The 2020-21 season left a bittersweet taste in Aaron Godon’s mouth. The one from San Jose was traded to Denver before the close of the market after completing his seven seasons as a professional with the Magic jersey. However, his first playoff appearance for Colorado was not quite as he had envisioned.
The serious injury of Jamal Murray pushed him to fulfill a role different from the one he had assumed until then. In addition, he was still carrying annoyances from the previous year, so he was not able to show his best level of play. Consequently, the Nuggets would be swept in the Conference Semifinals by the Phoenix Suns.
“I felt miserable coming out of the playoffs,” Gordon noted in an interview for The Denver Post. “I felt that my touch was gone, that I was not playing at the level that I know I can show. It was ugly, especially against Phoenix. And he was exhausted.
Gordon acknowledged that he faced the postseason with ankle pain and persistent discomfort from a hamstring injury suffered the previous season. After accepting the disappointment, the player starred in his clean slate particular and locked himself in various gyms in Denver, Los Angeles and Orlando during the offseason.
The first point to work on was the jump shot, followed by conditioning and strengthening sessions to improve his physique. A routine that has already reaped its first fruits in the training camp, where Mike Malone influenced him in the creation and the low post. “Aaron’s versatility is special,” said the head coach de los Nuggets.
Behind all this work is Gordon’s own momentum, which had been buried due to the defeatist inertia of some Orlando Magic who had fallen into no man’s land at the time of their transfer. “The previous season I had broken my hamstring in the bubble, so I could not do anything during the summer,” continued the player. ‘I could barely run or walk. I could not do anything. I was going crazy, especially after getting out of that bubble. My fire and my passion weren’t there when the season started. »
Fortunately, the operation that sent him to Denver was a breath of fresh air and a recovery from that competitive fire. “I am very grateful that Denver brought me. It has given me a new life. Being with all these guys who can play so well and who love this game, who love to win and compete, lit my flame. “
In Orlando, Gordon underwent too many inside changes, never allowing the Magic to rub shoulders in the noble zone of the Eastern Conference. «My experience was different every year. New coaches, general manager, players, … Now I can’t think of a better place for me and for my career than this one, playing with these guys in this organization. It’s right where I need to be. “
A mutual need that materialized in mid-August with its four-year renewal and a total of 92 million dollars.
(Cover photo by Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
