Eric Gordon is the other irreplaceable Rocket

We know James Harden is irreplaceable. We know Chris Paul is important. But in a specific way, Gordon is also indispensable to Houston.

HOUSTON — Freeze the frame whenever Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon catches a pass. Gaze at the defense, notice how much time is on the shot clock, where Gordon is standing, and any other variable that’s seemingly relevant.

For most players, this stuff dictates what will happen next. For Gordon, all context is irrelevant. He’s about to attack.

In the photo above, Gordon catches the advance with 22 seconds on the shot clock and two defenders in front of him, right after Steph Curry drilled his first three of the game. Including all-stars and household supernovas, very few NBA players will do what he does next, particularly when down 0-2 to the Golden State Warriors, knowing that every miss is an opportunity for the most lethal counterpunching team in basketball history.

Gordon has played like a geyser throughout his three-year Rockets tenure, and the pressure he places in secondary transition has only increased over the past few weeks. In Game 3, Golden State’s defense was on its heels trying to slow him down. If it came out to take away his air space, Gordon bum rushed to the rim. If it gave any type of cushion 30 feet and in, Gordon took the shot. (Gordon has launched 31 shots from 27-40 feet, more than anyone in the playoffs.)

“Gordy tough, man. I think sometimes we got more confidence in Gordy than he got in himself. You know what I mean?” Chris Paul said before Game 3. “Because he has unlimited range. When you kick it to him and he’s five steps behind the three-point line, it’s like a regular shot for him. Everybody else be like ‘wow’. We’re used to it.”

In these playoffs, only Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken more shots with between 22 and 18 seconds on the shot clock than Gordon. Gordon’s effective field goal percentage on these 28 attempts is 82.1 percent. In the second round, he leads everyone with 16 attempts. His effective field goal percentage on those shots is 87.5 percent.

If a lesser player operated this way, he’d be branded as reckless. Instead, the Rockets would not be the Rockets without it.

“He has a green light,” James Harden said about his teammate. “When he’s in that mindset, aggressive and in attack mode, good things happen for himself and for our team. In basketball, especially at this level, you want to have guys on the floor that you can trust. When the ball is in his hands I feel comfortable. I feel relaxed.”

Gordon’s duty on the Rockets is straightforward: be a meteor shower. Gordon doesn’t feed lobs to Clint Capela or fling darts to P.J. Tucker in the corner. His assist rate is half what it was during the regular season, and in the playoffs, he’s only averaged 19.8 passes per game in 36.8 minutes a night, a playoff low among all players who average at least 32 minutes. Setting the table isn’t what he’s paid to do, and he doesn’t pretend otherwise.

But thanks to Houston’s roster construction and natural pecking order, his job is also far from simple. Harden needs to handle the ball at all times, so Gordon’s opportunities are limited.

“In certain aspects [playing with Paul and Harden] makes it easier because you’re not expected every second to be that guy. And to be honest they probably don’t have their best defender on you,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Harder because you don’t know when it’s coming or what’s happening and you have to find your spots and you have to stay aggressive no matter what.”

It’s stressful to always have one’s foot on the gas. Gordon doesn’t get to survey the defense, dribble 15 times, and then make a calculated decision based on the coverage. Inconsistent force is unacceptable, and offsets all the positive qualities he brings to the table. His output may fluctuate game to game, but his behavior cannot.

“I never know how many shots he’s made or missed during a game, because I’m gonna throw it to him every time,” Paul said. “If a guy tries to contest my layup and I see him at the three-point line, it’s going right to him.”

Gordon knows exactly what he is, on a team that desperately needs him to follow that exact script every minute he’s on the floor, even when shots aren’t falling. He doesn’t have the luxury of having the team call a play for him to get him going.

It makes some sense to call Gordon a “specialist,” but the term still feels disrespectful, even if it may be accurate. He’s a specific, irreplaceable cog for one of the most stable and successful organizations in the NBA. Every team could use this type of player, but Houston needs it more and duplicates do not exist.

Over the weekend, Paul was asked if anyone else could provide all that Gordon does for the Rockets.

“Uhhh,” Paul pretended to search for an answer. “Him.”