Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 14: Decision time
From Yuval Baneth, via e-mail:
"1. can hezonja be a legit number 1 option for a contender in the future? 2. which free agent (besides durant and lebron) will be the best fit for the magic this offseason? 3. is joakim noah a good fit for the magic? 4.if a miracle happens and the magic win the lottery, would you pick simmons or ingram? 5. is there any chance scott skiles will be fire at the end of the season?"
I will take these questions in turn. Note, the question was sent to me in March.
1. I do not think Mario Hezonja will be a No. 1 option for a contender. Those kind of players typically reveal themselves pretty quickly and even if they struggle that rookie year, you can tell who they are.
Hezonja’s rookie year went as expected. He had a lot to learn, and the Orlando Magic brought him along very slowly. He should see some good improvement and be a more solid role player next year.
But he is not a No. 1 option. He is not someone to hand the ball to and expect a score in the way top guys are. He can be a second or third option still. He should have a lot of growth. But he is not, nor was he probably ever expected to be, the top guy on the team. Still, he should be an important cog.
2. Like I said in a previous question, I think the Magic will go really hard after Al Horford. They need a player of his temperament and leadership on the floor, preferably with the starting lineup. I think a player like Nicolas Batum or Luol Deng fits better. And Deng would be a good fit as a short-term solution — thinking a two-year or three-year deal to bring him in.
I am thinking much smaller than most this free agency. I do not think the big-name free agents outside of Kevin Durant are worth moving heaven and earth for. So I would rather see the team make some minor changes, fill some needs and maintain flexibility for future free agency classes.
3. Having said that, I do think Joakim Noah would be a really good fit for the Magic. He would fill the backup center need the team currently has. He would be a great veteran in the locker room and someone who can start on occasion and finish games when needed. If the Magic could get Noah to agree to come off the bench behind Vucevic (or compete for starter’s minutes) and come on a reasonable deal — maybe something like two-years, $22-24 million? I have no sense of market value right now — he would be a really good fit for this team.
4. Generally when you are picking at the top of the Draft, you should always take best player available. I still think that is Ben Simmons. His combination of size and playmaking ability would be really difficult to pass up. I am not sure who would be better between him and Aaron Gordon.
The Magic are clearly looking for something a little more certain and something a little more immediate. And Brandon Ingram is the guy that could fit into this roster, adding to the core that is already established, contribute pretty immediately and still be a star.
I think the Magic would take Ingram. I have not done enough of a study to say which one I would take — I would lean Simmons — but that is the sense I have with the Magic’s interests.
5. This has been brought up a few places. Any time the season does not go as planned, there is always some talk about moving on from the coach. But after one year — and a 10-win improvement — Skiles’ job is safe.
Yes, I have heard fans getting their eyes wide and wanting to dump Skiles for Frank Vogel. On paper, I like the idea. But it says so many bad things about the way the organization conducts business. So it just is not something that will happen. It is video game decisionmaking.
Skiles did a good job for all his problems this year. The results speak to that. The pressure will be on him and the front office this coming year for sure. But Skiles has done plenty to feel secure about his job.
Next: Point guards