Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Midpoint review
1. What has gone right for the Orlando Magic in the first half of the season? What signs of encouragement are there?
Zach Palmer (@FmrTankCommandr): I would say the biggest sign of encouragement so far is that Aaron Gordon looks capable of playing the small forward spot. Gordon still struggles to drive by guys who play the small forward spot, and he clearly needs to improve his ball handling if he wants to stay there full time. But his improved shooting and ability to play perimeter defense allow him to play there. Honestly, I believe all of these improvements actually make him an even better option at the 4 but the fact he is capable of playing the 3 is a nice sight for the Magic.
Muhammed Jumani (@MuMuJumani): I would have to agree with Zach on this one. Aaron Gordon is the only one out of the young core the Magic have who has shown flashes of stardom. He has successfully guarded and contained some of the opposing offensive superstars. One recent example is James Harden, whom Gordon held to a poor 5-for-15 shooting night. Gordon has developed his jump shot very well, he has been knocking down open 3-pointers off the catch and has at times been able to create his own shot. He has shown he can take the ball in his own hands and make plays for not only himself but for others as well. As a forward, those qualities are always a positive trait to have on a team. However, Gordon would be more effective at the 4 due to his speed and athleticism along with the ability to defend and make plays.
Philip Rossman-Reich (@omagicdaily): Not a lot has gone right for the Orlando Magic in the first half of the season. There are pockets of positivity, but nothing cohesive. But I will give Frank Vogel some due credit. He is the brightest spot for the Magic so far, largely. Vogel was given a sort of misshapen roster with a win-now mantra and has done a lot to get them going in the right direction. He has wrung out Nikola Vucevic’s best defensive season of his career (all while a shot blocker like Bismack Biyombo seems very out of place). If there is hope, it is that the young players do seem to be thriving. Aaron Gordon seemed like a bad fit at small forward, and there were hiccups, but it seems like the experiment is working more and more. If Vogel has a weakness it is his inflexibility with his rotations. But as the team moves forward, Vogel should help the team tremendously.
Ryan Doyle (@RDoyle27): This has been a rough first half of the season for the Orlando Magic. They are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs and no one can tell which direction this team is headed towards. I have seen some positive signs from this team, however. First and foremost has been the development of Aaron Gordon. Gordon has not turned into a star player overnight but he has shown some great things on the offensive end. He has an improved jump shot and has been able to have some big scoring nights throughout the year. I also like the improvement from Nikola Vucevic. I was very critical of his defense heading into this season but he has really worked at it and has become one of the better defenders on this Magic team.
David Iwanowski (@davidiwan1): I really do not have much to add here, as Aaron Gordon’s step forward and Nikola Vucevic’s defensive improvement has been covered. Serge Ibaka’s play has also been encouraging. Although I do not expect him to remain on the team for the entire season, his play may have boosted his trade value to the point where someone might trade a decent amount for him despite his upcoming expiring deal. The new CBA has a higher incentive for players to remain on their teams, so perhaps someone will roll the dice and trade a strong package for him, which would help the Magic in the long run.