NBA Rumors: Threat of Knee Surgery Proves Eric Gordon Isn't Star Hornets Need
The New Orleans Hornets have a bright future, but it appears that shooting guard Eric Gordon isn’t going to be a part of it.
On Thursday, the Hornets speculated that Gordon may need surgery (via ESPN) to recover from his ongoing knee problems. Hornets coach Monty Williams stated that Gordon was out indefinitely.
However, Gordon told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports on Friday that a doctor in Chicago informed him that he can return in four to six weeks without surgery. Fancy that.
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We’ve heard this before from Gordon. Last season, when talk of microfracture surgery was bandied about as a remedy, Gordon opted for a much less extreme arthroscopic procedure and rest. The result was nine games played in 2012.
Even after resting for the entire offseason—Gordon didn’t play in the Olympics this summer after playing for Team USA in the 2010 World Championships—he still wasn’t ready for the start of the season.
Given this reported four- to six-week timetable, this will mark the fourth straight season that Gordon will miss at least 20 games. It’s safe to say he’s injury-prone.
After being hailed as the best young shooting guard in the league—a title that James Harden has firmly snatched away—it now appears that the max contract the Hornets matched in the offseason to retain Gordon was a mistake.
This was the guy that New Orleans built its Chris Paul trade package around. It’s going to be tough to admit that it’s already time to move on, but the Hornets might want to start thinking about shopping Gordon.
It’s not that Gordon is a bad player. He’s established a high level of production when he's healthy. But the key words there are when he’s healthy. Since the start of the 2010 season, Gordon has played in less than 55 percent of his team’s games. That’s not someone you can rely on.
This injury has been lingering for over a year now, and Gordon is content to let it linger even longer. The Hornets are in the midst of a promising rebuild. It might be time for them to do so without the services of Eric Gordon.
