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Orlando Magic rookie forward Aaron Gordon will be out indefinitely with a fractured foot, according to a statement by Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan on Sunday.
Could Be Out For the Season
Gordon suffered a fracture in his left foot on Saturday night during the Magic’s 93-98 loss to the Washington Wizards. He played 14 minutes in that game and was able to score 6 points and grab 3 rebounds. However, he ended up leaving the game in a walking boot as a result of the injury. X-rays after the game revealed that Gordon suffered a fracture on the 5th metatarsal (outside) of his left foot. Orlando Magic officials said that Gordon will be re-evaluated later this week but sources are saying that he could possibly be out for the remainder of the season.
Second Casualty of Rookie Class
Should Gordon miss the remainder of the season, he becomes the second casualty from the highly regarded rookie class of 2014 to suffer a season ending injury. Lakers’ forward and #7 overall pick Julius Randle suffered a season ending fracture of his left tibia during his first ever NBA game on October 28th.
Gordon was the Orlando Magic’s 4th overall pick after a stellar freshman season at the University of Arizona where he was named PAC-12 Freshman of the Year, First Team All PAC-12 and third team All-American-TSN last season. Gordon averaged 12.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 38 games for the Wildcats.
A Work in Progress
Along with the top three picks in the draft, Gordon was considered as the one with the most upside at 19 years of age with his freak athleticism and 7-foot wingspan. Gordon’s defense has proven to be NBA ready right now although his offensive game still needs a lot of work. He is considered as a work in progress in a Magic team that is not expected to make waves anyway this season.
Gordon was averaging 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in very limited minutes (15.0) of playing time. He has played in all the 11 games that the Magic have played so far. Gordon tallied career highs of 17 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in a 112-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last November 11. Gordon shot well from the field at .581 but has struggled at the foul line at .667.
Orlando will have to sort out problems in the power forward position without Gordon since the third PF in their rotation, Kyle O’Quinn, has not yet returned to action after suffering an ankle injury during their opening game. Quinn has been ruled out of their upcoming two game road trip, meaning his earliest return could be on Wednesday against the Clippers.
