Coach Packie Turner says Aaron Gordon is ready for a big third year with the Denver Nuggets

November 03, 2022

By Madisen Carter

Aaron Gordon recently entered his ninth season in the NBA, and Unlimited Potential Basketball’s Coach Packie Turner said he is ready to take it up another notch and have a big year. Gordon recently entered his third season with the Denver Nuggets, and in seven games he is already averaging 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. 

Gordon entered the league in 2014 when he was the fourth overall draft pick by the Orlando Magic at age 19. Gordon spent 6 years with the Magic totaling 5,507 points, 2,753 rebounds and 1,069 assists. His most memorable season with the Magic was during the 2018-19 season when he averaged 16 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists and totaled 1,246 points, 574 rebounds and 298 assists.

When Gordon joined the Nuggets in the middle of the 2020-21 season, he only played in 25 of the games that season. The following season, he started in all 75 of the games he played and was able to rack up a statline averaging 15 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists as the Nuggets finished the season 48-34. 

Gordon told the Denver Post at the beginning of October that he has honed into his floaters and jump hooks as he focused on the mid-post area this past off-season. He told the Post this season he knows where he needs to be and that the team has potential for a shot at the title if they continue to stay healthy. Going into his third season with the team, Packie said Gordon's ability to be so versatile makes him a good complimentary piece next to Nikola Jokić.

“[Aaron is] kind of the key piece to their team from a standpoint of he guards the best player and he can take advantage of mismatches and do various things. He can create, he can play make,” Packie said. “I think Aaron's finding his rhythm with Denver, and he's going to have a big year. I think he's worked his tail off, and I think he's ready to take it up another notch.”

Packie and Gordon have been working together since 2016, and the two have developed a close relationship. Gordon comes into the UPB Training facility to work on his game, as well as his older brother, Drew, who is currently playing overseas in Japan. 

“Aaron is family to me, his entire family is family to me. We've been around each other a lot, I mean, I'm very close with his brother as well,” Packie said. “I've been lucky enough that they've trusted me with their development all these years and it's been just really cool to continue to see them grow and really watch Aaron become a grown man. He was young when he came in, and he's a grown man now.”

Packie recently took a trip to Denver at the end of October to work with Gordon and see him and the Nuggets play the Los Angeles Lakers at home. During his quick trip, the two were able to get in an hour workout and watch film to go over Gordon’s game. 

Packie said in a recent Instagram post, “Business trip to Denver. AG- Always Growing. Aaron has never ran from the work it takes to be special, he's still no where near his ceiling, showing up day in and day out to better himself he continues to approach new heights. Nuggets will be tough this year!”

The Denver Nuggets will travel to Oklahoma today to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder today at 5PM. We are excited here at UPB to see a big season from Gordon with the team and we wish him good luck in year nine!

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