The Orlando Magic acquired Terrence Ross before the All-Star Break giving the young player an opportunity at a larger role. He showed signs he can fill it.
By the time the All-Star Break and trade deadline came around, the deal felt inevitable. Everyone could see it happening and coming down the road. The Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors were merely dancing around each other waiting for deadline pressure to make them blink.
The only surprising part was that the teams completed the deal before the NBA went on its All-Star hiatus. The teams blinked and pulled off the inevitable deal.
The Raptors got Serge Ibaka, likely for less than they would have paid had they done so on Draft night. And the Magic got. . . something for Serge Ibaka to salvage something from a failed season. And as far as payouts go, Terrence Ross was certainly not a bad prize.
Ross was the sometimes inconsistent backup small forward for the Raptors. The guard capable of dropping 50 points one night, as he did a few years ago, and then scoring six the next, as his former coach Dwane Casey joked with a small hint of truth.
Ross provided what the Magic were looking for most desperately — shooting from the perimeter. His acquisition enabled the Magic to move Aaron Gordon to power forward and begin to transform the team’s identity into a fast-breaking team. It seemed to fit perfectly.
There were hiccups through the process. Ross needed some time to acclimate to his new teammates and a new system. The Magic promised him a larger role and that is exactly what he got. That came with its own changes and adjustments for the young forward too.
Orlando Magic
Ross did not put up the shooting numbers the Magic hoped for in the end. He never quite had that breakout offensive game. But Ross may have discovered something else. Something that may become more important for his career — consistency.
That word has dogged Ross for several years. It is the genesis of that joke from Casey when the Magic visited the Raptors late in the season. He never could create or score consistently. And that is what the Magic needed most. For now, at least.
The Magic were a haphazardly put together roster — more so before the All-Star Break than after. But the team still was rough around the edges. Ross was still an imperfect fit. He was till trying to fit in.
Orlando has a summer to make that fit work better and get the most out of this new acquisition that helped change the franchise’s short-term fortunes.