Pelicans guard Eric Gordon made some history last night in a tough, 95-93 loss to the visiting Houston Rockets. In almost 42 minutes of game action, Gordon failed to net a single field goal or snatch one rebound. This has never happened over the last 30 years of the NBA.
Per Basketball-Reference, with a tip of the cap to reddit’s excellent r/NBA community, comes evidence of Gordon’s historic feat of incompetence.
Similar to Channing Frye’s O-for box score earlier this year, the level of ineptitude was augmented when you consider how much Gordon makes with the Pelicans this year.
Gordon will deposit $14,898,938 this season for the Pellies. If he appears in the final 11 games for New Orleans (bringing his grand total to 61 games — a good stretch of games for the oft-injured guard), he’ll be making a shade over $244,244.88 per contest. So when he goes 0-for-5 from the field (0-of-3 from three) with three assists, zero rebounds, and one turnover in 41:52 minutes of game time, you know he’ll definitely be picking up his $15 million-plus player option for next season.
Oh, and perhaps you’re like us and realized that Gordon was actually eight seconds short of playing 42 total minutes last night (the number given in the reddit thread). Well, he’s the only NBA player to be on the court for 41 minutes without a rebound or a field goal in the last 30 years, too.
Eric knows he can do better, and the Pellies — still without point guard Jrue Holiday — really need him to if they’re going to supplant OKC in the eight spot out west. After last night’s loss to Houston, they’re now three and a half games back of OKC and trail Phoenix by a half game. At least ‘Reke came ready to play.
(r/NBA)
