If there is one bright light in January it is the re-emergence of Victor Oladipo. Starting seems like a no brainer with how he has begun to turn his year up.
Following the humiliating 96-87 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, the Orlando Magic have crashed back down to earth. Now having lost nine of their last 10 contests after their defeat at Amway Center to the Charlotte Hornets, it appears the Magic’s hard and active defense, that did so much to define the first half of their season, has all but disappeared.
They have fallen out of the playoffs and, with a highly difficult schedule coming up —ESPN.com ranks Orlando as so far having the weakest schedule in the entire league — there will be little respite for Orlando.
So, what can the team do to get back on track? What change could light a spark underneath this franchise?
French swingman Evan Fournier started the season off as hot as one could hope for, improving on his impressive 2015 start by averaging 17.8 points during November, while shooting a scorching 41.6 percent from deep.
By contrast, the backcourt of Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo was struggling, and after 14 games the Magic sat at an unremarkable 6-8 record. Victor Oladipo was shooting just 26.4 percent from deep.
Shortly after, it was decided Oladipo would move to the bench in order to break up the non-shooting backcourt and bring some balance to the second unit, and Fournier slid over to his more natural shooting guard spot. Channing Frye was inserted into the lineup, and the stretch big helped to improve spacing.
At first, this seemed to work — exceptionally well, in fact.
By the end of 2015, Orlando was at a far more impressive 19-13 record, and coach Scott Skiles was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.
However, as the calendar turned to 2016, the side has seen their good play completely unravel. Orlando has lost nine of their 10 games in January, their sole win coming in an unimpressive 83-77 victory against the moribund Brooklyn Nets.
Fournier in particular has begun to struggle, putting up just 10.8 points on 39.4 percent shooting in that stretch.
It would seem Fournier, and the Orlando Magic have hit the proverbial brick wall. In a move to overcome this, Scott Skiles has done what he did the first time: change the lineup.
While Frye is a poor defender — something he himself has noted — he has shown improvement on that end of the floor this season, and continues to be consistent from deep. With so many players struggling simply to move the ball on offense, Frye too has gone to the bench in Aaron Gordon‘s favor.
Fournier, however, is struggling on both ends and with his shot, and a move to the bench could be the impetus for change. This would also allow someone to come and enter the starting lineup, someone who has earned the starting job — Victor Oladipo.
Oladipo was initially dropped from the Magic’s starting lineup due to his poor shooting, which was part of a backcourt which severely limited floor spacing.
But, since the start of January, the 23-year old has shot the lights out, nailing treys at a 58.1 percent clip, and has improved his shooting on mid-range jumpers to 42.9 percent.
Furthermore, he has been able to increase his production along with his improved efficiency, averaging 19.6 points per game, including a 27-point outing in Orlando’s overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors in London and Friday’s 29-point outing against the Hornets.
The Indiana product contributes his best work, however, on the less glamorous end of the floor. The former Hoosier is widely regarded as the team’s best defender, something acknowledged by Skiles.
His combination of speed, strength, and athleticism is unparalleled by anyone else on the roster, allowing him to guard even the most skillful of perimeter players. Active hands force the opposition into mistakes, and Oladipo has been rewarded by averaging 1.8 steals pre contest in January.
While Fournier is a good defender, he lacks the necessary athleticism or quickness to guard some of the league’s quickest on the outside.
Victor Oladipo is not a perfect player. He sometimes struggles with his decisionmaking, as seen in his late game pull-up jumper from three when going for the win against the Raptors, and he should really draw more fouls for someone who has such ease getting to the rim. He also has a propensity of dribbling into heavy traffic, which can lead to turnovers.
That said, it cannot be denied he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the Eastern Conference, and is someone who has managed to increase his offensive production along with becoming more efficient.
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The lineup change in of itself will not fix the Magic’s problems, but will hopefully put two of their best players in a position to succeed, which could be the inspiration for change. With this, Orlando can, with luck, finally overcome that hurdle and get back on track in 2016.