New-look Orlando Magic bench crucial to hopeful playoff run

The Orlando Magic have spent big in free agency, they have bolstered their second unit, but is that going to help push the team towards the playoffs?

The Orlando Magic have certainly created some buzz this offseason, being very aggressive in their pursuit of free agents. As the roster is just about finished shaping out, the Magic have added notable free agents such as Bismack Biyombo, Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin, and picked up Jodie Meeks via trade from the Detroit Pistons to spruce up their rotation players.

The team, which ranked 17th in bench points last season, hopes to improve that ranking, especially with new head coach Frank Vogel, who is known for getting the most out of all of his players.

While coaching the Indiana Pacers the previous two seasons, Vogel was able to get more than enough production from his bench players, ranking ninth in bench points in 2015 and second in 2014.

Orlando is hoping to have Vogel work his Magic on this new-look team, with a mix of offensive and defensive talent to work with. The projected starters, including Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic already have their work cut out for them, and will provide a solid backbone for the rest of the team as they push for a playoff run.

But the deciding factor of their hopeful playoff entry comes from the bench itself. That is where the Vogel-coached Indiana Pacers made their mark.

Sure, they had a Paul George, but he also had one heck of a supporting cast. This roster is a reminder of that team. A reminder of a team that has qualified for the playoffs five out of the six past seasons, and made it to the conference finals twice during that span.

Now Vogel will have to do more or less the same, without a superstar like George.

That is where the bench comes into play.

No longer does Orlando have to rely on a weak second unit, the team will feel more comfortable with an Augustin-Meeks-Mario Hezonja-Green-Biyombo lineup coming into the game, and extending the lead further, or not having to play catch up when the starters return to the game. There is better balance between starter and reserve, easing pressure on each to perform.

The bench also features multiple interchangeable parts. None of these guys are locked into a certain position on the court, Mario Hezonja can play both guard positions and on the wing. Jeff Green can play both forward spots, and Bismack Biyombo can switch between the 4 and the 5.

That is a commodity that the Magic have not had since the 2009 roster.

One of the major points that made that team so successful was in fact, their bench. Former players such as Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis were frequently unable to play due to injuries, yet that team was still able to advance to the NBA Finals due to reliable players such as J.J. Redick, Rafer Alston and Mickeal Pietrus stepping up when asked to do so.

Nelson was injured just before the All-Star Break and did not return until the NBA Finals Orlando survived and thrived despite the loss of this All-Star player, which goes to show you how dependable a solid bench can be.

A similar feel is brought to the upcoming 2017 Magic roster. Should one or more of the starters get injured, there will not be a big drop off in production like years past.

Formerly, Orlando used to struggle heavily when Nikola Vucevic was injured, nobody was able to come close to his on-court production. But now, the team can rely on Bismack Biyombo and Serge Ibaka, who can switch between the power forward and center spot if need be.

If the team decided to move Ibaka up, Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green will be able to switch between both forward spots, and the Magic will still be able to be successful with Ibaka’s shooting abilities and rim protection, while still bringing another rim protector in Biyombo, off the bench.

That is just one example of how Orlando can mix and match their lineups as they see fit.

With the recent domination of “small ball” in the NBA, the Magic are fortunate enough to be able to deploy multiple small-ball lineups of their own thanks to their bench. Moving Serge Ibaka to center, and bringing someone like Mario Hezonja into the lineup, allows for the Magic to be able to run and attack, while still being capable of defending.

It is even possible to have Aaron Gordon play center in certain situations, and then shift Jeff Green and Mario Hezonja into the lineup. And it will still bring effective basketball.

Should the Magic decide to go on an all-out defense lineup, that is now feasible. By switching Vucevic out for Biyombo, the team can insert two of the best rim protectors in the league including Serge Ibaka, while also having Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon play outstanding perimeter defense.

Orlando’s potential versatility will provide many matchup nightmares when certain lineups are put into play.

Aaron Gordon even said the team as a whole is going to be a lot better. Practices will be more competitive now that the second unit has a higher talent level.

This is true, playing scrimmages against experienced and talented NBA players does improve the atmosphere. The bench will rise up to the task of challenging the starting five during every single practice, especially since some of the bench players were former starters on other teams.

The Orlando bench will surely make or break this team.

The team as a whole still lacks a superstar that it can rely on when push comes to shove. But it has the next best thing, a multitude of players that bring certain skill sets to match the team’s wants and needs.

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Similar to the Boston Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Bobcats, it is not far-fetched anymore to say Orlando is in that category of depth.