2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Bismack Biyombo

3 of 5

Bismack Biyombo, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO,TX – NOVEMBER 29: Bismack Biyombo #11 of the Orlando Magic battles Danny Green #14 of the San Antonio Spurs and Pau Gasol #16 of the San Antonio Spurs for a loose ball at AT&T Center on November 29, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

What Could Go Wrong

Essentially, Bismack Biyombo’s season last year was about everything that could go wrong for the team. After Biyombo averaged 6.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the 2016 Playoffs — including a stretch of 10 games where he averaged 8.2 points per game, 11.0 rebounds per game and 2.1 blocks per game — the team expected to see him making a big impact defensively.

After Biyombo averaged 6.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the 2016 Playoffs — including a stretch of 10 games where he averaged 8.2 points per game, 11.0 rebounds per game and 2.1 blocks per game — the team expected to see him making a big impact defensively. The whole thought process behind signing Biyombo was the theory his numbers would increase proportionally with his increase in minutes. It never happened. His numbers stayed relatively flat. And that is a heavy price tag to pay.

It never happened. His numbers stayed relatively flat. And that is a heavy price tag to pay.

Biyombo is never going to be a strong offensive player. At this point in his career, he is kind of who he is on offense. But what is important for the Magic is to see him becoming a defensive force again. Failing to do that would leave a big hole in the Magic bench — a hole that Marreese Speights could fill because at least he can shoot the ball even if he is a sieve defensively — and a big piece of dead weight in the Magic’s finances.

Biyombo is not likely to fall off a cliff. It is quite possible to see him bouncing back after a down year. But the questions remain after a season where Biyombo struggled to provide much of a presence defensively.

He may have put up some decent numbers individually on the defensive end, but they were nowhere near impactful enough. The Magic were a bad defensive team for much of last season, but the team was worse when the bench came in. If Biyombo were truly a defense-changing player, that would not have been the case.

Maybe the issue was the Magic’s lack of shooting. It only highlighted Biyombo’s weaknesses on offense as teams crowded the paint and made it even tougher for him to make catches.

Maybe the issue was the Magic had a lot of poor perimeter defenders off the bench and Biyombo cannot clean everything up. This year will then represent a chance for him to redeem himself. He has to become a defensive force.

There were games last year where Biyombo really asserted himself on that end and looked like the player the Magic always imagined. Those were among the best games the Magic played all season — think his game against the Los Angeles Lakers in December.

They will need that Biyombo to show up more this year. Otherwise, it could be another frustrating year for him and the team.