Channing Frye did not work out with the Orlando Magic. They could not unlock all he could be. The Cleveland Cavaliers have unlocked all Frye can be.
Channing Frye’s year and half with the Orlando Magic was undoubtedly a frustrating one. As much for Frye as it was for the fans.
Frye quickly became a fan scapegoat for many of the team’s problems. He was a big free agent signing — perhaps overpaid on a front-loaded four-year, $32-million contract to get him to sign off on playing for a rebuilding team — and so a lot was expected of him to help get the Magic back into Playoff contention.
It was a rocky road for Frye for sure. He averaged 6.5 points per game and posted a 54.1 percent effective field goal percentage including a 39.4 percent 3-point percentage. It started off poor with a knee injury that slowed him down all of 2015, but the fit just was not a good one overall.
His role was more to be a floor spacer and threat to spread the floor. But the Magic could never really use him right to where he would score enough points and get enough shots.
And without him making a huge impact offensively, his defensive shortcomings became even more apparent. Especially paired with a non-rim-protecting center like Nikola Vucevic.
It did not work overall and the Magic traded Frye to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline in a cost-cutting move, ending the relationship short and moving on to the next endeavor to complement the roster with a veteran.
The Cavaliers got a player who could help spread the floor and shoot. Someone who did not have to do much more than that one particular NBA skill that he has. A team that could cover for his defensive shortcomings with LeBron James‘ overall dominance over many aspects of the game.
And now after his stellar Game Three where he scored 27 points on 7-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc, Frye has seemingly found that role again. He spreads the floor and stretches the defense as he was always imagined he could. Their precise passing finds the open man and on Friday night it was Frye.
Through much of Game Four on Sunday, Frye was that open man too. The threat of him again is meaningful.
This was something the Magic realized when they traded. Frye told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, his former coach Scott Skiles delivered something of a prophecy to him:
"“When I got traded here I knew there was responsibility to come at the level these guys are playing at,” Frye said. “[Magic coach] Scott Skiles told me, ‘Hey Channing man, you’re a great player, you’re going to help them win a game in a series, you know. You’re going to help them win a game and do some bigger things.’ I always think about that."
Indeed Frye may have turned the series for the Cavaliers and helped deliver them a potential sweep — certainly a commanding and virtually unbeatable 3-0 series lead.
Frye was capable of these games even in Orlando. It just did not click. In his two seasons with the Magic, Frye had just one 20-point game with the Magic. It just did not work.
This year for the Magic, the team had a 104.8 offensive rating and 102.2 defensive rating with him on the floor. The offense operated better with Frye on the floor this year. And even the defense was below its season average with Frye.
A lot of that came in December when he was inserted into the starting lineup. He was a big part of the team’s hot 19-13 start.
When things went bad though, Frye stuck out like a sore thumb. The team team may not have been good enough to take full advantage of everything Frye could bring.
There is no ill will in the relationship at all. Frye still sees good things for the Magic, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports. The partnership between the player and the team just was not a natural fit.
Next: Offseason splash for Orlando Magic most likely through trade
Frye is the kind of player that enhances a team with an already established identity. The Magic were still trying to grow who they were. And it just could not successfully use everything Frye could do.