The Orlando Magic had high hopes for the second year of their fifth overall selection. Mario Hezonja failed to meet any of them as his NBA skill left him.
Draft position is just a number. Where a player is drafted begins not to matter after some time. It is like college grades after you get your first job. They do not matter in the long run, they just get you that first chance. At a certain point, work product matters more.
Draft position is not just a number. It sets expectations for a player’s contributions. It is an asset that has immense value until it is used, then it becomes like a car driving off the dealership lot. It loses value quickly.
And when that number is fairly high, there is a fair bit of expectation. That is a massive asset to use. the kind of pick that should help turn a franchise around.
Mario Hezonja faced all these pressures. As the fifth overall pick in a decent draft, the Orlando Magic were hoping he would be able to contribute fairly quickly as he continued to improve. With the team eyeing the Playoffs, they hoped they would be able to get some quality minutes from the second year player.
Hezonja showed plenty of flashes of his brilliance his rookie year. He had that irrational confidence that made him an Internet darling before the Draft and could hit shots. His passing ability was better than advertised and he had a lot of good court sense.
About the only thing that seemed lacking with him was defensive understanding. And under demanding coach Scott Skiles, that made it hard for him to gain trust.
Orlando Magic
Frank Vogel is another demanding defensive-minded coach, albeit one who brings his young players along a bit more gently. Hezonja was going to get his opportunity to continue growing and play meaningful minutes.
Throughout the 2017 season, though, Hezonja failed to live up to even the smallest expectations. His shot disappeared, and he quickly got the hook from the rotation.
His defense was improved but mostly toward the end of the season. It was hard for the Magic to throw Hezonja out there other than that flimsy “he was the fifth overall pick” excuse.
It is not the time to give up on Hezonja by any means, but this second season for the young Croatian forward was certainly a disappointment. He failed to stay on the floor and be a contributor for a team that desperately needed him to give them even just a little bit.
By the end, the Magic were experimenting with Hezonja’s position. They played him at power forward to give him a speed advantage on the perimeter and hide some of his defensive deficiencies. It seems like the only way the team could get him on the floor as he was one of the few players the Magic absolutely had to play down the stretch.
It is far from time to give up on Hezonja. But this was not an encouraging season and he faces a big offseason to prove he belongs in the league.
The Good and the Bad
| G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 2 | 14.8 | .355 | .299 | .420 | .800 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/9/2017.
Mario Hezonja was starting from a pretty low place to begin the season.
Coach Scott Skiles seemed to put Hezonja in a bit of a box and hold a tight leash over him. The Magic never really got to see Hezonja at his best it seemed — fully unleashed and creating for himself and others without structure or restriction.
He was still learning and maybe a bit too wide-eyed as a rookie. But he still had some flashes of brilliance and was at least moderately successful.
This season was different. Frank Vogel let Hezonja go a bit, but it was clear very early in the season, Hezonja was not quite the same player. Or not the player they had imagined when they made him the fifth overall pick.
Hezonja gained a spot in the rotation off the bench to start the season. That seemed to be about the bare minimum the team could ask for him.
In the first eight games, Hezonja averaged 16.8 minutes per game but scored just 6.3 points per game and shot 33.3 percent from the floor including 19.2 percent from beyond the arc. It became harder to play Hezonja.
Hezonja saw his minutes significantly cut. He even fell out of the rotation at a certain point.
By the end of the season, things were not much better. True, he struggled to gain a rhythm with the inconsistent playing time. But he played the final 30 games, averaging 20.5 minutes per game. He scored only 6.5 points per game shooting 36.2 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc.
It begs the question: If Hezonja is not able to shoot the ball, what exactly is it that he can do at a NBA level?
Yes, Hezonja improved defensively. He is not going to get down and defend the opponent’s best player anytime soon, but he showed increased knowledge and awareness defensively. It was a good sign of progress to improve one of his weaknesses.
But the Magic — and the NBA world — became enamored with Hezonja because of his shooting ability. Without that, what is Hezonja really?
The bottom line is Hezonja shot 35.5 percent from the floor and 29.9 percent from beyond the arc. He did not do the one skill everyone thought he had when the Magic drafted him. And finding his shot is the top priority.
Best Game of 2017
Nov. 5 vs. Washington Wizards
9 points, 4/9 field goals
The stat line for Mario Hezonja in perhaps his best game of the season is not overly impressive. His season-high for the year — 13 points — came in an early season game against the Detroit Pistons — a nearly 30-point loss.
There were not a lot of bright moments for Hezonja.
This early season victory over the Washington Wizards proved to be one of the few.
At this point of the season, it was clear something was up with Hezonja. He was not making shots and struggling to get himself going. The Magic were not quite ready to change the rotation as they got used to Vogel’s offensive and defensive schemes. Let alone each other.
This game provided some hope Hezonja would turn things around. Hezonja scored seven points in the fourth quarter to help the Magic pull away and hold onto the lead lead for the win.
He came around screens and shot with complete confidence. His efforts in the fourth quarter helped the Magic take the lead for good in the game.
This was what the Magic wanted to see from Hezonja. But it proved to be fleeting. The Magic never could get Heoznja going the same way consistently. This was a flash in the pan. A small one too.
2018 Outlook
Mario Hezonja’s time is not running out. At least, it does not appear so.
The Magic picked up his third-year option and are likely to pick up his fourth-year option. He is getting the respect a first round pick usually gets to play those first four years and have the chance for restricted free agency in 2020.
That is to say, Hezonja has to make some major improvements or his run in the NBA could end up pretty short.
At this point, it is unclear what Hezonja’s role for the Magic will be next year. Will the team give him a solid reserve role? Will the team just put him on the trash heap? Will the team simply wash their hands of the young player?
Assuming the Magic keep Hezonja and continue to believe in his development, it is on Hezonja to make those improvements and carve a role for himself. He is going to have to fight for everything this season.
It starts with his shooting. Hezonja has to improve his shooting to stay on the floor. That is his redeeming skill and he has to put the ball in the basket to find any usefulness in the league.
Hezonja is committed to doing the work to take that next step for his career. He said he is planning to skip Eurobasket and stay in Orlando for most of the offseason. His work ethic has never been in question. If he can turn things around, he has the talent and athleticism to make good on all those Lottery promises.
But for Hezonja, he has to prove he is more than potential. He has to produce.
Final Grade
There is no way around it, Mario Hezonja had a very bad season. His shooting betrayed him and he could not provide even quality bench minutes for the team this year.
That might be a bit harsh for a young player. Especially one who got pulled out of the rotation and saw his minutes become inconsistent. It is tough to find a rhythm.
But it was not like coach Frank Vogel did not give him a chance early in the season. his poor start to the season never truly subsided. And a player who was drafted for his shooting, simply could not shoot.
As much as anything, that is what has to change for Hezonja to make it with the Magic.
This was the simple role the Magic had designed for him this year. And it was the role he could not perform regularly for this team.
It came to the point where the Magic could not rely on Hezonja. He did not develop or take the next step for his career.
He made improvements for sure. He is a better player in some areas than he was as a rookie. But that one skill that seemingly would separate him from everyone else got lost somehow. And that is the thing Hezonja has to find this summer.
Next: 2016-17 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Damjan Rudez
This was a bad year for Hezonja. There is no way around it.