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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Midseason misgivings

By Philip Rossman-Reich

MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 10: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic and Eric Bledsoe #6 of the Milwaukee Bucks reach for a loose ball during a game at the Bradley Center on January 10, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 10: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic and Eric Bledsoe #6 of the Milwaukee Bucks reach for a loose ball during a game at the Bradley Center on January 10, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets
CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 4: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket against the Charlotte Hornets on December 4, 2017 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Do you believe Aaron Gordon can be the franchise-building piece? What do you make of this potential core — Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and the 2018 Draft pick?

Rossman-Reich: I think Aaron Gordon can be an All-Star. I think he will be a very good player. But I am not sure he is the primary, No. 1 option guy. I think he still needs someone to set him up. He is still not a great one-on-one player, although he tries very hard. Gordon still works best off cuts and in transition. He needs others to get him going. At least for now. So he is an important piece and worth the max contract he will get this summer but I am not sure he can do it alone. And so I think the Magic’s draft pick will probably be a bigger piece. But the core of Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and one of these top picks is really promising. I think that core jump starts the rebuild a little bit. It gives Orlando a good place to build from. I like what each asset can bring to the table. And I am all in on it (for now).

Scricca: It depends on how you define a franchise player. I think for a lot of people, it is hard to consider someone who is not great at creating for themselves or others a true cornerstone because the offense will usually be running through someone else. I do not think Gordon is best suited with the ball in his hands. He is more of a two-way weakside player, although he can play that kind of role at an All-Star level. I would try to add a strongside player, like a point guard (e.g. Oklahoma Sooners guard Trae Young) or wing with ball skills (e.g. Missouri Tigers forward Michael Porter Jr.), in this draft. That player would then likely be considered the cornerstone because the offense would run through them more than Gordon. In my opinion, adding Young, Porter or really any of the other projected top-5 prospects would make for an excellent core for the modern NBA.

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Henderson: The only way that Aaron Gordon can make an All-Star team is if Frank Vogel makes major adjustments to the roster. These moves will allow Gordon to improve on his inside scoring in the post, shoot close to 55 percent on field goals, shoot close to 80 percent from the free throw line and keep his 3-point percentage respectable. Also, Vogel needs to experiment with Jonathan Isaac playing a point forward type of role in moments of games with him and Aaron Gordon. The coach will also need to put Bismack Biyombo at center to match Gordon’s lateral quickness and athleticism on defense. And surround Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Bismack Biyombo around Evan Fournier and the 2018 shooting guard/point guard style lottery pick. This is the formula that can unleash all of Gordon’s potential.

Palmer: This potential core intrigues me. Would Jonathan Isaac play center in this scenario? Would Aaron Gordon play small forward? Who do the Magic draft? These are pretty important variables. So let’s play a game here. Assume the worst and Orlando ends up picking fifth. If the Magic end up with a core of Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Texas Longhorns center Mohamed Bamba, I would be very interested to see how teams would score against that kind of length. Offensively, it would be a struggle but I certainly would be excited about the future of the team.

Flynn: What Aaron Gordon has shown this year so far proves to me he has the work ethic and desire to be that franchise player. He is one of the most improved players this year and has shown he can score at a high clip with a handful of games this season scoring around 40 points. If the Magic are able to move Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon will continue to grow as he will not be fighting Fournier for the ball in late game situations.