The Orlando Magic look for the face of their franchise

One of this rebuild’s failures is the inability to procure a star. As the Orlando Magic head into another season, one figure emerges above the others as the “face” of the franchise

Since Dwight Howard‘s departure back in 2012, the Orlando Magic have lacked a recognizable, certifiable star. They have had players challenge for All-Star contention — Arron Afflalo and Nikola Vucevic among them. But none have come even close to being household names in the NBA.

Few other teams have this unfortunate distinction. Only the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers particularly stand out, neither team being anywhere close to serviceable. This is not great company to be keeping. And the Lakers have come out of their rebuild with potential stars in Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.

This was evident when Dan Feldman of NBC’s ProBasketballTalk asked which NBA team had the worse ‘face’ earlier this month:

While Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder was a popular choice, Orlando came up as a repeated answer too. It was as much a statement of the Magic’s lack of notoriety in the national conversations and their struggles to find their footing in a rebuild as much as their inability to define their roster:

While several named Aaron Gordon as the Magic’s “face,” others were less sure. Naturally, this leads to an interesting question: who is the “face” of the Orlando Magic?

As a team who still lack an obvious star, deciding upon the “face” is not an easy task. But by looking at what constitutes a “face”, and at the current roster, one name soon stands out among the rest.

What Makes a Face?

Before deciding who is the true “face” of the Magic, we must decide what exactly constitutes a franchise “face.”

Perhaps the most obvious requirement is talent. To be the “face” of the franchise, a player has to be one of the most talented players on the roster.

This is more than simply putting up big numbers. A true “face” will also be a defensive leader and someone who makes his entire team better. It is not merely about scoring the most points. it is also about who fans identify with most, who gets the lead marquee in team marketing promotions and who opposing fans want to see.

In the majority of cases, talent alone is not enough to fill the role.

Orlando Magic

Style of play is important too. A true franchise face will be able to catch-on with fans, even those who support rival teams (as far as that is possible, at least). Perhaps they are a prolific scorer with an exciting offensive repertoire or a high-flying dunker with out-of-this-world athleticism.

Off-the-court presence has also become increasingly important. While not immediately obvious, the vast majority of current franchise “faces” in the NBA have an interesting or engaging personality off-the-court.

LeBron James is “The King”, a national leader and prominent on social media. Stephen Curry became popular with fans for being seemingly personable both on and off the court. Even Kawhi Leonard is a huge personality, no matter what Anfernee Hardaway says.

It helps that all three of those players are all-NBA players and figure into the title picture every year. Fans know who they are and associate them with the great teams in the league.

So to be a “face,” there are three requirements.

To be one of the franchise’s star players, to have an exciting on-court game and to at least have some presence off the court as well.

The Honorable Mentions

Nikola Vucevic

Looking at stats alone, the obvious candidate to be the “face of the franchise” is Nikola Vucevic. The Magic center is a nightly double-double threat and the only player on the roster capable of putting up 25-plus points on any given night consistently.

He also has something of a social media presence. Known for stone-faced stoicism (if prone to frustration) on the court, he also comments online regarding his love for soccer, and in particular, Italian giants Juventus:

He is also a noted Star Wars fan and brings some of his dry sense of humor online.

Yet unfortunately, Vucevic is not the “face of the franchise” while arguably being the team’s most productive player.

While he shoots well for a big man, his game is far from flashy, and somewhat inefficient. Furthermore, he is neither a great defensive player nor a good team leader. And it seems like fans are always calling for his replacement at some level.

Evan Fournier

The other honorable mention is Vucevic’s fellow European teammate Evan Fournier. Fournier has emerged as the Magic’s top scorer last season, averaging 17.2 points per game.

Like Vucevic, he also has a presence online, having developed something of a fun rivalry with Ronnie Singh, better known as Ronnie2K over his 2K avatar:

Yet like Vucevic, Fournier fails to be the team’s “face.”

Last year saw the swingman struggled immensely on defense as the entire team did. Fournier too struggled to make his teammates better as he took on a larger offensive role. His efficiency declined as he became the focus of opponents every game. Fans often complain Fournier was a bit of a ball hog, although some of that might be a necessity with the poor roster construction.

His game also lacks flash — even if he is a competent three-point shooter.

The Face of the Orlando Magic

Aaron Gordon

So here it is: the true face of the Orlando Magic. No one on the Magic’s roster better qualifies as the “face’”of the Magic franchise than Aaron Gordon.

While the 21-year old is certainly not the best player currently on the roster, he has an immensely high ceiling, particularly defensively. Furthermore, he has only improved with each passing season. And there is no reason to think he will not continue to improve.

Along with having the necessary talent, Gordon’s game also stands out head-and-shoulders from the rest. An incredible athlete, Gordon’s leaping ability can lead to some ferociously good dunks, as shown below:

His online presence may not yet compare to either Fournier or Vucevic, but his dunks alone carry him above the rest. To this day, many feel the 2016 NBA Dunk Contest was stolen from him. He at least carries a Q-score from his Dunk Contest appearances.

With these dunks, and the potential to be a talented two-way player, Aaron Gordon is without a doubt the current “face” of the Orlando Magic.

But his future too is a bit murky. Gordon is entering a contract year and he has yet to firmly establish who he is as a NBA player. He might be the player with the most potential and the most recognition among the Magic roster. But if he fails to deliver this year, the team could be left without a true face once again.

One interesting question arises moving forward, then. Will Magic rookie Jonathan Isaac be able to take over this mantle from Gordon going forward?

Next: The Nos. 24-28 teams in Orlando Magic history

It seems possible since Orlando is still looking for that player to define their future and help the franchise grow.