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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Breakouts and expectations

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Nov 11, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) reacts after he made the game winning shot in the last seconds of the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) reacts after he made the game winning shot in the last seconds of the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Mar 2, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) guards against Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the second half of a basketball game at Amway Center. The Magic won 102-89. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Which player do the Magic NEED to be a breakout player in 2017? Who needs to step up the most?

Rossman-Reich: Aside from Aaron Gordon (see previously), I think the Magic need a break out year from Serge Ibaka. It is more of a bounce-back year for Ibaka, but the Magic need Ibaka to play near that level. And probably breakout offensively. Ibaka has shown potential offensively with his versatility and ability to hit jumpers. He has never truly been given the chance to be the focal point in an offense though. I think the Magic will give Ibaka that attention. Will that give him the satisfaction to increase his defensive intensity, as some have suggested? That would have to be the hope. The Magic need Ibaka to be their anchor on defense and need him involved on offense to succeed.

Iwanowski: The Magic will need Elfrid Payton to take a big step forward. He will be relied on to create scoring for his teammates, and with the lack of shooting and isolation abilities from the projected starters, Payton will really have to be strong in that aspect. This may be a make-or-break year for Payton, and he will need to bring his defense and creating abilities back to where the Magic envisioned after his strong rookie season. If he does not, this team likely will not see a playoff berth.

Doyle: This is a tough one. However, I am going to go with Elfrid Payton. The Orlando Magic decided this offseason Payton is a player they value very highly. He has the potential to be a very good point guard in the NBA. He just needs to live up to it. Payton needs to play better on the defensive side of the ball and improve his playmaking ability. When it comes to his shooting, I just hope he has some sort of mid-range jump shot. He probably will not be a threat from three this season, but if he can have defenses worry about him from mid-range, the Magic offense could open up a ton.

Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, Thabo Sefolosha, Atlanta Hawks
Jan 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) dribbles the ball past Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Jelcic: A lot of burden will fall on Elfrid Payton. The NBA is a point guard’s league and you do not have to look outside the Southeast Division to see the position is stacked. Payton will have to hold his own against the likes of John Wall, Kemba Walker and Goran Dragic both offensively and defensively. He had a lot of issues last year, and he is going to have to improve in several aspects of the game. I would say the shooting is most important for now, and if the opponents start to respect his shot, he can establish himself as a NBA starting point guard.

Scricca: This one is hard, because there are at least three or four players for whom you could make compelling arguments. I think if Mario Hezonja can play at a high level more consistently, that could really open things up for the rest of the Magic offense. That will depend a lot upon whether or not he will actually get consistent touches and minutes, because last season he performed significantly better in games where he played closer to 30-plus minutes. I think giving him more chances on offense this season could cause some growing pains, but in the long run could really pay off especially if he can take over at the wing, leading to more lineups with Aaron Gordon at the 4. The Magic might not necessarily be counting on him next year, but he does present some serious opportunity.

Palmer: I have to go with Elfrid Payton here. People will be quick to point to his poor perimeter shooting as the thing he needs to pick up most, but I disagree. Defensively, is where the Magic need Elfrid Payton to step up most. Last season, Payton was as much to blame for Orlando’s defensive problems as Nikola Vucevic. He could not fight through any screens and consistently got blown by in isolation. All a far cry from his rookie campaign. Point guard is probably the deepest spot in the NBA, and the Magic cannot continue to get outproduced at that spot night in and night out. If Elfrid Payton can get back to the harassing brand of defense we saw in spurts as a rookie it should help Orlando’s defense become an elite unit sooner rather than later.

s I think Evan Fournier needs to be the breakout player in 2017. Mainly because he is the best shooter on the team. He needs to separate himself from the pack by improving on his shooting percentages. If he does improve he will become the Magic’s number one option regardless of Vogel’s plan to use Aaron Gordon like he used Paul George. Fournier needs to step up the most because he isn’t offensively challenged like Gordon and Payton.