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James Harden Says Eric Gordon Is an ‘All-Star for Sure’; Does He Have a Case?
- Updated: January 3, 2017
HOUSTON — The definition of an NBA All-Star can sometimes be a moving target.
Superstars like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and James Harden are no-brainers; they’re all locks for a ticket to New Orleans.
But for the other roster spots, especially the reserves, it can be tricky trying to figure out who is deserving of a nod.
Stat lines, overall production and team records are all great arbiters in the selection process, but sometimes, it helps to have the support of a perennial All-Star.
After Eric Gordon finished with a season-high 31 points in the Houston Rockets’ 101-91 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night at the Toyota Center, he got a strong recommendation from Harden, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week.
As the saying goes, it takes one to know one.
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“All-Star for sure,” Harden said, who racked up his third straight triple-double. “All-Star for sure. Especially with the record that we have right now. I mean, he sacrificed for the team. Obviously, he can start, but he sacrifices, comes off the bench, and he plays extremely well. He’s definitely an All-Star-caliber player troubled by injuries in his previous years, but he’s healthy, he feels great, he’s playing great.”
After five years of ups and downs and injuries that forced him to sit out 173 of 394 possible games, Gordon is playing great. Through 36 games, he’s averaging 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
“Eric’s been playing great,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s having an unbelievable year as a sixth man. You can say sixth man, but sometimes that doesn’t do him justice. He’s been playing at an All-Star level the whole year. He’s been unbelievable.”
Gordon’s most impressive stat, though, stems from his improved three-point shooting. After nailing six of 12 triples against Washington, he leads the league in made threes with 136 while shooting an impressive 42.8 percent from deep.
Eric Gordon had the hot hand for @HoustonRockets tonight.The No.7 pick of ’08 @NBADraft put up 31 points, including 6/12 from 3. …
