Jeff Weltman reveals his type — it is indeed athleticism, length
Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman did not do much for the long term this summer. But he revealed what his type might be.
The first decision for president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman was not a simple one.
The NBA Draft was going to help define his team in many ways. It was the first player Weltman would add to the fold. And, an important one at that. The sixth overall pick in this draft was a player who could change the franchise’s fortunes.
The pick would come down to a philosophical decision too. What kind of team did the Orlando Magic ultimately want to build around?
The debate in those days came down to the scoring point guard in Dennis Smith and the versatile forward in Jonathan Isaac. It did not take long for fans to guess the Magic might lean toward the hyper-versatile forward in Jonathan Isaac.
It was a favored trait for Weltman in his time with the Toronto Raptors where he was on the staff that drafted players like Bruno Caboclo and Norman Powell. John Hammond as the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks drafted lengthy players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker as reaches.
In this new NBA, everyone seemed to believe hyper versatility and length was a valuable trait in itself. Big forwards who can handle like guards are more valuable. Especially with their defensive potential. Every team is trying to be a bit different.
This is the direction the Magic decided to go with their pick.
"“I think part of Jonathan’s appeal is that he will be a multi-positional player,” Weltman told Orlando Magic Daily on draft night in June. “He rebounds like a 4, handles the ball like a 3, moves his feet like a wing, he can shoot it. The last thing I want to do right now with that kid is pigeon-hole him.”"
Isaac then became a foundational piece, as any top draft pick would be. He was the tone Weltman set for his future decisions. Isaac was the original “Weltman player.”
But Isaac became an archetype for the players Weltman would pursue in free agency. Of the long-term additions he made, they all shared similar traits — versatility and length for their position and a defensive mindset.
Orlando Magic
Orlando did not have a ton of money to spend this summer. The team spent a lot of its long-term money in last year’s free agency. Weltman entered the season admitting the team would be patient and likely spend the year (or part of it) evaluating what the team had on the roster already. Who he added on the margins to long-term deals would provide a hint about his overall building philosophy.
The Magic signed Shelvin Mack to a two-year, $12 million contract. The second year is non-guaranteed, but Shelvin Mack fit the type of versatile point guards. At 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, Mack does not have the complete physical profile of a point guard, but he is able to scale up to shooting guard on occasions and has really good size on that end.
The real strike was Jonathon Simmons. He signed a three-year, $18-million contract. Simmons cut his teeth in the league with the San Antonio Spurs as a defender first. That is what got him from D-League tryout to rotation player for the Spurs. But he can play either wing position and defend either wing position with some ball handling involved too.
Even second-round pick Wesley Iwundu fits this mode. He is a long and athletic defensive-minded player whose offense still needs some development.
Weltman definitely developed a type through the summer. It might be a signal of the kind of players he will hope to build around.
And coach Frank Vogel seems on board as he takes what Weltman has given him.
"“For me, what I want to seek out for in building this roster is players that have versatile offensive games but can really hold their own or better on the defensive end,” Vogel said on draft night in June. “To build a defensive team, you have to do it with length and athleticism. Both of these two young men exemplify that. From where they are right now and what they can be as they grow into themselves in this league. That’s where it started with these two men.”"
Vogel said around the draft the Magic were excited to add two-way players in the draft. And Orlando added more as the summer went on in players like Shelvin Mack and Jonathon Simmons.
He said specifically the Magic had to get more athletic, quicker and longer to improve on the defensive end. Vogel said adding Isaac and Iwundu was along those lines. Surely, Simmons and Mack also fit that mold.
And it is not that the Magic do not have these kinds of players already on the roster.
Elfrid Payton entered the league with a defensive reputation and athleticism and length at point guard. Aaron Gordon was a boundless bundle of potential. The Magic spent the last three years trying to figure out where to put Gordon on the floor.
It is still perhaps a bit too early to get a true sense of what direction Weltman wants to take the team. Judging by what Weltman focused on in his first offseason, it is clear the kind of players he emphasizes and the kind of players he wants to build around for the long-term future.
This season is not the complete picture for Weltman and for the Magic. He largely had to deal with what the previous regime left over to him. There was little opportunity to make a massive change.
But the Magic are moving in a certain direction. Weltman made that clear with his decisions this year, including that big one in late June.
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After this season plays out, Weltman will have a better sense of his current roster. But it seems a safe bet he will keep going in this direction, sensing that it is the direction the league is heading.