Orlando is banking on their youth movement to pay off.
The Orlando Magic added veteran presence to a roster that was already stocked with young, budding talent. They swung for the fences in the draft and look to finally improve after several solid years of rebuilding.
Coaching – 20/25
Orlando head coach Jacque Vaughn has head a rough first two seasons, winning only 43 games and finishing last in the division both years. This was not unexpected though, as he was brought in to teach and allow a young rebuilding team to grow. Vaughn has the pedigree of being a former San Antonio Spurs player and assistant, meaning I automatically trust his coaching savvy more than I normally would. He has also overseen the emergence of young talents like Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris while getting the most out of guys like Arron Afflalo.
Free Agency & Trades – 20/25
The Orlando Magic added four players over the age of thirty to add experience and scoring to a young and talented roster. This group is led by court-stretcher Channing Frye, the former Suns forward, who has shot over 38 percent from downtown in his career. Frye signed a 4 year deal following a successful season with the Suns, and will be joined by scorer Ben Gordon, who played sparingly for the Charlotte Bobcats last season before being waived in March. The former Sixth Man of the Year will look to regain his form and add a scoring punch off the bench for the Magic.
Willie Green was waived by the Clippers following the season and will bring experience and versatility to the wing. Luke Ridnour is a true point on a roster lacking one, outside of raw rookie Elfrid Payton the Magic have only Oladipo at the point. Ridnour was unimpressive before and after being traded from Milwaukee to Charlotte last season, but does bring experience and the knowledge of how to play the position.
On the trade front the Magic added Anthony Randolph to help them reach the salary floor and gained two second round picks for their trouble, a smart financial move regardless of what Randolph contributes. The Magic also traded leading scorer Arron Afflalo to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for French international Evan Fournier and All-Big Ten wing player Roy Devyn Marble out of the University of Iowa. The loss of Afflalo was inevitable, and the Magic chose to get what they could for him rather than risk losing him for nothing after the upcoming season. Fournier was a serviceable player for the Nuggets last year, playing 20 minutes per game and scoring over eight points while shooting 42 percent from the field. He showed his age at times, struggling when other superior players needed him to pick up their slack, but is young and has room to improve.
Draft – 22/25
Taking Aaron Gordon with the fourth overall pick with players like Dante Exum, Marcus Smart and Noah Vonleh still on the board was a bold move to say the least. Gordon has loads of potential, and of those guys, possibly the highest ceiling (I like Exum for that designation, but I digress), but he is a tweener who must either improve his outside game to play the three or develop a stronger post game. As a rookie, Gordon will have to contribute in transition and defense while he develops a true offensive game.
Payton is a similar home-run-swing player that the Magic drafted hoping he will develop into a star. The former Louisiana-Lafayette point guard can penetrate, dribble and create for others, but lacks an outside game and struggles from the line. He is, like Gordon, a freak athlete who will drive opponents crazy with their length and athleticism on offense and defense.
Current Player Core – 22/25
The current core of players for the Magic centers around number two overall pick Victor Oladipo, center Nikola Vucevic, and wing player Tobias Harris. These players are, for the most part, more impressive for their potential than current production. Oladipo played both guard spots last season and impressed the entire league with his production and well rounded game. He scored over 13 points, pulled down over four rebounds and dished out over four assists per game in his rookie season, while leading the team in steals. Vucevic continued to be a rebounding monster, grabbing 11 per game while also upping his points per game to 14.2. Harris’ numbers did slip to some degree this past year as he moved into a more prominent role in the offense, but still managed to be one of the top three scoring options and raise his efficiency.
Overall future – 84/100
The Orlando Magic’s future will rely upon the development of their youth, and whether those players can be good enough before the window of the older players closes. They have probably three to five years before their older players are done, meaning they will need their youth to improve greatly during that time. Look for Oladipo to make a big step forward this year while Payton plays more minutes at the point guard position. There is a lot up in the air for this franchise, but they did a great job adding assets during their worst seasons, a key to developing a winner during a rebuilding stage. These assets will have to become players, though, for the Magic to leave the LotteryMafia family anytime soon.
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