Orlando Magic have no needs, they need everything

The Orlando Magic enter the NBA Draft trying to reshape their roster. While many focus on positional needs, the Magic can only focus on adding talent.

It is the NBA Draft season. There are a lot of rumors and circumstance surround its coverage. Everyone is scrambling for information ahead of the NBA’s great poker game. The league’s future is decided with how the teams use their picks and the maneuvering they do to throw everyone off to who they truly want.

There is only so much information available publicly. All draft reports and rumors offer is clues or misdirection.

Team needs are certainly an easy way to try to distil what direction a team will go.

A team had subpar center play the previous season, they should look to draft a center. In need of a backup point guard? Draft one. This is a simple way of breaking down a roster, a publicly available piece of information, to gain clues into what a team needs.

There is always the internal debate when it comes to the draft about selecting the best player available over team needs. That is the constant push and pull of the NBA Draft. Do you pass on the high-talent player to fill that need to put a team over the top to make the pieces fall in step?

This is the usual debate teams have around the NBA Draft.

This is not the debate the Orlando Magic should have. Even with a roster full of young players who probably still need time to figure themselves out and the belief they can take the next step with internal improvement and more stability. They just needed the star to galvanize the roster around.

The sixth pick in the Draft certainly provides that opportunity. But at the same time as the Magic certainly have needs to fill, there is no positional need to fill.

The Magic need to improve every position. And that squarely puts the Magic in the position, as they should be, drafting the best player available in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Up and down the roster, the Magic have solid NBA contributors.

For all his defensive flaws, Nikola Vucevic averaged a double-double for four of his last five seasons. Like so many players on the team, after the All-Star Break, Nikola Vucevic saw his averages jump from 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game to 16.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per games.

At the very least, Vucevic is a solid starter and contributor.

The same could be said for Elfrid Payton, the player it seems most fans are most ready to replace. It is true this is a point guard-heavy draft and finding that key replacement would be easier. But that does not mean the Magic need to find that replacement.

Elfrid Payton’s play post All-Star Break was eye-popping, to say the least. His averages of 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game are unique. Only three players averaged that during the course of the season — Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James. That is some strong company.

But no one is confusing Payton for one of those players. His defense was inconsistent and he struggled with the ball out of his hands in the half court. Those numbers came as the Magic picked up their pace. It seems like a style the Magic want to continue next year.

Payton made a lot of that go, but no one is sure if the Magic are ready to keep the keys in his hands. A player like Dennis Smith or De’Aaron Fox has that “star” quality about them. With new leadership in place, the Magic have to consider moving on from Payton after three years and the team eclipsing 30 wins just once.

Orlando Magic

Orlando has several solid wing players in Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross. And Aaron Gordon seems like the prize jewel for the Magic. They all had their moments of brilliance last season and would seemingly be solid building blocks. But even they cannot feel completely safe. They have flaws and the Magic need that centerpiece.

Whoever it is and whatever position it comes. The Magic’s biggest need is that centerpiece. And no one is worth saving if the Magic believe they can find that player.

The reality quite clearly is the Magic have serious flaws even if the individual players are good and produce solid numbers on their own. Orlando’s 29-win season proves that. Orlando cannot rest on its laurels and rely on a draft pick and internal improvement to get better.

Orlando cannot rest on its laurels and rely on a draft pick and internal improvement to get better. The team has to be willing to change. And maybe change in a big way.

This draft pick at six is not about filling a need. The Magic’s needs are many. It is not a positional need but more a talent need. The Magic need more talent and to improve talent. They need to get the players they currently have in better roles for them to succeed.

Simply put, asking Evan Fournier to be the team’s first offensive option is asking too much of him. While he led the team in scoring and had a strong offensive year, he does not have the creative ability or the efficiency to be a first-line player. He is a solid starter and can play a supporting role, but he is not a star.

Even with the picks the Magic have later on in the Draft, Orlando has to be looking for players who can boost the team’s talent level without regard to position. The Magic’s bench was inconsistent at best and terrible at worst last year. While Bismack Biyombo and D.J. Augustin‘s contracts seem to entrench those players, for now, the Magic need to increase their talent on the bench. Again, regardless of position.

Orlando is in the position where needs do not matter. The Magic need everything. They have to draft the best player available, whoever that may be.

There is a lot of opportunity in this Draft. With four picks, the Magic can reshape their roster. And they have to take advantage of this.

Next: Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag: Draft to the Future

Through their analysis and evaluations, they have to focus on improving the talent base on the team. Positional needs are secondary.