Mario Hezonja: The effects of having a pure shooter

What makes Hezonja special?

The Magic had Nick Anderson participate in both the 3-point contest and the dunk contest at different points in his career in the past, and those type of shooting athletes are almost always destined to have good careers.

Anderson became nearly a 20-point-per-game scorer in back-to-back seasons, and Hezonja could fill a similar role. Putting that type of production next to Oladipo on the wings would make the Magic a playoff team (at least in the Eastern Conference).

It would not happen immediately, but within two seasons with further improvement and signings, this team could find itself where it needs to be.

The Magic were at their best while playing that up-tempo style, as evidenced by the back-to-back wins over the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets in January. Orlando can be a team that creates its offense on the backbone of a suffocating and pestering defense.

With today’s NBA so heavily reliant on transition threes, Hezonja’s skill set will lead to a lot of sustained success. Especially if the defense turns into offensive transition opportunities.

Payton and Oladipo are a tandem capable of producing a lot of traps and turnovers, and Hezonja’s athleticism should dictate that he fits right in. He is going to have the chance to learn from a very defensive minded staff and Scott Skiles, which will dictate that he develops his defense to a plus-level.

Next: Is he NBA ready?