Orlando Magic find Anthony Brown to help relieve injured depth

The Orlando Magic are hurting at the shooting guard position. They have turned to Anthony Brown, called up from the D-League, to help relieve some depth.

It did not take long for Anthony Brown to find his way onto a basketball court in an Orlando Magic uniform. The result from the game Sunday had something to do with that as the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Magic in the second half.

Brown was just playing for the Erie BayHawks a few days ago at the annual D-League Showcase, continuing to pour in points as he had done throughout this season, where he was the top overall pick in the D-League Draft. Now, he was thrown into the fire, given a second chance this season at making and cracking a NBA roster.

Any D-League call up on a 10-day contract is going to have some urgency to show what he can do. But Brown arrives in Orlando at an important time in the season and for the team.

Sunday, the Magic were dealt a big blow when D.J. Augustin sprained his ankle stepping on Bismack Biyombo‘s foot in the second quarter. X-Rays came back negative for any fractures, but he will have a MRI on Monday to double check. His status is questionable moving forward.

Adding that to the injury to Jodie Meeks (dislocated thumb) and Evan Fournier still being out with a heel injury, the Magic are desperate to fill some minutes at shooting guard. Coach Frank Vogel even admitted he may have to play C.J. Watson at the point more with D.J. Augustin potentially out, opening the door for more minutes at the 2 for players like Mario Hezonja and possibly even Brown.

“It’s something we have to get through,” Vogel said. “We have Anthony Brown if we want to move him in there and play him in the rotation. Or we have some guys who can slide over from the 1 and the 3.”

Vogel added Evan Fournier remains day to day. He did not practice with the team Monday but was out on the floor shooting free throws after practice. When Fournier is cleared to play or ready to play, Vogel said he will return directly to the lineup. There are no plans to see him in practice before putting him back on the floor.

Vogel said in most situations he would want to see him practice first. But with the Magic’s lack of guard and wing depth, the Magic appear not to have that luxury.

In steps Brown to try to help fill some of that void — at least in practice.

Brown averaged 21.6 points per game and shot 46.0 percent from the floor including 47.2 percent from beyond the arc this year. He was the final cut for the Los Angeles Lakers in training camp and played nine games for the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this year. He struggled with his shot in those minutes.

His work in the D-League speaks for itself. That is, of course, with him having the ball in his hands a lot more. In the NBA, Brown will have to fill a role. And there will be an opportunity to contribute since the Magic’s struggles filling out on the wing.

“I feel pretty prepared,” Brown said. “Obviously, I have played in this league before. The main thing I can control right now is how hard I can play and learning the defensive concepts. I think it is a big help [playing for the Magic’s D-League affiliate]. They know all the guys down there and all the guys down there know the guys up here. They have seen me play multiple times in the D-League level.”

That familiarity certainly helped Brown and should continue to help Brown as he transitions to playing with the Magic.

As part of their one-to-one affiliation with the Erie BayHawks, the BayHawks run much of the same offensive and defensive sets as the Magic. There should not be much of a learning curve in getting the playbook.

It will certainly be helpful in the transition.

Vogel said the plan remains to use C.J. Watson and Mario Hezonja to fill those guard minutes left behind. D.J. Augustin’s injury may change some of those plans but the minutes should remain largely unchanged.

At some point, Vogel and the Magic will have to watch Elfrid Payton‘s minutes more carefully. In the past two games, Payton has played 37 and 39 minutes. There has to be some relief there, even though Payton is playing well enough in those minutes to earn continued playing time.

There is no guarantee Brown will play in these next 10 days. The Magic may need him more for practice than for games. Undoubtedly, the opportunity is there as the Magic try to stay in the Playoff race.

Brown has been through the NBA ringer already. He was on the precipice of the league earlier this year. Brown has put in some solid work in the D-League to earn this opportunity.

“I think any time you get cut, it gives you a chance to refocus,” Brown said. “Nobody wants to go through that. At the same time, it gives you a chance to focus on what teams are telling you and what they want to say. From there, it’s up to you to handle your business.”

Brown, at 6-foot-7, has good length for defense and has shot the ball well at the D-League. In his 4.5 minutes Sunday, he made one of his two shots and grabbed three rebounds. More importantly, he looked comfortable on the floor.

He looked like he belonged, at least against the bench opponents he played against.

Next: Injuries provide opportunity for Mario Hezonja

Brown may not be the solution for the Magic in the long run. Certainly, they would prefer to have Fournier and Meeks out there instead. For now, he gives the Magic another option as they try to hold the shooting guard position together while facing these injuries.