Los Angeles Clippers: 5 Bold Predictions for Eric Gordon's 2011-12 Season

Eric Gordon of the Los Angeles Clippers is the best shooting guard in the NBA under the age of 25. Within the next three years, he'll be tops at his position.

Hyperbole? Hardly.

Go on...name me a better 2-guard under 25. (Waiting...) Exactly. 

Kobe Bryant, Manu Ginobili, and Joe Johnson are all aging and on the decline. And don't forget that the current leader in the clubhouse, Dwyane Wade, is only a month away from the big 3-0. Plus, he plays with a relentless aggression that has taken a huge toll on his body.

All that adds up to EJ taking the 2-guard throne. Here are five bold predictions for this rising star's 2011-12 season.

1. Finishes in the Top 10 in Three-Point Field Goal Percentage

This may seem like a stretch when you consider that Gordon was 73rd in the NBA last season in 3-point field goal percentage, checking in at 36.4 percent. 

However, Gordon is actually an excellent shooter who happened to begin the season mired in a terrible slump shooting threes.

EJ shot a dismal 23.2 percent from deep in October and November, before finding the range and connecting on 43.3 percent of his treys in December and January. 

Unfortunately for Gordon, he suffered a severe injury to his shooting wrist that kept him out for over a month and he struggled a bit with his shot upon returning to the court. Even after the injury, Gordon managed a respectable 38.2 percent on his threes.

Gordon's true shooting ability lies in his December/January splits. (Perhaps it's a good thing for him that the 2011-12 season kicks off deep into December.)

If he can maintain that 43 percent clip from downtown, a rate that would have been the league's seventh best in 2011, Gordon will land squarely in the top 10 in 3-point field goal percentage in 2012.

2. At Least Three 40-Point Performances

As good a scorer as Gordon is, he has topped 40 points in a game just once in his career. That not only underlies the talent around him, but also his unselfishness and willingness to find open teammates.

Gordon has the scoring ability to drop 40 several times a season. This will be the year that he avoids working around major injuries and shooting slumps to notch at least three 40-point performances.

3. Finishes Top 5 in Scoring

Gordon is a scoring savant. Last year he averaged better than 22 points a game despite suffering a major wrist injury on his shooting hand.

EJ has all the tools you look for in an elite scorer. He combines a dash of Monta Ellis' explosiveness with a sprinkle of Kevin Durant's shooting touch, a pinch of Kevin Martin's efficiency and a helping of LeBron's brute strength going to the basket.

To top it all off, he's also a reliable go-to guy in crunch time. In 2011, EJ posted better clutch stats than either Kobe or Dirk.

With another offseason of work and a clean bill of health, Gordon will have the confidence to pick defenses apart.

The side pick-and-roll he runs with Blake Griffin is almost impossible to stop.

With a smidgen more efficiency, Gordon can bump his scoring up to 25-26 points per game, making him a candidate to finish in the top five in scoring in 2012.

And if Chris Paul is feeding him, the NBA better really watch out.

4. First All-Star Selection

Eric Gordon is set to make his All-Star debut in 2012. As more and more stars migrate to the Eastern Conference, All-Star slots in the West are up for grabs. 

As far as guards go, Deron Williams now plies his trade on the East Coast. Who knows where Chris Paul will be come All-Star weekend? And Brandon Roy's promising career has come to an unfortunate conclusion. The only locks for All-Star guards in the West are Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook. 

Combine that with the desire to reward the Clippers for their fabulous first half (and it will be fabulous, I promise you) with two All-Star nods, and you get the first of many All-Star selections for Eric Gordon.

5. Appears in the Top 20 in 2012 ESPN NBA Rank

Gordon slotted in at No. 39 in ESPN's NBA Rank this year. That spot will automatically rise with Gordon's continued improvement and the decline of aging veterans.

But what may surprise people is just how high Gordon climbs on that list. After the monster season EJ is about to unleash, ESPN will have no choice but to rate him among the 20 best players in the league heading into the 2012-13 campaign.

If you haven't already hopped onto the Eric Gordon bandwagon, now is the time. I'll make sure to save you a good seat.