Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 20: Development

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Dec 22, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Frank Vogel coaches against the New York Knicks during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Frank Vogel coaches against the New York Knicks during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic
Oct 12, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Mario Hezonja (8) against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

This is a big question. Even the OMD staff is sharply divided on Mario Hezonja and what to do with him. Do you play him through his mistakes? Or do you make him work through practice to get back on the court?

The Magic’s goal is to win now. So that makes it tough to play a player who has struggled a lot this year.

Mario Hezonja’s numbers, in his limited minutes, are not good. He is averaging 3.3 points per game and shooting 32.9 percent from the floor and 19.4 percent from beyond the arc. Shooting was supposed to be his NBA-ready skill. It just has not come around.

The plain truth of the matter is, as I wrote earlier this week, Hezonja is just in a very bad situation for him.

The Magic knew he would be a project to begin with. So his slow development is not a complete surprise. They thought he would be a better shooter and contribute there. But that has not come out.

What happened last year was Scott Skiles did not allow him to make mistakes. The Magic’s win-now focus last year hurt him. And it has hurt him even more now.

I do not think the concern for Hezonja is completely legitimate. He can still be a very good player. Hezonja does a lot of good things, particularly in the open court with the ball in his hands. He needs opportunity. And that does not appear to be something the Magic can give at the moment.

Hezonja should continue to work to get his opportunity. Every moment he is on the floor at practice and even in garbage time at games is an opportunity to get better and prove he deserves a chance.

I do not know what Hezonja will do when he gets that chance again. The Magic played him against the Denver Nuggets a few weeks ago, and Hezonja struggled immensely, particularly on defense.

The reality is Hezonja may need to go somewhere he can make mistakes without the pressure of winning to succeed.