A burning question I've been pondering this off season is this: What can we expect from Eric Gordon this year, and in the future?

Pretty much everyone felt good about where we drafted Al Thornton last year coming into the season, and his stock only went up as the year went on as he flashed serious athletic ability that we all hope can translate into becoming a main component to a winning team.

Thornton's rookie stats:

27.8 Minutes/Game

12.7 Pts - 4.5 Reb - 1.2 Assists - 1.6 TO

Shooting 42.9 FG%, 33.1 3P%, 74.3%

The numbers don't seem that impressive, but considering he improved as the season went on and looks to have a high ceiling there's a chance he could break out in his 2nd year.

Where does that leave Eric Gordon? A higher draft pick, he's got a more distinguished basketball pedigree being a top recruit out of Indiana, though with a growing injury history and tumult in Hoosier land during his only college season, his ability to become a good pro is in doubt.  If he can stay relatively healthy, we'd like to see him be a scoring threat and a solid defender off the bench, but his numbers for this coming season, for various reasons are likely to be about half of what Thornton put up last year. 

We have a good idea of the talent we have at PG, PF/C for the next couple of seasons.  What we get out of Al & Eric is the big key to our present and future.  Right now, there is reason for cautious optimism, but we just have to see how it plays out.  I hear Gordon's status is day to day with a minor ankle injury after the first day of camp.