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Orlando Magic Offseason: An Identity Created

By Zach Palmer

May 23, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic Head coach Frank Vogel and general manager Rob Hennigan pose for a photo during the press conference at Amway Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic Head coach Frank Vogel and general manager Rob Hennigan pose for a photo during the press conference at Amway Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder
May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) stands on the court prior to the game against the Golden State Warriors in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive Versatility, Shooting and Tempo

The first roster domino fell on draft night as the Magic began their roster transformation by trading Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis for Serge Ibaka.

Many Magic fans met this trade with frustration. Why trade the closest thing to a golden ticket from this painful rebuild for a guy who was the third, possibly fourth best player on his team last year?

Identity.

The moment the Magic committed to trading Victor Oladipo away for Serge Ibaka, the Magic decided what type of team they wanted to be. The Magic want to be an elite defensive team.

Of course, it is a fair argument the Magic overpaid for Ibaka, considering he is on an expiring and could potentially leave the Magic after one season. That said, the price of acquiring one of the league’s top defensive players will normally leave a bad taste, especially if a team is forced to part with a player that gave everything he had to the team during the worst stretch in franchise history.

Ibaka not only is an elite rim protector, but he has the ability to play two different positions, power forward and center. Ibaka also has the ability to switch on pick and rolls and has the foot speed and awareness to handle the task of defending very good players on the perimeter.

This flexibility is what makes Ibaka so valuable and probably boosted his value in the minds of Orlando’s front office.

Another use of Ibaka’s athleticism is his ability to run the floor and finish in transition. This is something Frank Vogel mentioned in his press conference a couple different times.

Another area where Ibaka is dangerous is as a shooter. While Ibaka had a down season shooting wise last year he seemed to find his stroke in the playoffs, as he shot 44.9 percent from deep on 69 attempts.

Ibaka was the perfect player to form the basis of this new identity.

Next: Bismack Biyombo