The Orlando Magic are nearly done with their offseason after adding Jonathon Simmons and Shelvin Mack. We break down where the Magic stand.
The NBA offseason is a big rush of moves over a short period of time. The league’s landscape really changes in the course of about three weeks before everything goes quiet (or relatively quiet).
Even when teams are not likely to be active, they can become embroiled in the madness of free agency. With so much going on, standing still can be its own vice for fans. Everyone is waiting for the team to do something.
The Orlando Magic stuck to their plan this summer. They sought out opportunities but finding none they bided their time. They remained patient and shrewd with their limited free agency room and struck it decently well at the end of the free agency.
No, Shelvin Mack and Jonathon Simmons are not likely to change the Magic’s fortunes dramatically. But both should prove to be solid role players who will help the team in the long run.
By all accounts, the Magic did well this summer. Fans are feeling good about their moves in the short term.
Did they do enough to make the Playoffs? That seems like a bit premature to say at the moment. The Eastern Conference has not helped itself. Opportunity is there.
That has been far from Orlando’s mind. The team still has a lot of work to do. Neither Simmons nor Mack will resolve the Magic’s shooting issues. And despite how well Orlando played at the end of the season, the team still only won eight of the team’s final 24 games and had a bottom-10 offense and defense.
The Magic are a long way from competing for the Playoffs. At least assuredly doing so. The Eastern Conference is a mess.
That may not have necessarily been the Magic’s goals throughout this season anyway. Orlando seemed to be in something of a holding pattern. Without much cap room to work with, the team seemed content to let its returning roster continue to grow together. It is not like the Magic had the cap flexibility to do much more.
But Orlando still did a lot with their free agency money. Simmons and Mack should improve the team at least cosmetically. It is unclear just by how much.
So where does this summer of moves leave the Orlando Magic? What holes are left to fill? What questions did the free agent signings answer?
These are the questions we answer in this edition of the Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable.
What does the Jonathon Simmons signing mean for the Orlando Magic? Can he push for starter’s minutes?
Ricky Scricca (@scricca1): It shows the identity the new front office is trying to build for this team. Simmons is a ridiculous athlete, a hustle player, and a good defender from a winning culture with the San Antonio Spurs. His offense will be his limiting factor, though. The Magic are in dire need of 3-point shooting and Simmons does not provide that. It will be hard to keep him on the floor with most of the team’s other starters — Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic — because they are not dependable shooters either. I think around 20-25 minutes a game is realistic though, which is slightly more than he averaged in the Spurs’ playoff run last year.
Philip Rossman-Reich (@philiprr_OMD): I think this is simply a great intangible signing. It brings in a player who has a good track record as a defender and someone who can fill in a role. At best, he can push for starter’s minutes as the team’s primary perimeter defender (especially for smaller guards, maybe allowing the Magic to hide Elfrid Payton a bit more). At worst, he can play the sixth man role or be a solid bench player. And, at his salary, the worst-case scenario is not terrible either. Simmons is a player who can fit and define a culture if the team embraces the style of play. I was surprised and excited by this signing.
Ryan Doyle (@RDoyle27): The signing of Jonathon Simmons gives the fan base an idea of the type of player the new regime is looking for. He plays with tremendous effort on the defensive end and has a chip on his shoulder. Now, Simmons is not a perfect player, he is not someone who is going to push the needle much. But with how many holes the Magic have, there was not a player on the market who could fix this team. When it comes to Simmons cracking the starting lineup, he has the chance. It will be a tough hill to climb with his offensive limitations, but this team isn’t good enough to ignore that possibility.
Jonathan Treadway (@JTMagic1989): Jonathon Simmons is a terrific pickup for the Magic. On top of the fact they were able to sign him to a very reasonable deal, he brings a leadership presence, and more importantly, a hunger to be great and win that has frankly been missing on this team for a while. The addition of Simmons to the Magic brings a tremendous upside to the Magic that I believe will at the very least bolster a bench that has been lacking in depth and talent and, in the best scenario, brings out a budding talent who can help this Magic team get back to prominence. He has the physical fit and mental toughness to crack the starting lineup on a team that will be deep. The determining factor is can his defensive abilities make up for what he currently lacks on the offensive end. I believe the answer to that is yes it can.
How would you evaluate the Orlando Magic’s offseason moves — Jonathan Isaac, Shelvin Mack and Jonathon Simmons?
Scricca: This was as good of an offseason as I could have realistically expected. This was not the time to make a big or splashy move. I had Mack and Simmons pegged as good targets for the Magic early on, but I thought Simmons’ restricted free agent status and Arenas limitations would force a team to overpay for him. It turns out the Spurs did not want to retain his rights, so the Magic got him on a great deal. Mack’s partial guarantee in the second year of his contract will also help them maintain flexibility. These signings help the team in important, tangible ways without hamstringing the team’s cap room. The team now has a chance to get better and be fun to watch in 2018 while still keeping its eyes on 2020.
