How will the Orlando Magic free agents fit in?

The Orlando Magic picked up two new players in free agency in C.J. Watson and Jason Smith. How will they fit into the rotation of their new team?

The Magic signed twenty-nine year old Jason Smith on Tuesday to a one-year deal worth a reported $4.5 million. The fact that it is a one-year deal means this agreement comes with no long-term risk.

However, there are questions about his fit with the team.

Last season, Smith played about 22 minutes per game on the 17-win New York Knicks, and started 31 games. His per 36 minutes averages were about 13.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and less than a block per game.

One of the biggest needs for the Magic this offseason was rim protection, and this signing likely does not fix that problem.

Smith allowed opponents to shoot about 49.7 percent at the rim last season, and although that number is superior to that of Channing Frye and Nikola Vucevic, it is not enough to improve the Magic defense in the way they were hoping to.

Potential starting forward Aaron Gordon conceded shots at 48 percent at the rim despite missing 35 games, and that number can improve as he gets used to the speed and athleticism of the league.

The Knicks’ offensive rating with Smith on the floor was 97.7 points per 100 possessions and defensive rating was 111.1 points allowed per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. Though the team’s defensive rating was about four points higher than the team average with him on the floor, which shows his defense was clearly detrimental to his team, he provided a positive boost on the offensive end as the team’s offensive rating was 0.6 above team average.

Smith can somewhat contribute to the Magic offensively next season.

He scored at a decent rate for the Knicks, but his field goal percentage was only 43.4 percent. He struggled finishing from inside, shooting 46.7 percent from within five feet and 36.7 percent from five to nine feet out.

However, he does have the ability to somewhat stretch the floor and create spacing, as he shot 46.2 percent from 10-14 feet out, 47.6 percent from 15-19 feet out, and 47.1 percent from the right corner 3-point spot. He hit 35.7 percent of his threes overall.

He is not a strong rebounder, having only gathered 10.6 percent of the available rebounds while he was on the court. That number was good for seventh on the Knicks last season, and would have been fifth on the Magic.

Smith does bring some veteran experience to the team, as he has seven NBA seasons under his belt and two trips to the NBA playoffs. He is a hard worker, and will likely be competing with Frye and Dewayne Dedmon for minutes as a big coming off the bench.

It is very possible the Magic go with a smaller starting lineup, with either Aaron Gordon or Tobias Harris at the 4 spot. However, it is important to have depth in the NBA, especially in the frontcourt where players are prone to nagging injuries, and Smith can act as a capable rotation big.

Smith was not the only Free Agent acquisition Rob Hennigan made in the past few days. On Saturday, after the Magic resigned Tobias Harris, it was announced the team had reached a deal with 31-year-old C.J. Watson worth $15 million over three years.

Watson is a great fit for the team and signed for a relatively cheap contract.

Watson provides the team with eight years of experience and four trips to the playoffs. He can provide defensive help, as his team’s defensive rating was 101.1 with him on thefloor, a number that was about team average for a team that was eighth in the NBA in that category, per NBA.com.

He has been on tough defensive teams before, and Scott Skiles will enjoy what he brings to the table on that side of the court.

Watson also shot 40 percent from three last season, and though he only hit about one-third of his pull-up 3-point attempts, he shot 42.6 percent on catch-and-shoot threes.

He also shot 57.5 percent within five feet, and though he only attempted about 1.5 attempts in that range per game, it means he can effectively score at the rim as well as spot up for threes. By comparison, starting point guard Elfrid Payton only shot 48.5 percent from that range.

Watson can create plays, and he assisted on about 23 percent of his teammates’ field goals when he was on the court. However, he scores more efficiently off the ball, and Skiles will likely allow Evan Fournier and possibly even Mario Hezonja to handle the ball quite a bit as they continue to develop their playmaking skills.

Watson and Smith join the team as low-risk free agent signings. Watson’s fit is clear, while Smith will likely have to work hard and improve his interior play in order to crack the rotation.

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