Eric Gordon talks weight loss and the addition of Chris Paul

Eric Gordon discusses his weight loss and playing with Chris Paul next season.

Eric Gordon had a bounce back year last season.

Gordon played in 75 games, the most since his 2008-09 rookie season. Gordon also made 246 3-pointers, finishing fourth in the NBA. His consistent production off the bench earned him the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Despite having so much success as an individual and as a team, Gordon and the Rockets aren’t satisfied. James Harden has spent much of the offseason in the gym, and Gordon has followed suit.

Since the Rockets have the potential to win a championship, Gordon has used the offseason to lose a few pounds, via Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia.

“Since our expectations are so high this season, I started training a little bit earlier. I’ve lost weight, trimmed a little bit of weight to make sure I have a great start to the season, to be able to run around all day, for all 82 games. We play a very fast-paced style. Last season was good and, because I was healthy, I played a lot of games. Next year, I might play just a couple more minutes, so I just wanna be more consistent, as far as knocking down shots without being tired.”

Besides James Harden, Eric Gordon is the only shooting guard that will receive a lot of playing time. With Lou Williams back in L.A., Gordon will have to shoulder more of the scoring load for Houston’s bench.

Eric Gordon thinks that Chris Paul will thrive in Houston’s offensive.

Mike D’Antoni is widely recognized as the best offensive coach in the NBA. His Steve Nash led Phoenix Suns broke 3-point records in the mid-2000’s, and now his Houston Rockets have set the bar even higher.

Despite D’Antoni’s offensive preeminence, analysts haven’t shied away from questioning if a Harden-Paul coalition can actually succeed. Gordon, however, thinks that Houston’s fast paced offense can benefit Paul.

“This offense can be really simple for Chris, because it’s all about making quick decisions. He’s gonna get a lot more open shots, and he’s gonna have the ball a lot more, as far as easy assists. Everything’s gonna happen a little bit faster and quicker for him. When you have a guy like Chris, who’s a great playmaker, it makes things even easier. Of course, you want to play fast. James was the point guard last year and we played fast. Of course, he learned to be a very good passer. When you have two passers on the floor, and guys who can be dynamic while we’re playing fast, it makes things even easier for everyone.

Eric Gordon will see an abundance of open looks.

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Chris Paul and James Harden will command plenty of double-teams because both players are absolutely devastating in the pick-and-roll. That will leave players like Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson with more open shots, and Gordon plans to take full advantage of that opportunity.

“I’ll get easier shots with those guys on the floor. They’re both playmakers; they both draw a lot of attention. I’ll be open a little bit more than I was last year, and that’s the beautiful thing about it.

Eric Gordon, along with the rest of his teammates, will benefit from having two elite playmakers on the floor. Gordon wants to defend his Sixth Man of the Year title too.

“Being a sixth man wasn’t a struggle at all. That’s why I won Sixth Man of the Year; I wanted to win that. That was the role I wanted to take. I thought that, if I come off the bench, it’ll make us a better team. I wanna defend it, I definitely wanna win it next year, and accomplish the same goals I did this year.”

Next: Why the Houston Rockets will have a hot streak to start the year

Then, Eric Gordon’s goals for next season got even more ambitious: “I also want to be an All-Star.”

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