The Orlando Magic sit at 17-22 and are only two games out of the playoffs. They have a legitimate All-Star candidate and several promising young players, as well as a qualified coach. With an opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years, Orlando has excited both ownership and fans.
And they’re also shooting themselves in the foot.
To start, the Magic are no novices to early season success. In 2017, the Magic held the top seed of the Eastern Conference after two weeks of play. Then they lost nine straight. They finished 25-47. The previous year, Orlando headed into the New Year only two games under .500. They proceeded to drop 10 of
Putting stock into Magic early season success is foolish at best. And although the rise of Nikola Vucevic is electrifying, it’s also equally troublesome. Why? Because, frankly, he raises a host of questions the Magic are neither qualified nor willing to answer.
Vucevic is averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He’s shooting 37.9% from three on over three attempts and may be an All-Star in February. He’s sixth, league-wide, in PER, seventh in Plus/Minus, and 10th in rebounds per game. Vucevic’s methodical approach and tempo-controlling-playstyle
And if the Magic have an ounce of sense, he needs to be traded as soon as possible.
Vucevic is soaking up 31.2 minutes per game, almost exclusively at center. That’s not a terrible statistic until you realize there’s a 20-year-old lottery pick sitting on the bench with an NBA-record 7’10” wingspan. Or until you remember the 6’10” potential demigod standing in the corner that can fly up and down the court.
It’s clear that Orlando has prioritized making the playoffs over developing their young players. Mo Bamba is only averaging 16.7 minutes per game, mostly because of Vucevic’s excellence thus far. Bamba doesn’t deserve minutes over Vucevic yet because of his foul trouble and physical weaknesses, but Orlando is forever limiting their ceiling by keeping Vucevic.
Long term, it’d be impossible for Vucevic to remain on the team. He isn’t athletic enough to play power forward, and Bamba likely won’t develop the necessary skills for more than a few years. Vucevic is simply too good to play limited back up minutes to Bamba.
More proof of this misfit is in the limited time Bamba and Vucevic have played together. In 36 minutes, they have an offensive rating of 75.6 and a defensive rating of 118.0. That’s a net rating of -42.4. The two likely won’t ever be able to share the court, and if the Magic are truly invested in Bamba, Vucevic will have to go.
Another area of concern is that the Magic’s young core is clearly suited for an up-tempo game. Jonathan Isaac is 6’10” with a 9’0″ standing reach, with excellent coordination and athleticism. He still needs polish in every aspect of his game, but he shows flashes of spot-up shooting and ball-handling. He’s built for transition, with the ability to use his length to play passing lanes and block shots.
Aaron Gordon is another piece with outstanding explosion and vertical, who isn’t the best at creating his own shots. Gordon’s a capable spot-up shooter and cutter, which are shots fastbreaks create. However, when Orlando is playing at the league’s sixth-slowest pace, it’s difficult to get these opportunities.
This is why the Magic have to trade Vucevic now, while his value is at its highest. Re-signing him this offseason would be a colossal mistake, as it’d effectively end Bamba’s chances of developing into a star. Vucevic has no place in the future of this team, as a slow but skilled big. His above-average passing does make life easier sometimes for his not as skilled teammates, but the fit just isn’t
There’s no room on this team for a 28-year-old in his prime on an expiring contract, and he could earn Orlando another first-round pick or a young player. Yet, the Magic will press onwards, resolute in their playoff hopes. It’s a foolish goal, one that’s shortsighted and will cost them future assets. One can only hope that the Magic come to their senses soon enough and set their priorities straight.
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