Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Grading the Orlando Magic in FIBA play

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Nov 11, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) hits a three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Magic 104-100. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) hits a three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Magic 104-100. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mario Hezonja

C+. <p>Magic fans were likely much more interested in this tournament in seeing Mario Hezonja play. His Summer League was really a taste as he played in only a few games and showed plenty of flashes. Eurobasket might be a spot to get a better look at what Hezonja could do.</p> <p>Unfortunately for fans, Hezonja was played in a somewhat different role than he might expect with the Magic and was not featured very much.</p> <p>Croatia brought him off the bench and largely used him as a spot-up shooter. He did not get the opportunity to do a whole lot else.</p> <p>For his tournament, he averaged 6.7 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. He shot a 50.0 percent effective field goal percentage and 6 for 22 from beyond the arc. He only had 12 2-point field goals the entire tournament.</p> <p>Like Fournier, he was largely turned into a spot-up shooter. That is probably not the best role for him in the long run. He is a solid shooter for sure, but the shot will come and go because of his youth. Some inconsistency is to be expected.</p> <p>Where Hezonja really showed out in this tournament was in the areas outside of his offense. It was enough to suggest that he could really develop into a special player — all the offense stuff is going to be there.</p> <p>His 4.3 rebounds per game were solid for a guard and he posted 7.3 rebounds per 36 minutes. That is very good for a guard. He was certainly willing to mix some things up in the paint and go get rebounds. He found a way to contribute even when he was not scoring.</p> <p>In addition, Hezonja played some nice defense and used that to create some offense. His block was a Vineable moment and he had a few steals that led to breakouts for him where he could dunk. Those are good signs for a player not known for his defensive acumen. At Eurobasket, he played relatively smart defense.</p> <p>The lasting memory of Hezonja at Eurobasket though is likely his poor decision-making against Greece. In a two-point loss, Hezonja had a few plays designed for him in crunch time (he was playing for <strong><a href=. SF. Croatia. MARIO HEZONJA

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