{"id":97932,"date":"2024-09-27T12:20:13","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T16:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=97932"},"modified":"2024-09-27T12:20:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T16:20:13","slug":"should-nuggets-aaron-gordon-la-olympics-consideration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/27\/should-nuggets-aaron-gordon-la-olympics-consideration\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Nuggets Swiss Army Knife Get LA Olympics Consideration?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Denver Nuggets forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gordoaa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aaron Gordon<\/a> hasn\u2019t had his typical summer.<\/p>\n<p>Usually a fun-loving lighthearted guy, he\u2019s had to grieve <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/05\/31\/former-nba-player-drew-gordon-dies-at-the-age-of-33\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">the loss of his brother<\/a>. A former NBA player himself, Drew Gordon passed away on May 30 in a vehicular accident. The tragedy hasn\u2019t taken away the high-flyer\u2019s smile, but it has obviously weighed heavily on him. He\u2019s even went so far as to change his jersey number from No. 50 to No. 32 in honor of his big bro.<\/p>\n<h2>Should Nuggets Swiss Army Knife Aaron Gordon Get LA Olympics Consideration?<\/h2>\n<p>If Gordon had gotten the chance to play for Team USA as he expected, it might have provided him with a bit of extra solace, or at least a distraction. Players often say the basketball court is their sanctuary; their safe space. He probably could\u2019ve used that as much as anyone not named <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wiggian01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Wiggins<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/barrerj01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RJ Barrett<\/a> this offseason.<\/p>\n<p>To that point, Wiggins\u2019 father (Mitchell Wiggins) <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/13\/key-warriors-players-father-passes-away-after-battle-with-illness\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">lost a lengthy battle<\/a> with an undisclosed illness earlier this month. In March, Barrett\u2019s younger brother (Nathan Barrett) <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/29\/raptors-scottie-barnes-rj-barrett-return-practice-extended-absence\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">fell victim to an undisclosed illness<\/a> as well. Unfortunately for Gordon, he \u201cwas asked about playing for Team USA, then the call never came around. So there was a little bit of salt there.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Wow&#8230; Aaron Gordon didn&#8217;t get a call from Team USA <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EhMAqxlBrt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/EhMAqxlBrt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Oh No He Didn&#8217;t (@ohnohedidnt24) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ohnohedidnt24\/status\/1839372820696203528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Taking to Twitter to clarify the comments he made during the Nuggets\u2019 Media Day, Gordon relays that \u201cafter (Denver) beat the (Golden State) Warriors in the Bay, (Warriors and USA Basketball head coach) Steve Kerr asked if I wanted to play on the USA team\u2026 (I don\u2019t know) bro.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">After we beat the warriors in the bay Steve Kerr asked if I wanted to play on the USA team\u2026 idk bro. It\u2019s a bit rhetorical but hey we got gold<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Gordon (@Double0AG) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Double0AG\/status\/1839397885290700884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Gordon then issued a fiery statement about wanting to play in the 2028 Olympics, which will be hosted by Los Angeles. \u201cI got goals,\u201d the San Jose native says.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">If you think I\u2019m not working every damn day to play in 2028 and represent\u2026I got goals! Don\u2019t care if you wanna see me fail<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aaron Gordon (@Double0AG) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Double0AG\/status\/1839398781118472676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t care if you want to see me fail.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>You Can\u2019t Blame Him<\/h3>\n<p>As a player who isn\u2019t really known for his scoring punch or playmaking, many question if Gordon is being realistic. To that point, in a vacuum, there are likely multiple forwards who would be picked over him. However, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick White<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a> making the Olympic team this summer, he can\u2019t be blamed for thinking he has a chance.<\/p>\n<p>Like White or Holiday, Gordon\u2019s impact can\u2019t really be measured with a box score. He\u2019ll rarely lead the team in scoring. He probably won\u2019t be their primary facilitator. He simply does what it takes for his team to win, particularly at the defensive end.<\/p>\n<h3>What Might The LA Roster Look Like?<\/h3>\n<p>The Team USA roster in 2028 projects to be a fair bit younger than they were this year. This is primarily because 39-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a> and 36-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a> have most likely played in their last Olympic Games. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/duranke01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kevin Durant<\/a> has left the door open, but he\u2019ll be nearly 40 years old the next go-around.<\/p>\n<p>In this hypothetical, let\u2019s say that Durant tries to win a historic fifth gold medal with the U.S. men\u2019s national team. Let\u2019s also say that Gordon indeed made the cut. What would the potential roster look like?<\/p>\n<pre>PG: Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton\r\n\r\nSG: Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell\r\n\r\nSF: Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown\r\n\r\nPF: Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero, Aaron Gordon\r\n\r\nC: Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Chet Holmgren\r\n<\/pre>\n<p>Frankly, it\u2019s hard to see Gordon making the cut.<\/p>\n<h3>The Competition Is Steep<\/h3>\n<p>Unlike <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jayson Tatum<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/banchpa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paolo Banchero<\/a>, who are superb scorers, Gordon isn\u2019t focused on getting points. That\u2019s to his benefit as it makes him someone that scoring-minded teammates want to play with. The problem is that there\u2019s so much depth in the frontcourt.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for Gordon, players like Durant, Tatum, Banchero, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brownja02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaylen Brown<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Davis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adebaba01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bam Adebayo<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holmgch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chet Holmgren<\/a> are just more talented. So, he would have to hope that Durant passed up the chance to go to LA. If one of Tatum or Brown soured on the opportunity <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/08\/olympics-grant-hill-jaylen-brown-future-team-usa-eligibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">due to their experiences<\/a> with Kerr and USA Basketball director Grant Hill, respectively, that would help.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, he might still have to contend with players like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/willizi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zion Williamson<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mobleev01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evan Mobley<\/a> for a spot. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuzmaky01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Kuzma<\/a>, an underrated offensive player, is <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/10\/former-jordan-clarkson-teammate-open-to-joining-gilas-pilipinas\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">hoping to make the team<\/a>. Cooper Flagg, the projected 2025 No. 1 pick, will probably be in the conversation. By 2028, even forwards A.J. Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer \u2014at the top of the class in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/playerrankings\/_\/class\/2025\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2025 ESPN 100<\/a> \u2014could make enough noise.<\/p>\n<p>Gordon making the team isn\u2019t impossible, but he\u2019ll have steep competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon hasn\u2019t had his typical summer. Usually a fun-loving lighthearted guy, he\u2019s had to grieve the loss of his brother. A former NBA player himself, Drew Gordon passed away on May 30 in a vehicular accident. The tragedy hasn\u2019t taken away the high-flyer\u2019s smile, but it has obviously weighed heavily on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":98025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1608,62,3,60],"tags":[472,798,69,1052],"class_list":["post-97932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nuggets","category-basketball","category-nba","category-news","category-olympics","tag-aaron-gordon","tag-jayson-tatum","tag-kevin-durant","tag-olympics"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}