Rossman-Reich: Considering the Magic’s lack of financial flexibility, you cannot be too upset with what the Magic did. From a macro-perspective, it is clear the Magic are developing a type and the etchings of an identity. They want players who are dogged defenders and who can defend multiple positions. Frank Vogel’s switching schemes could be in full effect with players like Jonathan Isaac, Jonathon Simmons and Aaron Gordon hounding players on the perimeter. All three could switch to just about any position defensively. That may be the clue to stopping teams in this crazed offensive era. All things considered, the Magic did better than expected with this free agency period.
Doyle: The team did a great job this offseason with their free agent acquisitions. Orlando had limited cap space and added two players who should help create an identity. Both players can play defense and are comfortable in playing a specific role. Plus, the contracts these two players signed are extremely team friendly. Hopefully, in a few years, this will be looked back upon as a strong offseason that helped Orlando gain the flexibility to add some top-tier talent down the road.
Treadway: As a Magic fan who has had to scratch their head the last five years, especially last year wondering what the front office was thinking in the offseason, it is hard not to grade this offseason as a straight up A+ for the Magic with all they did. So in not overreacting to this, I still say the new front office gets an A- grade for the offseason. Jeff Weltman played the offseason wisely and strategically not rushing to make moves because of the pressure from fans, or anything else. After watching Isaac in Summer League, he has shown promise to be a big addition to the team. And with little cap room to work with, the Magic struck at the right time picking up two players who were signed to very reasonable deals which allowed the Magic to add depth without hurting their small cap flexibility any worse than it already was. These two additions also are fantastic because they come in with not very high expectations, lots of hunger, and a veteran presence needed for this young team.
What is the biggest need the Orlando Magic still have to address — via trade, minimum signing or during the season?
Scricca: Shooting from almost any position. Marreese Speights, Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Rush and Gerald Henderson could all be candidates for the minimum or the room exception. But the depth chart is pretty full as it is, and none of them would likely be able to earn enough minutes to have a significant impact. More important for the Magic right now is getting off some bigger contracts, like those of Bismack Biyombo, Nikola Vucevic, D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier. But I do not see that happening until the deadline when Weltman will have had a chance to evaluate their contributions or improve their trade value. Getting a second-round pick and/or a prospect/fringe player would be a good return for any of those guys.
Rossman-Reich: Shooting is the obvious need still. Orlando does not have a great shooter. Evan Fournier is the best returning 3-point shooter and the Magic still likely needs him to be on the ball a lot more and attack off the dribble. Someone is going to have to step up. But I will go somewhere else to highlight another area. I think the Magic need one more post player, probably a power forward, to round out their roster. Khem Birch is reportedly the guy the team is going to sign. But the Magic might be able to find a NBA-quality big on a one-year deal for the rest of their cap room or the room mid-level exception. Orlando is relying heavily on Jonathan Isaac playing meaningful minutes. Maybe they are ready to withstand his mistakes for now. But there is definitely a lack of depth in the post.
Orlando Magic
Doyle: I believe Orlando needs to add shooting too. It was a massive problem last season and it looks like it is going to continue next season. The NBA is a 3-point shooting league now and the Magic are falling far behind. Yes, the team can build an identity around strong defensive play for now, but that is only going to get them so far. They needed a consistent 3-point shooting threat. They could easily add one in a trade if they decide to dump some salary. Which leads into my second need: cap space. Orlando has far too much money invested in average players and the team needs flexibility if they are going to build back up to contention.
Treadway: Absolutely without a doubt, as mentioned above, it is shooting. It is almost saddening after watching the 2009 Finals team shoot the lights out of the arena every night, especially behind the 3-point line to watch the Magic the last few years shoot abysmally from the field. Even their best shooters have been pretty mediocre at best. The biggest problem is there is no real good solution at this point to receive immediate relief from their shooting woes. There is virtually no cap room or roster space to add a real shooting threat to the team. And, by trading for a knockdown shooter, the Magic risk giving up valuable assets and potential go to players for short term relief. Unless players like Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier or Terrence Ross become 3-point snipers over the summer and light it up next year, there will still be no shooting improvement come this year.
What player is the Orlando Magic risking the season on? Who does the season turn on next season?
Scricca: Elfrid Payton. This is the year he has to prove he can be a starting-caliber point guard. When he was good last season, so were the Magic. It will be no different in 2018. He needs to build off the way he finished last season, and if he does, the Magic can feel good about where they are and probably win a few games along the way. If he stagnates or regresses, it might be time to move on from him. The Magic do not have a ready-made replacement for him, either. A down year for Payton could put them in a tough situation, but a step forward (especially on defense) would pay dividends.
