Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon will be on the shelf for the next month or so.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Gordon suffered a severe left ankle sprain during Sunday's loss to the Toronto Raptors. He is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks.
Magic forward Aaron Gordon has a severe left ankle sprain — no fracture — and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2021
The former Arizona star was enjoying a strong season through 19 games, averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists while also shooting a career-high 36.9 percent from deep on 4.4 attempts per game. The Magic have now been robbed of Gordon's wing playmaking, and will have to wait at least a month before he returns to the fold.
The Magic had been somewhat tentative with Gordon after the 25-year-old left the “bubble” with a hamstring issue this past summer. But Orlando was really building up Gordon's minutes as the season rolled along, only for him to be sidelined with a different issue.
Things will only get tougher with Gordon out. Orlando began the season at 6-2. However, the Magic have since lost 11 of their last 13 games after coming up short against the Raptors. Nikola Vucevic has played at an All-Star level (22.6 points, 10.9 boards), but a season-ending injury to Markelle Fultz–paired with the holdover from Jonathan Isaac's injury during the NBA restart–has negatively impacted the team.
In spite of Vucevic's brilliance, the Magic rank 28th in offensive rating. Orlando is just 27th in assists per game, and rookie point guard Cole Anthony has really struggled to be efficient with the ball.
It remains to be seen who will fill Gordon's spot in the starting lineup over the course of the next month. But the Magic need to find some energy and offensive playmaking if they hope to turn things around.
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