Denver Nuggets: 3 Unique ways Aaron Gordon has become a championship x-factor

Can this level of play continue?

Although Aaron Gordon has been amazing in the playoffs, it’s fair to wonder whether or not he can keep playing at this level. His scoring efficiency and shooting percentages are much higher than normal, so he could and likely will suffer from some shooting regression at some point this postseason.

However, there’s no guarantee he will. The playoffs are a small sample of games and it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Gordon to have elite scoring efficiency across the entire playoffs. If Jamal Murray continues to struggle, the Nuggets might need Gordon to stay on fire for the foreseeable future.

For now, Aaron Gordon is playing at an extremely high level and most impact metrics agree. Box plus-minus, specifically, estimates his play has been worth around 5.1 points per 100 possessions this postseason, which makes him one of the top-performing players remaining in the playoffs. This stat is probably overestimating just how good he's been, but that is still very impressive.

If he continues to shine and the Nuggets win the championship, we may view Aaron Gordon as the X factor behind their title defense.