Kyle O’Quinn overshadowed?
By Jon Wolf
it seems that Kyle O’Quinn’s light has run out. With a new athletic big man in Dewayne Dedmon, have Orlando Magic fans seen the last of Kyle O’Quinn?
Once a promising glimpse in the Magic’s rotation, it seems that Kyle O’Quinn’s light has run out. With a new athletic big man in Dewayne Dedmon, have Orlando Magic fans seen the last of Kyle O’Quinn at the conclusion of this season?
Kyle O’Quinn showed huge promise coming into the 2015 season after a career year in 2014, playing in 69 games averaging 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Some people thought of him as the Magic’s next Marcin Gortat, a crowd favorite and a more than capable big man to come off the bench.
Before the All-Star break, O’Quinn was just that. In 40 games, O’Quinn averaged 6.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and a block per game while showcasing his ability to occasionally hit the three-point shot (28 percent 3-point field goal percentage).
It has been a different story since then.
O’Quinn has only played in 10 games since the break and has not played since April 1’s game against the Spurs. Since the All-Star Break, he has averaged a measly 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in close to nine minutes per game. Injuries play a part, but the biggest reason for the overshadowing of Kyle O’Quinn is the emergence of Dewayne Dedmon.
Following the All Star break, Dedmon has played in 18 games averaging more than 20 minutes and 4.6 points, 7.0 rebounds per game and about a block per game. Dedmon’s biggest contributions come on the defensive end, where Kyle O’Quinn has begun to struggle and Dedmon provides more athleticism and shot-blocking to deter drivers
Dedmon limits his opponents to shoot only 42.5 percent of their shots at the rim. Kyle O’Quinn’s opponents shoot better than 48.1 percentat the rim. Dedmon uses his above average athleticism on help-side defense to help erase mistakes from the perimeter defense. Kyle O’Quinn, who is less athletic than Dedmon, has been a few steps slow on defense since the All-Star break not recording a single block in his 10 games played.
Dedmon’s defensive stats are not just individual, but his defensive enthusiasm spreads to his teammates.
With Dedmon on the floor, the Magic’s defensive rating is 98.2 which is equivalent to the Golden State Warriors. When Kyle O’Quinn steps on the court the Magic’s defensive rating drops to 102.5. The Magic’s plus/minus is a -0.9 per game with Dedmon playing and is -7.0 per game when O’Quinn is playing.
With Dedmon on the court, the Magic grab 6.1 more rebounds per game, record 0.7 more steals per game, and score 2.5 more points per game than when O’Quinn is on the court.
Dedmon’s impact does not just stop on the defensive end, contrary to what some might believe. O’Quinn showed earlier in the season he had the ability to step outside and hit the 18-20 foot jump shot, but it did not really mesh well with Orlando’s offense. At times, O’Quinn would clog the paint making it difficult for Nikola Vucevic to make moves in the post, or he would not have enough of an offensive game to run the post by himself.
With Dewayne Dedmon, the Magic have found a great complimentary piece alongside Vucevic and Channing Frye. Dedmon now mans the post while Vucevic uses his smooth mid-range jumper to spread out defenses.
Though the Magic shoot a lesser percentage from the field when Dewayne Dedmon is on the court as opposed to Kyle O’Quinn, the Magic have a better offensive rating without O’Quinn compared to Dedmon. With Dedmon, the Magic score 2.5 more points per game and have an offensive rating of 98.1, which is better than 96.1 when O’Quinn is on the floor.
Orlando performs better on offense and defense with Dewayne Dedmon on the court so it is no wonder Kyle O’Quinn has been eclipsed in the rotation.
O’Quinn becomes a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Magic have the opportunity to match any offer from another team if they make him the qualifying offer.
If O’Quinn is offered anything more than $5 million per year, it is time to let him go. The Magic should be looking for higher quality free agents to make a push for the playoffs next year.
The Magic have found a gem in Dewayne Dedmon and while Kyle O’Quinn provided Orlando with some great heart and hustle, Dewayne Dedmon is the backup big-man the Magic need.