ERIC Gordon entered this off-season with a renewed vigour.

The Rockets guard came off arguably the best season of his career, having been revitalised by the offensive stylings of his new head coach, Mike D’Antoni.

The fast pace of the Rockets led to Gordon’s impressive offensive output throughout the 2016-17 season, and, for a player whose career has been stalled by injuries, the 28-year-old finally had the opportunity to enter the off-season unwounded, with a plan to get better, as opposed to focusing on overcoming another setback.

Gordon now has a different sense of urgency. He knows that, with the addition of Chris Paul, he’s a part of a team that has the potential to win a championship, and he’s doing everything in his power to make sure he’ll be as effective as possible in a system that worked so well for him just a season prior.

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“Since our expectations are so high this season, I started training a little bit earlier,” Gordon told foxsports.com.au.

“I’ve lost weight, trimmed a little bit of weight to make sure I have a great start to the season, to be able to run around all day, for all 82 games. We play a very fast-paced style. Last season was good and, because I was healthy, I played a lot of games.

“Next year, I might play just a couple more minutes, so I just wanna be more consistent, as far as knocking down shots without being tired.”

Those extra minutes will come as a result of the Rockets losing Lou Williams, as well as the lack of depth at the two-spot. With Paul and James Harden likely to share the ball-handling duties, Gordon will be tasked with playing alongside them, bringing his premier three-point shooting and underrated athleticism to the table.

With the presence of two ball-dominant guards, many have questioned how the new-look Rockets will gel, but Gordon sees nothing wrong with having arguably two future hall-of-famers playing side-by-side.

“I’ll get easier shots with those guys on the floor,” Gordon said.

“They’re both playmakers; they both draw a lot of attention. I’ll be open a little bit more than I was last year, and that’s the beautiful thing about it.

“The only one who’ll have to make a real adjustment is James, because Chris is gonna be the point guard. He’s definitely gonna be the point guard and, when he’s out of the game, James will be the point guard. They’re both gonna have the ball evenly throughout the game, and it’s going to be easy sailing.”

Eric Gordon with Israel Folau. Source: News Corp Australia

Gordon has the opportunity to hurry along Paul’s potential learning curve. Now reunited — after the two were on separate ends of a blockbuster 2011 trade — the nine-time All-Star, who’s new to D’Antoni’s offensive system, is in the same position Gordon was at this point in 2016.

The veteran coach, known as an offensive savant, of sorts, is widely credited for bolstering the Rockets, and Harden, team’s star player. D’Antoni has also been a part of Gordon’s rejuvenation, and the Indianapolis-native believes Paul can only succeed in Houston.

“This offence can be really simple for Chris, because it’s all about making quick decisions,” Gordon said.

“He’s gonna get a lot more open shots, and he’s gonna have the ball a lot more, as far as easy assists. Everything’s gonna happen a little bit faster and quicker for him.

“When you have a guy like Chris, who’s a great playmaker, it makes things even easier. Of course, you want to play fast. James was the point guard last year and we played fast. Of course, he learned to be a very good passer. When you have two passers on the floor, and guys who can be dynamic while we’re playing fast, it makes things even easier for everyone.”

Gordon was one of the ultimate beneficiaries of having an elite playmaker like Harden on the floor, with his 37.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc seeming low, considering his impressive output.

Defending the Sixth Man of the Year award is a goal for Gordon, and he has every chance to do that with the opportunities expected to come his way. The NBA’s three-point contest crown is also something Gordon possesses, and he has every desire to retain that ‘as long as he can’, too, starting with the 2018 event in Los Angeles.

“Being a sixth man wasn’t a struggle at all. That’s why I won Sixth Man of the Year; I wanted to win that,” Gordon said. “That was the role I wanted to take. I thought that, if I come off the bench, it’ll make us a better team. I wanna defend it, I definitely wanna win it next year, and accomplish the same goals I did this year.

Gordon, ever so confident, wasn’t finished: “I also want to be an All-Star.”

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Olgun Uluc covers basketball for Fox Sports Australia. Twitter: @OlgunUluc