Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into this year’s NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans are feeling more excited than ever about their future. With a brand new name, uniform and color scheme this squad is ready to continue making changes for the better. Well, that is, if you consider the name change for the better — I digress.
One of the reasons they are excited is because of their guard play and the potential it has. With Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans now on board, the Pelicans have a completely revamped back court with the potential to score a lot of points.
Eric Gordon will be heading that cause up this year and hoping to stay healthy while doing it. Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2008, Gordon has yet to play a full season due to injuries. The last three seasons, he’s played only 107 games combined with just nine coming in the 2011-2012 season.
As a career 44 percent shooter averaging 18 points per game, Gordon is hoping to stay healthy and contend for one of those final playoffs spots in a wide open Western Conference — of course, I’m speaking about the bottom four seeds.
New Orleans is hoping Gordon gets back to his form when with the Los Angeles Clippers when he put up a career high in points per game for the 2010 campaign, scoring over 22 points per game. On a team that has lacked a lot of excitement, Gordon can bring not only offense but momentum. As an athletic, and still young guard, Gordon is one of the more athletic guys in basketball and can get the crowd on its feet at any given moment.
2013 could be a year of much positivity for New Orleans. After a rather successful offseason, this team looks like they could be fun to watch again. But, Gordon must stay healthy. If he can do that, the Pelicans could end up sneaking into that final playoff spot come spring.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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