Aaron Gordon is best used at both forward positions.

[AshBlackstone]

We've had back and forth discussions about Gordon's true position being the 3 or the 4 in this league, and I fought hard at first for him to be exclusively at the 3. But in light of the new position-less league, and the success of teams like Golden St, why can't the answer be both?

Sliding him around depending on the lineup you're running out there at different parts of the game seems to be the real answer. Though is unlikely to come to pass until we deal Vucevic, which is not a possibility to me, but an inevitability.

[Patrick1978]

Gordon at the 4 with ibaka at the 5
Trade vucevic for a sf
Tj warren would be nice.
Give them also hezonja

[AshBlackstone]

Gordon at the 4 with ibaka at the 5
Trade vucevic for a sf
Tj warren would be nice.
Give them also hezonja

In that scenario, you could actually give Gordon, Ibaka, and Biyombo an equal amount of minutes...all getting over 30, and have very little need for a fourth big for anything other than mop duty, and depth in case someone gets injured.

But I would prefer Gordon getting time at the 3 and 4. And in some scenarios, I can even see Gordon at the 5 in a super small ball lineup.

[boomershadow]

This thread manages to beat two dead horses in a very short amount of words. Nice job.

[Patrick1978]

Gordon at the 4 with ibaka at the 5
Trade vucevic for a sf
Tj warren would be nice.
Give them also hezonja

In that scenario, you could actually give Gordon, Ibaka, and Biyombo an equal amount of minutes...all getting over 30, and have very little need for a fourth big for anything other than mop duty, and depth in case someone gets injured.

But I would prefer Gordon getting time at the 3 and 4. And in some scenarios, I can even see Gordon at the 5 in a super small ball lineup.

Vogel can give some minutes to Zimmermann.
He has potential as a rim protector

[PrimeThyme]

AG's best position and where he should be at is the 4. I think most people on the board agree with that. I think he should be starting, but If he is coming off the bench, I think he should especially be playing the 4 because that's best for his development in the long run.

[AshBlackstone]

This thread manages to beat two dead horses in a very short amount of words. Nice job.

Cool. You know where the Pacer board is, right? I suggest you find your way back to it if you don't like the topics on this one.

Also, that would be the first time a storm trooper has ever hit something.

[Nemesis21]

PF

[axl_c_cool]

Payton
Fournier
Green/Hezonja
Gordon
Ibaka


That's our best line up, Gordon is a 4

[Catledge]

I still have high hopes for him and think he's close to figuring something out, but I think his struggles are primarily a function of where he is as a basketball player right now. The suggestion that he would be playing better right now as a PF seems far fetched to me.

[SD2042]

AG's skills set are better suited at the PF position.

[AshBlackstone]

I should have been more clear in the thread title. I'll amend it. This is really about my opinion that he'd be better off playing both positions, and that we'd be better off using more flexible lineups in the flow of a game. He's seen 94 percent of his time at the 3 so far this season.

[Mauro Pedrosa]

Payton
Fournier
Green/Hezonja
Gordon
Ibaka


That's our best line up, Gordon is a 4

I like Augustin more than Payton (even with Payton's awesome 4th quarter yesterday) but I agree with the rest

We have to give our brightest young star minutes at the 4 and send Vucevic packing

[AshBlackstone]

Payton
Fournier
Green/Hezonja
Gordon
Ibaka


That's our best line up, Gordon is a 4

I like Augustin more than Payton (even with Payton's awesome 4th quarter yesterday) but I agree with the rest

We have to give our brightest young star minutes at the 4 and send Vucevic packing

You like Augustin now, because he's playing his role correctly. Given more minutes, and a bigger role...you wouldn't like him nearly as much. In a starter's role, you'd see him as a volume scorer with decent shooting range. His skill set is perfect to be the back up to a pass first point guard. He can be instant offense, and is great for short bursts. Expecting anything more than that from him is a mistake.

[Mauro Pedrosa]

Payton
Fournier
Green/Hezonja
Gordon
Ibaka


That's our best line up, Gordon is a 4

I like Augustin more than Payton (even with Payton's awesome 4th quarter yesterday) but I agree with the rest

We have to give our brightest young star minutes at the 4 and send Vucevic packing

You like Augustin now, because he's playing his role correctly. Given more minutes, and a bigger role...you wouldn't like him nearly as much. In a starter's role, you'd see him as a volume scorer with decent shooting range. His skill set is perfect to be the back up to a pass first point guard. He can be instant offense, and is great for short bursts. Expecting anything more than that from him is a mistake.

I don't think DJ is a perfect point guard by any means, but I think his off the dribble shot is faaaar ahead of Payton's and it would be better for our offense.

[Last Guardian]

He is definitely a 3 but these days he can play 4 in small lineupes. Ton of 4's he can't guard though. He is much better defending the perimeter. Wish he would attack on offense more often though.

[Catledge]

AG's skills set are better suited at the PF position.

I don't see what reason there is to believe this. His shooting would still be a problem, and his defense would be slightly worse. He would go from having a strength advantage in almost every matchup to giving away size and strength in most matchups.

[Skin]

The answer was always both.

The problem was that with Oladipo, Fournier, Harris, Hezonja and Gordon... Gordon never had the chance to get minutes at SF. The other problem was that at PF, we needed a defensive C next to him... which Vuc was never was. Draymond works at PF next to Bogut. Ibaka worked at PF next to Perkins and Adams. But we saw last year... Gordon and Vuc doesn't work.

So when we got rid of Harris and Oladipo and then brought in Ibaka, I thought GREAT... minutes will open up for him to start playing SF.

When we brought in Biyombo, I thought GREAT... Gordon at PF could work.

-----------

BUT.... if Gordon at SF is going to work then, he has to be in constant attack mode as a scorer (not living in Vuc's shadow as a scorer). ...and if Gordon at PF is going to work, then Vuc has to get out of the starting line up and we need more scoring from our 1-3 spots.

In both scenarios Vuc is a common denominator.

[SD2042]

He is definitely a 3 but these days he can play 4 in small lineupes. Ton of 4's he can't guard though. He is much better defending the perimeter. Wish he would attack on offense more often though.

With today's NBA evolution with the frontcourt guys, he could slick get away with the SF and PF based on matchup scenarios. Right now, his SF perimeter game is not reliable enough for AG to continue to play the position whereas defensively as a SF he would make a case against other SFs. As for playing at PF, to me it's the better position. Solid defender, quickness and a athletic who can breakout in transition offense. His strength will have to improve like you said in order to be a better defender in the frontcourt.

AG's skills set are better suited at the PF position.

I don't see what reason there is to believe this. His shooting would still be a problem, and his defense would be slightly worse. He would go from having a strength advantage in almost every matchup to giving away size and strength in most matchups.

His shooting is a problem on the perimeter now. With Vuc and Ibaka in the frontcourt, AG is literally playing out of position at SF.
Defensively his quickness and athleticism helps AG out at SF, but as Skin pointed out earlier, Gordon's development at SF was barely consistent enough for him to improve his perimeter game. That's one reason why his effectiveness at the SF position is not reliable for the Magic to put him in that position.

[Def Swami]

These are some of the questions I wish local media would press about. I understand there is an emphasis to play Gordon at the 3, but why have we totally eliminated his time at the 4? Just seems like a misuse of his skill set.