@OMagicDaily what is your take on Bismack biyombo? Is performance this year and his contract!
— JRO24 (@Romaine_Justin) March 9, 2017
This is a good place to start, I suppose — with a question that probably encapsulates the frustration for this season.
Bismack Biyombo has become a lightning rod for Magic fans and might very well be this year’s annual Scapegoat of the Year. It is not his fault. The Magic really knew what they got when they signed him.
I am not as low on Bismack Biyombo as many people are for sure. I think he still plays that reserve defensive big man role well. He has become a victim of his contract and expectations.
To be clear, his contract is not good for a backup big. Paying $17 million per yer for someone who is essentially a backup is not a good thing. I think that number actually is not as bad as people make it though.
Under this year’s salary cap, $17 million represents 18.1 percent of the cap. Under the 2016 season’s salary cap, that would be like signing a $12.6 million contract. That is only slightly more than Nikola Vucevic (whom we all think is probably underpaid or below market).
So the contract for me is not what gets me about Biyombo’s play this season. His numbers have all been in line with some of his previous season — he is averaging 6.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
It is his defense that has been so odd. Some defensive metrics — like Defensive Box Plus-Minus really like him. But other metrics, like the team’s defensive rating with him on the floor, do not. This is all to say, it is hard to say Biyombo makes such a big impact defensively.
And with Dewayne Dedmon doing a lot of the same things and much cheaper, it is hard to say whether Biyombo is actually worth that price.
Perhaps, Biyombo as much as anyone, needs the right supporting cast around him to work. The team needs more shooting and spacing to make his roll threat or his screens more effective for penetration. The Magic simply do not have that. And so Biyombo just seems like an odd fit.
I am not ready to give up on the contract or the player. But, yes, right now it does not look like a good signing. The Magic needed something more from him to get to the Playoffs this year. Or at least more from that salary slot they spent on him.