The AP reports:
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Eric Gordon got a whole lot more than a gold medal from his summer in Europe with the U.S. national team.
The Clippers’ soft-spoken guard also learned with certainty that he really can play with the world’s best. Gordon was the fourth-leading scorer and a key defensive player for the U.S. team, silencing critics who wondered if the Indiana product belonged in that uniform.
“It was a good confidence-booster,” Gordon said on the first day of Clippers training camp. “It shows where I am in my career. I really know what I can do now.”
The Clippers are counting on him doing plenty for them this winter. Gordon has been a steady pro in his first two NBA seasons, averaging 16.4 points and 2.9 assists for two terrible teams, but general manager Neil Olshey wants and expects more when Los Angeles returns with a new attitude under new coach Vinny Del Negro.
“Eric’s aggressiveness at this level hasn’t been commensurate with his skill,” said Olshey, the longtime personnel executive who succeeded Mike Dunleavy. “He’s going to get that into his game now, and I’ll put him up against anybody in his draft class, and anybody with three years left on his deal. I think he’s as good as any of them, but in his first two years, he has deferred a lot to veterans.”
