Orlando Magic Daily
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Allocating minutes to the Orlando Magic rotation

By Brett David Roberts

Milwaukee Bucks’ coach Scott Skiles directs his team during NBA play against the Miami Heat in Miami January 22, 2012. (REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity)
Milwaukee Bucks’ coach Scott Skiles directs his team during NBA play against the Miami Heat in Miami January 22, 2012. (REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity) /
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Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; U.S. Team guard Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic (4, left) and guard Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic (5, right) watch from the bench during the first half against the World Team at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; U.S. Team guard Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic (4, left) and guard Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic (5, right) watch from the bench during the first half against the World Team at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

The Backcourt

Point Guard: Payton, 28 minutes / Watson, 17 minutes / Napier, 3 minutes

Shooting Guard: Oladipo, 34 minutes / Watson, 4 minutes /  Evan Fournier, 10 minutes

The Orlando Magic have had the fortune of drafting back-to-back All-Rookie First team selections at the guard spots. These guards, of course, are third-year guard Victor Oladipo and second-year floor general Elfrid Payton.

Few dispute these will be the opening night starters (health permitting). But as to whether it remains that way is highly dependent on some improvements coming from both.

Payton’s abysmal jumper can hinder the offense, while Oladipo simply needs to be better at taking full advantage of his actual strengths.

If either were to lose their stranglehold on starting, it would likely be Payton. Behind Payton are two talented point guards: C.J. Watson and youngster Shabazz Napier. Watson, in particular, offers some positives Payton does not. He is now 30 years old and has built sufficient NBA experience to run a club. He has been a fringe starter most of his NBA career.

C.J. Watson, Indiana Pacers
Feb 9, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard C.J. Watson (32) dives for a loose ball against the San Antonio Spurs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Watson is a stable option who is fully capable of keeping his turnovers down. He shoots better than any other point guard on the roster and last year knocked down 40 percent from behind the arc. He could potentially be the guy Orlando needs to run its offense or settle things down if the team is in a slump, even if Payton is the long-term flashier solution.

Accordingly, considering this prospect seems prudent if there is going to be an accurate minute determination in the backcourt.

Napier also can score well in stretches, and he is going to be instant offense at times. He will have his nights. And noting that minutes can vary greatly dependent upon opposition and the way a game is taking shape is vital. There will be nights when Watson gets the “starter’s minutes,” or closes games. And there will be other nights when Payton drops a triple double, as he did twice last year.

So how many minutes can we expect from Payton, Oladipo, Watson and the rest of the Magic guards?

Let us keep in mind Watson is a combo guard, not dissimilar from Oladipo. That means he will likely see minutes at both guard spots, while Payton is more limited to playing point. Also backing up Oladipo will be both the rookie Mario Hezonja and sharpshooter Evan Fournier.

Evan Fournier, Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
December 2, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) celebrates with guard Evan Fournier (10) during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Magic 98-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Adding to the intrigue now is the fact Hezonja and Fournier will both see time at the 3-spot, quite interchangeably. Both are probably more “shooting guard” than “small forward,” but against the right lineups neither will have any problem filling either wing position. Moreover, the differences offensively between 2s and 3s can be negligible.

So overly worrying about who is the 2 and the 3 is pretty pointless all things considered. Fournier and Hezonja are somewhat similar players, but that could easily work toward Orlando’s advantage. It is never bad to have too many shooters on the court, and the dry spells the Magic experienced last year may be far less with two guys knowingly capable of getting buckets.

Next: The Forwards