Orlando Magic begin to answer questions about roles

The Orlando Magic’s roster makeover brought with it added depth but also a lot of questions about roles moving forward. The Magic endeavored to answer some.

The dust has really settled on the Orlando Magic’s offseason.

Summer League and free agency have long passed and the roster is very much what it will be for this team in the 2017 season. There are few options remaining to improve the roster. In all likelihood, this is the team the Magic will be when the season tips off.

There are a few things that are clear though.

The Magic will have a defensive identity. The team’s lack of a consistent offensive option or creator and 3-point shooting almost necessitates that the team be near elite on the defensive end. Plus, that is just what Frank Vogel’s teams do.

The team will have more depth than it has had in the past. There is already that crazy logjam at center that has dominated discussion since the offseason kicked into high gear. The team spent a lot to bring versatility to the roster and bring guys who have played proven minutes in the league. This is not a young team anymore.

The pressure to make the Playoffs is at an all-time high. This could be one of the Magic’s season with the highest stakes in franchise history. Jobs are very much on the line if the team fails to show adequate progress. And the only acceptable progress might be making the Playoffs outright.

When the Magic introduced all their new acquisitions earlier in July, it actually became one of the more revealing press conferences since Rob Hennigan took over as general manager. The team had some major questions to answer about the roster and set the table about how they envision the team playing.

As Frank Vogel said, the team will rely heavily on its defense to be the baseline for the franchise. The team will use its versatility to throw different lineups at teams and match up with just about anyone with a capable lineup.

This team is not going to fit neatly into a box. But in some ways it has to. There are some ways the Magic’s roster has to find a way to work in traditional ways. And, as Scott Skiles used to say, a rotation will typically reveal itself.

The Magic are already thinking about some of these big questions even at this relatively early stage in the summer. August will soon turn to September and some of these big roster questions will demand more permanent answers.

Next: Aaron Gordon a 3 or a 4?