Gordon stood at his locker addressing reporters with calm confidence. His answers to questions might as well have been Lenny Kravitz singing smoothly, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over.”
“I have full faith in my teammates. I have full faith in the talent of this team, the poise,” Gordon said. “I was talking with them about this, that this is what we fought for all year, to have home court. And it’s what we fought for in this series, to get it back.”
Just being at home guarantees the Nuggets nothing. Yes, they own a one-game winning streak at Ball Arena. But they are also 1-2 overall in this series. They lost a single home game during last season’s championship run. It is a reminder that this team is different — no Bruce Brown, no Jeff Green — and that the Timberwolves are better than any team the Nuggets vanquished in the 2023 playoffs.
This is no surprise to Gordon. He told me, “We don’t want it easy.”
Now comes the hard part. The pressure has never been greater. All eyes will be on Murray and Jokic.
But when the Nuggets win, when they look like themselves again, we will credit Gordon for having the bandwidth to meet the moment.
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