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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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Bismack Biyombo, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks
Nov 19, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry (30) controls the ball against Orlando Magic center Bismack Biyombo (11) as guard Justin Anderson (1) looks on during the second half at Amway Center. The Magic won 95-87. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

What has been the biggest disappointment (aside from the defense and record in general) of the season so far?

Palmer: For me, the biggest disappointment has been D.J. Augustin. I knew coming in his defense was going to be an issue, and that was fine. What I did not realize is just how much he was going to stunt ball movement. When Augustin checks in with the bench unit only he and Jeff Green see the ball. Bismack Biyombo sometimes gets a touch in order to get it right back to Augustin. It does not seem like Augustin can see the court well at all and his shooting numbers this year are down. I really thought Augustin would help the team, but he has certainly hurt more than helped.

Rossman-Reich: The overall effort night-to-night has been disappointing. The Magic have now lost six games by 30 or more points. Six games! That is completely unacceptable. It suggests something deeply rooted in the team’s psyche and culture. More than anything, the Magic’s propensity to get blown out embarrassingly concerns me most about this team’s future. When I see games like Friday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, it makes me wonder if the Magic should not just blow the whole thing up and start over. The rot sometimes feels that deep. This is a big problem for the Magic moving forward.

Doyle: Bismack Biyombo. Like any fan, you hope and pray every free agent is going to be a hit. Sadly, (basically) the entire world predicted correctly the Biyombo signing would flop. He looked great in the playoffs back in 2016, but I do not think he has come even close to playing to the contract he signed. Overall, there is just so many things I can point to. The rest of the guys all talked about things that make it tough to watch the Magic.

Jumani: This may come as a surprise, but I think Evan Fournier. He has been so bad on defense, arguably the worst Magic perimeter defender. And, yes, he has looked worse than even Hezonja, at times. His decision-making on offense is also another part of his game that concerns me. He is not making the simple passes and often tries to do too much. There are times when two or three guys are open but he chooses to shoot a tough pull up jumper rather than making the simple play. He has to be a willing passer for the Magic’s offense to have some success. The Magic do not have a designated player they can rely on to score 20-25 points every night, they need contributions from every player that steps on the floor.

Badillo: The biggest disappointment of the season was trading away Serge Ibaka in the middle of the season. Despite wasting $80 again on an (Serge Ibaka) Orlando Magic jersey, I think the Magic made a huge mistake in the beginning, trading away their first-round pick and their best shooting guard on the team (Victor Oladipo) for a player who did not even help the Magic’s goal of making the playoffs or play a whole season with the team. I did like the idea of bringing Ibaka to Orlando, but I think the team gave too much for him. And then to let him go in the middle of the season was disappointing. I had high hopes for Serge Ibaka in Orlando and thought he could actually lead this team to the playoffs. At least the Magic did fix this disappointment by bringing Terrence Ross to the team.

Iwanowski: I was someone who bought into the potential of Mario Hezonja becoming a difference maker. I saw a lot of offensive potential and thought he could be a really strong creator coming off the bench, especially after ending last season strong. I did not expect him to have no impact whatsoever on this team and lose minutes to C.J. Watson and Damjan Rudez. I really hope he turns it around, but that pick is looking more and more crippling as the days go by.

Grullon: The biggest disappointment of the season has to be Mario Hezonja. Hezonja is a player the Magic needed to play at a high level this season in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. Hezonja’s shooting and scoring ability were supposed to be huge factors for the Magic heading into the season. Instead, Hezonja found himself barely cracking the rotation and being an ineffective player whenever he got an opportunity to play. As of late he has played better, but overall his play this season has been a huge disappointment.

Next: Orlando Magic face decision on Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton

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