Orlando Magic must improve development of young players
By Joe Buckley
Impact
Not all the picks were presented with an opportunity to succeed.
The Magic handed Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton playing time immediately. Both went on to enjoy successful rookie campaigns, even if inconsistent playing time and undefined roles marred subsequent years. More importantly, they both joined the team at a stage where the Magic were willing to suffer through mistakes for the sake of development.
Aaron Gordon only played 47 games in his rookie season thanks to a fracture in his foot suffered early on in the season. But he has been slowly building since and is now the unquestioned starter — no matter what forward position the Magic play him at.
Mario Hezonja, who played sparingly last year as a rookie, has somehow managed to go backwards. His minutes decreased and he fell out of Frank Vogel’s rotation. Many fans are left scratching their heads about why coaches will not give him a chance.
His lack of production has not helped. Neither did the Magic taking a player who was going to need time to grow and develop onto a roster that was going to demand winning immediately. Unlike rookies before him, the Magic were not at a stage to suffer through Hezonja’s mistakes.
When picked up by a playoff team, rookies come to expect lower playing time in exchange for the glory of wins and the secure environment of a strong team as they learn. When drafted by a rebuilding team, the expectation would be room to make mistakes, to pay their dues, but the Magic have not provided this for some time.
And perhaps the Magic pushed too quickly to win considering the young talent still needing time to grow and make mistakes.