If this was an ink contest, JR Swish would win hands down (although those Decepticon and Young Money tats are questionable, at best). But we’re basing this comparison on strictly ball skills, and this may be our toughest challenge yet.
Round 1 - SCORING: These are two players who we’ve been watching ever since their prep days and they haven’t disappointed upon their arrival in the League. Some of us here even got to see JR in person putting in work at gyms across New Jersey. Back then, not only did he have amazing hops for a kid that didn’t even have a driver’s permit, but he had range like Reggie from three. Meanwhile, peep some old YouTube highlights of EG back in high school and dude was putting up 30 almost every night. Fast forward a few years later and the former Indiana “Mr. Basketball” is defying the critics, by showing he has a pro-ready game and looks to be the future for the Clips. But JR just has a little bit more explosiveness to the hoop, and although his deep J isn’t always dropping, when he’s on, there are few players as dangerous as Mr. Smith in the game today.
Winner: SMITH
Round 2 - FLOOR GAME: Smith’s handles are definitely underrated, but you don’t wanna get caught guarding #5 one-on-one… not only will he most likely blow by you, but he can cross you up as well and nail a trey in your grill. But end-to-end, Gordon is a bit more dangerous with the rock in his hands. He is naturally more of a shooting guard, but can play the point as well. With Baron in town he doesn’t have to be the floor general as much (you could even make the case that Gordon is being groomed into Boom 2.0), but he has the speed, handle, eye and smarts to be a point guard at any given moment for the Clips.
Winner: GORDON
Round 3 - DEFENSE: Both players are far from DPOY considerations, as offense is where they shine. Gordon has the kind of build though where he can take on bigger guards or small forwards and he has the feet to keep up with the speediest of 1s. JR doesn’t shy down from the best who play his position, but he’ll never be confused with Ron Artest or Bruce Bowen. Smith also has the luxury having Birdman and Kenyon Martin behind him, plus Chauncey sometimes taking on the opposing team’s best guard himself. It’s an ugly round, but the slight nod goes to Gordon.
Winner: GORDON
Round 4 - CLUTCH: As the No. 3 option for the Nuggets with the game on the line, JR Smith surprisingly gets a decent amount of looks in the waning seconds…of the first, second and third quarters. Dude definitely isn’t afraid to chuck one up from deep as the clock inches towards zero, and I guess you have to count the ability to beat the buzzer in any frame as clutch. We have seen him do it a few times with the game on the line as well, but nine out of 10 times those shots go to Chauncey or Melo. He can be great in the playoffs too, but on the flipside is prone to catch a cold streak of arctic proportions. Eric Gordon hasn’t had many chances to take a game over yet for the Clips, nor swish a trey as the buzzer sounds, although we envision him as that No. 1 option as they continue to grow and learn to win games. But right now we’d rather have JR Swish with the ball in his hands and the game on the line.
Winner: SMITH
Round 5 - LEADERSHIP: Similar to the clutch category, when you’re playing behind the franchise (Carmelo Anthony) and one of the best point guards of the past decade (Billups), Smith doesn’t get much time to shine in the leadership category. His immaturity at times has drove George Karl crazy, but we are beginning to see slivers of improvement as he gets older. Gordon seems like a quiet cat, but its not long before the Clips hand over the entire set of keys to the team to him. They will be his team for a long time, while Smith will defer to Anthony and Billups as long as he’s in the Rockies.
Winner: GORDON
THE VERDICT In a way this matchup is like one of those Gatti-Ward boxing matches; both dudes may not yet be main event status, but they bring the kind of electrifying skills to carry a card all by themselves. This may be the closest head-to-head matchup we’ve had yet, but there has to be a winner.
Based on his slightly better all-around game and consistency, the judges award this matchup to Gordon in an upset.
Head 2 Head
