After years of personnel disarray, the Orlando Magic seem to be moving in the right direction.
Out of all of the NBA teams over the past five years, the Magic have been the only one without a true identity. Take a look at some notable transactions over that period:
Oladipo came and went (photo, YouTube)
2013: Drafted Victor Oladipo 2nd overall. Traded him four years later.
2014: Drafted Dario Saric 14th overall. Traded that pick to Philadelphia.
2015: Drafted Mario Hezonja 5th overall … over Devin Booker and Justise Winslow.
2016: Drafted Domantas Sabonis eleventh overall. Traded along with Oladipo on Draft night for Serge Ibaka.
2016: Sign offensively-challenged Bismack Biyombo to a four-year $68 million deal.
You get the point.
The team’s front office didn’t give players reasonable time to develop. Oladipo, Sabonis, and Saric–guys whom the team moved via trade–all have shaped their games to become starting-caliber players elsewhere.
But the 2018 offseason has brought promise back to the Magic organization. Here are three main areas why.
Point Guard
The Magic have been searching for an established point guard ever since their immaculate 2008-2009 season when they reached the NBA Finals. They’ve experimented with players like CJ Watson, Shabazz Napier, and Elfrid Payton, but none of those players brought long-term success.
The point guard search may be over. On July 8th the team traded Bismack Biyombo to the Hornets in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls. The most overlooked part in that trade was that guard Jerian Grant is now in Orlando. This could turn out to be a profitable gamble for the Magic because Grant is a low risk-potentially high-reward player.
At only 25, Grant has displayed a knack for passing. He has a ridiculous 30 assists percentage compared to his 13.2 turnover percentage. On offense, his three-point shot is decent enough (31.3 percent) and he can drive to score. On defense, he is well-above for his position with a career win-share of 3.2.
Isaiah Briscoe (photo, 247sports.com)
The Magic also inserted a second point guard into the mix–Isaiah Briscoe. Briscoe, who is Kyrie Irving’s cousin, has time to develop. He is 23 years old.
After being a standout high school player, Briscoe went surprisingly undrafted in 2016. He then had a successful season with BC Kalev in Estonia, where he scored 18.5 points while shooting 39 percent from three.
These two acquisitions finally put the Magic in position to develop an offensively-sound point guard.
Keeping Aaron Gordon
Courtesy: Basketballinsiders.com
One of the main problems with small market teams is that they have a tough time retaining players. Larger markets seem to always be on a free agent’s ideal destinations.
The Magic broke that trend by signing 2014 draftee Aaron Gordon to a four-year $84 million deal. It’s great news for Magic fans. The face of the franchise is coming back for the long-term!
Gordon has established himself as one of the NBA’s best athletic players in transition–if not the best. And the signing gives potential free agents security with the knowledge that Gordon will be with the Magic for the upcoming future.
In the end–and for a variety of reasons–the Aaron Gordon signing was huge.
Young and Promising Core
Some analysts and fans were surprised when the Magic drafted Mo Bamba 5th overall in this year’s draft. The Magic had drafted another frontcourt player (Jonathan Isaac) in last year’s draft lottery.
But I think drafting Bamba makes sense. New head coach Steve Clifford brings a defensive-first mentality to Orlando from Charlotte. He also likes to play ‘lengthy’ players at all five positions.
Even with Bamba in the lineup, the Magic need Isaac to develop sooner rather than later.
There’s a hitch, though. Isaac’s development requires him to switch positions. With Gordon back in the picture, Orlando has a logjam in the frontcourt. If Isaac can improve his three-point shooting and ball handling, he could become the Magic’s small forward. At 6’11” with a 7’1” wingspan Isaac has the size to be a center. But at the wing, he could become a “unicorn.”
If Isaac is able to make the transition just described, then the Magic will finally have a core of young (and potentially successful) players. Here’s why.
You’ll have Isaac, who can hopefully become the team’s second ball handler behind the point guard. You’ll have Gordon, who can electrify you with his athleticism in transition. Finally, you’ll have Bamba, a rim-protecting big man with a ridiculous 7’10” wingspan.
Yes, the Orlando Magic had great success in the 2018 NBA offseason by filling key holes in the roster. But the Magic did much more: this group has the identity and personnel to be a young and exciting team.
