The up-and-coming Magic could be a surprise playoff contender in the East.
Given Jodie Meeks’ recent injury, which is expected to keep him out for eight weeks, I’m no longer sold on the Pistons earning the eighth seed in the East. New York, Brooklyn and Indiana are the most obvious picks to challenge Detroit for the final playoff spot—assuming, as foolish as this often is, that Cleveland, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Charlotte, Washington and Atlanta all make the playoffs as projected. However, outside of the more popular choices to make the playoffs, Orlando (who went 23-59 last season) is my Eastern Conference deep sleeper to upset the order and reach the playoffs. Milwaukee should be better this year, but unless injuries seriously strike the Magic, I can’t envision the Bucks posting more wins, and the Celtics and 76ers are both set to begin their second tank in as many years.
Coming off of an impressive rookie season, Victor Oladipo seems primed to breakout. Oladipo first caught my eye as a sophomore with the Hoosiers; his hunchback stance, strut and dead-ball demeanor reminiscent of “His Airness” himself.
While mentioning Oladipo in the same breath as the GOAT at this point in his young career is bordering on insane (and at 6’4″, the Dwyane Wade comparisons make much more sense), Oladipo’s raw athletic prowess and outstanding work ethic are undeniable, as is his astronomical ascension over the last few years of his hoops career.
With the team clearing veterans Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo, Oladipo will take on a larger role offensively, defensively, and as a leader, something he seems ready, willing, eager, and able to do.
If Oladipo is able to put his preseason injury troubles behind him, and fourth-year center Nikola Vucevic and fourth-year forward Tobias Harris (both eligible for contract extensions up until Halloween) continue to develop and stay healthy (they missed 46 games combined last year), Orlando will be a great story in 2014-15.
The Magic will benefit immensely from the leadership and floor spacing of newcomer Channing Frye once he returns from the same MCL injury as Oladipo. Neither Frye nor Oladipo is guaranteed to play in the preseason, but both have a good chance of being ready for the opener.
Down low, Vucevic will be backed up by bruiser brothers Kyle O’Quinn and Dewayne Dedmon. Harris may start at power forward alongside Vuc, with Frye, O’Quinn, Andrew Nicholson, and rookie no. 4 overall pick Aaron Gordon seeing time at the four as well off the bench, but Frye could also slide into a starting role with Harris playing small forward. The Magic have been starting Gordon at the three during the preseason, and he may continue to see some time there as well, but his lack of a reliable shot should prevent him from playing too many minutes at the three unless he and Frye prove to be a solid inside-out duo.
Mo Harkless and Evan Fournier have both earned starts at shooting guard during the preseason, but the 21-year-old Harkless is still more likely to see the majority of his time at small forward. It’s possible Harris will wind up starting at the three if coach Jacque Vaughn prefers a bigger starting five, but if not, then the small forward spot is wide open for the taking.
Fournier is a unique young guard who can handle the ball, play the pick and roll, and effectively space the floor. His presence makes Vaughn’s job a tough one. Last year, Oladipo often played point guard, but having drafted Elfrid Payton, it seems Oladipo is destined to slide to the two—his natural position as far as I’m concerned—but only time will tell how well Payton will fare. At 21, Fournier has two years of NBA experience under his belt, and it’s possible he’ll spend decent minutes sharing the backcourt with Oladipo this season.
Payton dropped 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in his preseason start versus the Charlotte Hornets, but Vaughn, as evidenced by how hard Oladipo had to work to earn his 30 minutes per game last season, is not known to hand the reigns over to rookies that quickly, so Luke Ridnour might be the starter to begin the season. However, Vaughn also said that Oladipo’s situation last year was not comparable to Payton’s, so it’s also possible Payton will be thrown into the starting lineup from the beginning and see considerable time in his rookie year.
Regardless, Payton will play plenty of minutes, and so will Fournier, as Ridnour, Ben Gordon and Willie Green are valued more for their experience and leadership than their on-court contributions at this stage of their respective careers. Ridnour and Green have always been recognized as being consummate professionals and excellent teammates, and Gordon has already received credit from Tobias Harris for pushing him to become a better long-range shooter.
A healthy Magic team will be one of the League Pass darlings of 2014-15, and if Oladipo can make his return sooner rather than later, he may be suiting up for his first All-Star game come February. Orlando is still rebuilding and has a limited ceiling this season. Still, watching Oladipo take the next step in his development will make Magic games worth watching, and if/when he does breakout, it should allow for the team to easily exceed expectations. Buckle up, Orlando. The Oladipo Era has officially begun.
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