5-Time NBA Champion Scoffs After Aaron Gordon Demands More Playoff Rest Days

Ron Harper Sr cites how during his heyday, playoff games were more frequent after Aaron Gordon demands more rest days.

5-Time NBA Champion Scoffs After Aaron Gordon Demands More Playoff Rest Days

Ron Harper, Aaron Gordon and James Harden (Image via Firstsportz)

The Denver Nuggets were blown out 93-124 by the OKC Thunder in game 7 of a tough WCSF series. Aaron Gordon, who was nursing a hamstring strain, defied the odds to be involved, but his efforts were in vain. The Nuggets fell behind with a 13-0 Thunder run after Nikola Jokic sat for a short time in the second quarter. The team never recovered from this, sinking deeper into their deficit in the second half.

Many of the Nuggets’ rotation players have been playing through injuries in this playoff run. Russell Westbrook, Gordon and Michael Porter Jr have all been battling various issues. Porter Jr has a shoulder injury, while Westbrook had a right hand sprain and missed time in the Clippers series. All of this, combined with Jamal Murray being unable to replicate his previous playoff magic, meant the Nuggets had no shot of winning the series.

Aaron Gordon lamented his team’s health issues and had a suggestion for the NBA with regards to playoff scheduling:

“I would really really appreciate it if there were a couple of days in between games in the playoffs instead of every other day. Regardless if you go seven games. I understand if you do your work early and you get first seed then you can have some time off. But I think the days in between games, off day and a travel day and a recovery day. I think the product of the game would be a lot better…Probably less blowouts.”

While Gordon may have only been thinking about his team’s chances, players from past eras wouldn’t have the same view. Ron Harper played during a time when NBA scheduling had less wiggle room, both during the regular season as well as the playoffs. The former Bulls and Lakers guard pointed out that blowouts in game 7s weren’t common during his career:

“How about playing harder… in the 80s 90s and 70s it wasn’t blow outs like now with less days off.”

It is important to note the difference in pace between the Bulls heyday and the modern game. Even though the pace slows down in the playoffs, the pace still remains high. Teams run more pick-and-rolls and off-ball actions and need players to cut on dimes more often. Another factor is how players who make it to the NBA have often played too much AAU basketball with little rest during their formative years.

Aaron Gordon finishes a tragic season by giving it his all

Aaron Gordon’s brother Drew Gordon passed away after suffering from a car crash last summer. The 6’9″ forward has been carrying the grief of his brother’s death over the past season and has used it to power himself to greater heights as a player.

Gordon has had a fairytale playoff run despite the Nuggets’ second-round exit. He hit crucial shots in clutch situations throughout their 14-game stand. Gordon had the first buzzer-beating dunk in NBA playoff history against the Clippers in game 4. He would then have a game-winning 3-pointer in Game 3 of their series against the Thunder. Gordon was Denver’s best defender and their most effective player not named Nikola Jokic.

While the 2024-25 Nuggets wouldn’t necessarily go down in history, both Gordon and Jokic’s performances will find their place in NBA folklore. Jokic will likely have the only triple-double season by a center in a long time. Gordon, for his part, would be remembered for his game-winners and his clutch play.

Also Read: