Want to keep up with the latest in tech?
NBA Sixth Man Of The Year: Eric Gordon
He was the go-to man of the Houston Rockets
In every team, there are the starting five players. These players are meant to be some of the best in the team and can get the momentum started for the rest. But then there are times when you need to call on a sixth man to help carry the weight. This year, the NBA awarded Eric Gordon as their Sixth Man Of The Year.
Gordon is the point guard of the Houston Rockets, and the team definitely banked on his talent on more than one occasion this season. He was a go-to player from the bench and carried his weight throughout all his appearances. His three-point shooting percentage (38.6 percent!) was particularly remarkable and his shots rained in just as the Rockets needed them.
On his first season with Houston, Gordon beat his old record and scored a career-high of 246 threes. With this, he only trails Stephen Curry (324), Klay Thompson (268) and James Harden (262).
Over the course of the recently concluded season, Gordon had a total of 75 appearances. He averaged a total of 16.2 points with a 40.6 percent shooting from the field. From those, he was at 36.2 percent on catch-and-shoot plays and 40.4 percent on pull-up opportunities.
With his numbers, the Rockets are surely thrilled that they signed a four-year contract with Gordon last year. The deal was for US$52.8 million, but this price is sure to pale in comparison to what he has and will continue to do for the team.
Back in February, Gordon admitted that Coach Mike D’Antoni was always pushing him to be the best. And in doing so, he evidently preempted Gordon’s awarding. “One thing Coach told me, ‘If you’re going to come off the bench, you better win Sixth Man Of The Year,” he told the Houston Chronicle.
Guess positive thinking, will power and hard work can really get you where you want to go.
Relive the NBA playoffs on the NBA LEAGUE PASS. Globe subscribers are eligible for exclusive NBA packages available in three service offerings: NBA499 for a 30-day premium access, NBA299 for 7 days and NBA50 for a 24-hour access. Globe users must text the preferred NBA promo keyword (NBA499, NBA299, NBA50) to 8080 to begin the registration process.
