The Big Question: Can the Orlando Magic’s bench deliver?

One of the biggest questions facing the Orlando Magic ahead of the new season is can its bench deliver the support it needs to make a push for the playoffs?

Bench production can be a huge factor in the NBA.

Logic dictates the teams most likely to succeed over the course of a grueling NBA season are those with a pool of players large enough and talented enough to overcome injuries, the strain imposed by back-to-back games and perhaps even the nights off occasionally awarded to veteran players. Not to mention the ability to foster internal competition.

Of the teams with the 15 most effective benches last season, eight made the playoffs and one, the Golden State Warriors (ninth on the list), went on to win the championship.

Steve Kerr’s outfit would have found it difficult to achieve that feat without the contributions of Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, Marreese Speights, Harrison Barnes and David Lee, all of whom came off the bench throughout the course of the season to great effect.

That said, bench production is not everything, as the Clippers and Cavaliers, both of whom made deep postseason runs, finished the season with the 22nd and 30th most effective benches overall.

Orlando finished 29th, and, in the absence of superstar players (like LeBron James and Chris Paul, who were able to make up for a multitude of sins the Cavs and Clippers’ second units committed last season) this inevitably had an impact on the team’s overall record.

While the Magic’s current roster does feature a number of budding stars, not much changed in that regard this offseason and if Orlando is to take the leap toward playoff contention many are hoping for this year its bench will have a huge part to play.

It is, for the most part, a very different unit to that which began the 2015 campaign in pinstripes too. The likes of Luke Ridnour, Willie Green, Ben Gordon, Maurice Harkless and Kyle O’Quinn, all of whom are veterans of at least three seasons, are no longer with the team. And, for the most part, those replacing them are relative newbies, which could create some major challenges for new head coach Scott Skiles going forward.

Skiles will be relying on the experience of a few key veterans who will be charged with the task of running the second unit while he attempts to unlock the potential of some of the younger assets anticipating a season spent predominantly coming off the bench.

Although the roster is yet to be finalized, what follows is a breakdown of the reserves Skiles and his coaching staff will be looking to whip into shape ahead of the new season.

Next: The guards