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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: The final countdown

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Mar 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) position for the rebound during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) position for the rebound during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mario Hezonja, Orlando magic
Feb 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Orlando Magic forward Mario Hezonja (8) against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

What do you want to see from the Orlando Magic the rest of the year?

Zach Palmer (@FmrTankCommandr): What I want to see from the Magic the rest of the year is the young nucleus getting massive minutes. Mario Hezonja needs to average 20-plus minutes per game for the rest of the year. The Magic also need to make an effort to consistently let him be the main scoring option off the bench. Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Terrence Ross need to play heavy minutes and all need to have the ball in their hands a lot. It is time to see what you have as a group in order to make decisions for the future.

Philip Rossman-Reich (@omagicdaily): I want to see the team win. I agree with Frank Vogel the Magic need to build a winning culture. If he and anyone on this roster are going to hang around next year with a Playoff goal that starts now. That means figuring out what works and what does not with the players you want to hope. Sure, that probably means we should see less of veterans like Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin who clearly do not fit. It probably means the Magic need to see more Mario Hezonja and maybe even C.J. Wilcox. But the team should be trying to establish a base to grow from next year. A strong finish would be a plus.

Ryan Doyle (@RDoyle27): Truthfully, I would like to see Orlando experiment with young players. Mario Hezonja, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon and whoever else fits the mold should be given the reins. The Magic probably are not going to go back into a massive rebuild like they did after Dwight Howard‘s departure. So, let’s see which guys are part of the future so the team can decide who best fits around them.

Muhammed Jumani (@MuMuJumani): I want to see the Magic give Mario Hezonja at least 25 minutes per game. He has not been given a consistent opportunity throughout his two-year NBA career. The Magic have to give him a chance to develop into a player who can contribute on a regular basis. Because if Hezonja pans out to be a good player, he can really help the Magic. He was a very poor defender to begin the year and now, he has developed on the defensive end and is a pretty good defender. At least, he is playing better than the guys getting more minutes than him, like Jeff Green, whom I still question Vogel’s decision to keep him in the rotation. I may have a bias for Hezonja, but it is also beneficial to the Magic long term to truly see whether Hezonja is fit for their team in the future.

Ruben Badillo (@1RubenBadillo): I want to see the Orlando Magic keep an effort winning games for the rest of the season. Like Frank Vogel said, the Magic have to build a winning culture and understand how to close out games. This gives a great opportunity for the Magic to experiment with their roster and maybe let Mario Hezonja start over Terrence Ross for a few games since the playoffs are far away from the Magic’s reach. I would also like to see the Magic give Mario Hezonja some more minutes. The kid has a lot of potential. And the Magic need to let him play through his mistakes in order for him to get better. The Magic still have a lot of work to do before thinking about making the playoffs next season and they have to start working on that now.

Alvaro Grullon (@AlGrullonNBA): I want to see Frank Vogel play his young core and letting them run loose in the season’s final month. The Magic are clearly out of the playoff picture now, and with only a month left in the season, it is the perfect time to experiment some with the young core. I would like to see Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, Terrence Ross and Mario Hezonja specifically get plenty of minutes. The Magic need to head into the offseason knowing what they have in these young players and know what to expect out of them next season.

David Iwanowski (@davidiwan1): I want to see the Magic establish and develop a core of players. That is, I want them to rely more on guys they think will be on the team in the long run and focus solely on developing those guys. That means no Jeff Green, C.J. Watson, or any other veteran who will not have a part of this team in the future. I also realize that is not going to happen. There is no point in simply trying to win as many games as possible now. Focus on the development of guys like Terrence Ross, Aaron Gordon, Mario Hezonja and anyone else they think will have a significant role in the future.