Hope For Mario Hezonja: Comparisons with Orlando Magic favorite J.J. Redick

Mario Hezonja‘s early career trajectory has followed the same path as fan favorite J.J. Redick. Like Redick, Hezonja hopes to break out in his third year.

It is no secret Orlando Magic fandom has a somewhat unquenchable thirst for Mario Hezonja to succeed. Put this down to his high pick in the 2015 Draft or merely the hope that after years in the wilderness and no true stars to call their own, the Magic faithful are grasping at straws.

Still sporting the scars of the Fran Vazquez saga, the long suffering fans are desperate not to write off another lottery pick on an overseas bust. As a result, they have remained patient through Hezonja’s very evident struggles in his early NBA career.

More so, the fans continue to plead he gets more opportunities and time.

But, after failing to make any kind of positive progress in his second year, and with the newly acquired added depth at the wing positions, Hezonja’s career with the Magic and in the NBA hang in the balance. And so with it the fans’ patience.

Although the writing may seemingly be on the wall for Hezonja’s Magic and NBA career, team history offers a glimmer of hope to all those desperate to see him succeed, in the form of a former Magic favorite who was in a very similar position.

That player is J.J. Redick.

This is not as much a direct comparison of the two players, as much as it is highlighting the similarity in the circumstances and situations they found themselves in early in their Magic tenure.

The similarities between the two players and their early careers is a bit jarring.

Both came in with the reputation as very confident, cock-sure outside shooters.

Redick had a right to be confident after his ACC and national player of the year award in his final year at college. The Magic took him 11th in the 2006 NBA Draft. He was seen nationally as the guy everyone loved to hate.

Orlando Magic

Redick was so confident in his own shot and ability that he relished the role of pantomime villain for the Duke Blue Devils. That changed in the NBA, where players were bigger, faster, stronger and better.

Redick could shoot, no doubt, but he lacked athleticism and speed to stay with opponents. And he was a liability on defense. He soon learned that his college reputation counted for little as his defensive and physical deficiencies made court time hard to come by in his rookie year.

Coach Brian Hill lacked the confidence in J.J. Redick defensively to put him in the game. Much of his rookie year was spent on the bench collecting garbage minutes.

It is a very similar story for Hezonja. Without Redick’s glittering college career, Hezonja came over with the buzz of potential having been a major contributor for European powerhouse Barcelona and having been a legitimate pro since he was 14. It was thought Hezonja’s upside was high given his athletic prowess and pro background, despite being just 20 years old.

Although Redick was a bit more of a known commodity after four years at Duke, that was not really the case with Hezonja, whom the Magic took fifth overall in 2015. The word on Hezonja was that he had a swagger and arrogance about him and he was supremely confident in his game.

Sound familiar?

Rob Hennigand the Magic front office were were intrigued by these characteristics and his reputation as a dead eye 3-point shooter.

As Hezonja’s rookie season unfolded, a re-occurring theme seemed to keep presenting itself. Hezonja was a defensive liability, and his lack of focus at that end and his inability to keep his man in front of him made it very hard for him to get in the game for meaningful minutes.

His coach, Scott Skiles, did not trust him defensively, irrespective of his offensive or athletic ability. But he showed enough glimpses to keep the Magic brass and the fans believing that with the right coach and defensive development that he could become a useful player.

His rookie year, like Redick, seemed like a good enough start.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/4/2017.

Looking at the respective rookie seasons, many of the stats between the two were similar. But what was most telling is what the stats do not show. The players struggled to gain their coach’s trust. And so their playing time was very limited.

Back in 2007 many Magic fans felt that all J.J. Redick needed was a chance to play and that the coaches (Brian Hill and then Stan Van Gundy) were just too stubborn to play young guys. Much like with the case for Mario Hezonja and Scott Skiles/Frank Vogel.

The second year in the league is a big year for any young player. Lottery picks are expected to make significant leaps. Redick’s situation in his second year went from bad to worse as he became the epitome of an end-of-the-bench guy. Appearing in only 34 games, his minutes were almost halved to 8.1 per game.

Hezonja also took a hit in his second year. His playing time dipped and had an extra 14 DNP’s next to his name.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/4/2017.

The highlights here are there for all to see. Hezonja’s shooting and turnovers are a major problem. Not great combinations. Redick suffered a similar regression defensively, but was able to increase his shooting percentage in limited minutes.

What is most important here is what happens next. And that is the mystery for Hezonja. It was in his third year that Redick began to find his footing in the league.

In his third season, Redick was able to break into the rotation. He played a valuable role with shooting from the bench. His defense was in no way stellar but he was able to cut out the individual errors and be a passable team defender.

Here are Redick’s regular season numbers for his third season:

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Generated 10/4/2017.

His progress was more than what he produced statistically. He was able to earn his coach and team’s trust. Not only in his 17 minutes per game, but in practice and as a general pro.

That trust was shown when Redick stepped in during the Magic’s 2009 Finals run. He averaged 6.0 points per game, on a 50.0 percent effective field goal percentage in 20.4 minutes per game across 16 Playoff games. Redick made his mark mostly defending Ray Allen in the second round against the Boston Celtics. It was a stunning turnaround.

Redick thrived at the challenge of reinventing himself. After a stellar college career, his NBA career was hanging by a thread. Trade rumors were common place and he looked to have no future at the Magic. He even requested a trade from Orlando and an opportunity elsewhere.

But that was just the catalyst he needed. After his third year, he would go on to have another four in Orlando. His minutes and effectiveness would increase in each of those seasons. When he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks just before the deadline in 2013, he was firmly entrenched as a Magic favorite.

For a confident wing who cannot defend and who had a troubled start to his NBA career, Hezonja need look no further than one of Orlando’s recent favorites sons if he needs inspiration.

Next: 6 Orlando Magic stars with the most to prove in 2018

With Hezonja’s career in Orlando and the NBA very much in the balance, it really is now or never. He at least has a model in Redick.