Grading the Orlando Magic in FIBA play

B+. <p>Janis Timma will be the Orlando Magic’s international man of mystery for a while. And with good reason after the way he played in Eurobasket.</p> <p>For Eurobasket, he averaged 7.2 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game for Latvia as they reached the quarterfinals of the tournament and nearly qualified for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament next summer. He showed he can not only play a bit in the post, but also hit 3-pointers — he shot a 56.5 percent effective field goal percentage and 11 for 32 (34.4 percent) from deep.</p> <p>The athletic forward still looks to be a bit of a tweener. He was able to body up well defensively in the post and hold his own on the boards. And he has a decent 3-point shot. Where he struggles is in his mobility. He is not big enough to be a full-time power forward yet and not quick enough to spend too much time on the perimeter. Latvia had him playing the correct role as a reserve player.</p> <p>For his first run with the national team, he seemed to fill his role well and fill in the gaps his team needed at some key times.</p> <p>Timma has a long way to go before he makes it to the NBA. He just signed a two-year deal with Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia. The Magic are not expecting him to come over and play for them before the end of that deal. He is just a guy they want to keep an eye on.</p> <p>Really, they may have just acquired him to make salaries match and gain another asset. But after the way he played and held his own at Eurobasket, they may keep a bit of a closer eye on him. Maybe he comes over for Summer League after the season before going back to Russia for the final year of his deal. They will just have to keep an eye on him and let things play out.</p>. F. Latvia. JANIS TIMMA