2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Bismack Biyombo
Bismack Biyombo has the difficult position of trying to live up to a massive contract. But the Orlando Magic’s center just needs to re-establish his defense.
The Orlando Magic had money to spend in the summer of 2016. And with pressure growing from within to make the Playoffs, they were going to spend it. Spending it wisely while going out in desperation was going to be the trick.
But the reality still was the team did not have the wares to attract the big-name free agents. And, besides, everyone had cap room. So Orlando had to settle. Or, at least, Orlando had to find someone they could sign to claim some sort of victory.
The Magic seemingly tried to address that long-sought-after bugaboo of rim protection in free agency. Only the team had already acquired Serge Ibaka at the Draft and pushed Aaron Gordon aside to small forward. Finding a replacement for Nikola Vucevic — or at least someone who could push him to start — did not seem like a high priority.
It was a surprise to everyone then when the Magic signed Bismack Biyombo to a whopping four-year, $70-million contract. It was a move no one saw coming both in that Biyombo got that amount and the Magic were the ones signing him, loading up their already loaded front court.
Biyombo fit something of a need, at least. The Magic were looking for a rim-protecting center. But it still seemed like a lot to invest in a player who had been a career backup player and has almost no offensive game to speak of. His performance in the 2016 Playoffs stood out for sure, but that sample size was small, only a glimpse into his potential.
That bore itself out during Biyombo’s first season in Orlando.
Orlando Magic
Biyombo was not the defensive force the Magic hoped for. In fact, his numbers stayed largely flat from his previous season with the Toronto Raptors. As the highest paid player on the team, that was a tough pill to swallow. Then again, everyone seemed to recognize it would be tough for Biyombo to live up to his contract.
At the end of the day, the Magic still needed Biyombo to do some basic things. They needed him to rebound, block shots and defend. And it was here that Biyombo struggled more than the Magic would have liked.
Coach Frank Vogel tinkered with the starting lineup, but ultimately it was clear Nikola Vucevic was the starter. Biyombo never challenged him for the spot. And his defensive impact seemed negligible at best.
In his second year with the Magic, Biyombo will have to re-establish himself and his production. And perhaps show he has room to keep growing.