Rossman-Reich: It is Elfrid Payton, bar none. The Magic were brilliant offensively with their starting lineup last year after the All-Star Break. And Payton’s transformation was a big reason why. The fast-break style really fits him and he made teams pay even without a consistent jumper. But his future and the Magic’s future relies on him playing better defense. The Magic are still a defense-first team. And that is extremely tough to do successfully if the point guard struggles defensively. Payton has to get back his defensive reputation for the Magic to have any success this season.
Doyle: I have to agree with everyone else here. This is the biggest season in Elfrid Payton’s career. His future with Orlando depends on how well he can play this season. The team’s success is also dependent on him because of his defense. It has been awful the past few seasons and the team needs him to be at his best if they want to be a contender. If he wants to be the team’s point guard of the future, he needs to play better than he ever has. If he does not, it is easy to guess where Orlando will be going with their next lottery pick.
Treadway: I agree with everyone again, it is certainly Elfrid Payton’s make or break year. In most cases whether the point guard is the vocal team leader or the captain of the team or not. They certainly are the proverbial bus drivers who make the team go. We have seen that Payton has the speed and the passing ability to make this a run and gun and excellent fast break team. And we have also seen glimpses he can be a scoring threat even without having a solid outside shooting game. But in order for him to be THE point guard for the Magic and to stay with this team, he will need to do this on a consistent basis. Something we have not seen from him yet. If Payton can play at a high level and bring back the defensive intensity he was known for in college, the Magic will be able to close a whole lot more of the games they have squandered away the last couple of years. If he plays the same way he has, they could increase their record but he may not end up being with the team to see that number jump up significantly.
Are the Orlando Magic better today than they were in April?
Scricca: 100 percent. The Magic significantly improved their bench by effectively replacing Jeff Green, D.J. Augustin and Mario Hezonja with Jonathon Simmons, Shelvin Mack and Jonathan Isaac. They now have several great athletes who can blitz opposing offenses, disrupt passing lanes, switch on the pick-and-roll, dunk on everyone and play both ends in transition. The half court offense might not be pretty at times, but it will be better. There is still a long road ahead before this team is close to contention, but the future looks brighter and the present looks like it will be exciting to watch.
Rossman-Reich: It seems odd to say a team that made just three changes (so far) and none to the starting lineup is significantly better. And maybe significantly is not the right adjective. But the Magic are better today than they were to end the season. They got at least two quality rotation players to bolster a bench that dropped the ball consistently to end last season. They have confidence from the way they finished the season. And the comfort of having the same coaching staff and knowing each other. Orlando’s best decision may have been to stand pat and evaluate things. The Eastern Conference has fallen to the Magic’s level, it seems. It is easy to start believing again. That might be getting too far ahead. There are still reasons for skepticism. But the Magic sure do feel more optimistic these days.
Doyle: Yes, but barely. Jonathan Isaac is not going to be much of a factor in his rookie season and Shelvin Mack and Jonathon Simmons are just role players. But the team is in a better place than it was in April. The front office has not had the flexibility to make wholesale changes to the roster yet. But a foundation should be in place soon. Like Philip said, the Eastern Conference has fallen to Orlando’s level. To be frank, it is a pathetic conference on paper. There is hope the team can figure it out and at least be in the race for a late seed. Much of that hope is due to the quiet moves the front office made this offseason.
Next: Shooting is the last area of need for Orlando Magic
Treadway: Absolutely. The immediate improvement to me that jumps off the page while looking at the new roster is how much better the bench has gotten. A big reason for this is clearly the additions of solid players picked up in the offseason: Isaac, Simmons and Mack. But even more so, the Magic shed players who were eating up bench minutes while not contributing much on the floor. By letting go of Jeff Green and C.J. Watson, it allowed the Magic to replace them with players who will right away make more impact in Jonathon Simmons and Shelvin Mack. By waiving Stephen Zimmerman it adds more space for Jonathan Isaac to play and grow. And even though some may say the Magic lost scoring off the bench by letting Jodie Meeks go, they got Jonathon Simmons in return who may not shoot as well but provides solid defense and hunger to get better and win. The biggest improvement of all, getting a new front office who seems to have a direction, a sense of what a team needs to look like to compete in this league and experience on how to make the right moves at the right time. They also kept the coaching the same, the first time in a while that has happened. They added some much-needed stability. It is often said that for winning to happen in an organization it starts at the top and trickles down becoming infectious. Hopefully with this new front office, and a coach with a winning background and some comfortability that winning attitude will trickle down to the players and translate on the court to some wins.