Mario Hezonja making Orlando Magic nationally intriguing
When national fans think of the Orlando Magic, one name gets them excited. With a combination of bravado and skill, Mario Hezonja excites many.
There is not a ton of reason to watch the Orlando Magic if you are not already an Orlando Magic fan and watching the games anyway. The Magic will appear on national television just once — the season finale at Charlotte, and even that game could easily get moved if it becomes irrelevant.
NBA junkies know the Orlando Magic are an interesting mix of young players. They are intrigued to see how things come together.
Everyone else? They need a little more juice. A little more bravado.
Most of the players on the Magic are a little quieter in their confidence. Not Mario Hezonja. Hezonja has the NBA world’s attention with his penchant for demanding Lionel Messi come see him play and dapping opposing coaches as he drains threes against them.
In the battle for NBA style, Mario Hezonja is the guy who has the NBA world’s attention.
In ranking the Magic 22nd in his annual League Pass ratings, Zach Lowe of Grantland extolls the extreme interest in Hezonja’s rookie season:
"You think he cares that he’s battling for minutes under coach Vic Mackey, who tolerates no such nonsense from uppity international rookies? Hell no. He drilled a run-up-the-score 3 during the closing seconds of a Eurobasket blowout, and dapped up the opposing coach. The best part? The coach dapped him back! He once said he has never respected any opponent. When a reporter suggested he watch Lionel Messi in person, Hezonja responded that Messi should come watch him.Hezonja figures to get minutes right away on a Magic team starved for shooting, and he’s going to do crazy stuff. Someone is going to take a swing at him. It might be Scott Skiles."
Yes, Hezonja has the NBA world’s attention.
And already people are predicting trouble with Scott Skiles, the hard driving coach known for benching young players who just are not up to snuff yet.
The Magic might be in a different situation than any team Skiles has coached because there are so many young players on the roster. Hezonja will get his playing time. But he also might get a quick hook too. Already Skiles has noted Hezonja has done good things on the offensive end, but his defense still has a long way.
Notably during the open practice, Hezonja got beat backdoor by Victor Oladipo and Skiles immediately pulled him from the scrimmage. Skiles is not going to be afraid to have Hezonja sit if he cannot perform.
But Hezonja has had that bravado already. As Andrew Sharp of Grantland writes, the moment Hezonja stood up to Amar’e Stoudemire after Stoudemire took issue with Hezonja’s screen. He has no fear. And Sharp, along with the national media wanting the Magic to take that step up, demand more Hezonja:
"Put him on the court, Scott Skiles. Don’t talk to me about defense, or shot selection, or maturity. Between Hezonja, Harris, Evan Fournier, and Oladipo, there are minutes questions with this rotation. Those need to become minutes answers. Put. Him. On. The. Court. This is the easiest way to make the Magic a top 10 League Pass team overnight, and more importantly — for Skiles’s purposes — it might be the best way to take the Orlando roster to another level. We can all get what we want here."
Whether Hezonja is best for the Magic is not a question that is yet answered. He is averaging 9.2 points per game. His shot has left him some as he is shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc.
The bravado does not quite match the NBA ability yet. But it will come.
And when it comes, the nation appears ready.