Orlando Magic Daily
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Frank Vogel is aware of the roster crunch coming

By Philip Rossman-Reich

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 27: Head Coach Frank Vogel of the Orlando Magic works on a play during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 27, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 27: Head Coach Frank Vogel of the Orlando Magic works on a play during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 27, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic are getting several players back from injury and are close to becoming whole. But that also creates a difficult roster crunch to manage.

The Orlando Magic were more than happy to welcome Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic back into the lineup. Almost instantly, the two seemed to loosen the Magic’s offense, adding new wrinkles and sets to the team. They created space the Magic had struggled and fought to get for a long time.

The offense has struggled a bit in the last three games — a 108.8 offensive rating in the nine games Aaron Gordon missed compared to a 106.3 offensive rating in the three games since he and Nikola Vucevic returned. But some of that is almost certainly because of changes to the rotation and the Magic’s two leading scorers knocking off some rust.

The results with Gordon and Vucevic in the game are fine. Orlando has a 108.3 offensive rating with Vucevic on the floor and a 106.7 offensive rating with Gordon on the floor. Those are the top two marks on the team in that time. Small sample size duly noted.

Injuries have long characterized the Magic’s season and been the key storyline throughout. A lot of players have wondered what this team would look like if they could have fielded a fully healthy team the entire season. That will remain a major what-if.

But things have evolved as the season has progressed. The team played its best basketball since that early part of the season when Gordon was absent, showing some scrap and determination.

Now the Magic have to manage to maintain that limited success while bringing their best player back.

Players like Mario Hezonja stepped up in that time. He scored 16.9 points per game and shot 50.0 percent during that nine-game stretch. Khem Birch looked like a force defensively, forcing his way into the rotation.

As the Magic integrate players back from injury — including rookie Jonathan Isaac, who is scheduled to return Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors — they will have to face down this roster crunch.

Coach Frank Vogel knows this will be one of his biggest challenges. He must reward the players who performed while others were injured while integrating back players who have proven themselves valuable to this team.

"“It will help [getting players back],” Vogel said before the All-Star Break. “And it will be waves. We have to recalibrate a little bit. We’re going to be a little bit different. We’re adding some really good basketball players to strengthen us.”"

The results have not been there. The Magic have followed a similar hot-start, slow-simmer, loss-in-the-end pattern in the three games since the All-Star Break. And the minute distribution has been a bit odd.

Mario Hezonja, for instance, went from 29.6 minutes per game in the nine games Aaron Gordon missed to 22.7 in the three games since. That included just 15 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. And Jonathan Isaac will pinch his minutes more. Gordon’s minutes should increase to normal amounts soon, further eroding Hezonja’s court time.

Hezonja has played most of his minutes at power forward this year. Isaac is going to take those minutes. Unlike Hezonja, who will be an unrestricted free agent this year, the Magic are invested heavily in Isaac’s future. They need to see him play and play meaningful and big minutes for the team.

That will likely move Hezonja more to small forward. That position might be more natural for him. But he has had very little success playing there in his career. Especially defensively.

Vogel said before the break he would play Hezonja more at the 3. Hezonja had earned his way into the rotation and the Magic were not about to take him out, although his role would inevitably shrink.

Hezonja and Gordon have played minutes together at the 3 and the 4 since the break. Often, Vogel used Gordon to defend the perimeter player and left Hezonja on the weaker offensive player or on the power forward.

The Magic have to find a way to play him. All the while they are still trying to play Wesley Iwundu and get the most out of their 10-day contract from Rashad Vaughn (which expires Thursday).

And eventually, Terrence Ross will return. That will put further pressure on the roster. There are simply not enough minutes to go around at the wing positions for Evan Fournier, Jonathon Simmons, Terrence Ross, Mario Hezonja, Jonathan Isaac and Wesley Iwundu. Just like there are not enough minutes to go around at power forward for Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac, Mario Hezonja and Khem Birch.

And Birch gets thrown in there only because of the roster crunch at center.

With Nikola Vucevic back, the center position is almost fully accounted for with him and Bismack Biyombo. Birch was already squeezed out of the rotation Monday after playing just nine total minutes in the previous two games.

Vogel said he wants to continue playing Birch but admitted scrambling for minutes will be tough. And that does not account for Marreese Speights either, a productive if flawed player.

Figuring out how to split center minutes is a quandary considering the things Vogel said he has seen from this group.

"“I like the depth we have at center,” Vogel said before the All-Star Break. “I think Biz has played really well for us. Mo has had his moments at the five and the four, giving us a big lift with defensive savvy and with his shooting. Biz is the hardest worker on our team in terms of all these touch shots around the basket and all that stuff. He shot a really high percentage during this stretch where Vuc has been out around the basket. Even with his short jump shots. He is an example of hard work paying off.“And Khem Birch has shown us what a talent he is. He is a valuable and useful NBA player where we are even toying around with some things putting him in more switching situations. We have to keep evaluating the things that he can do. All three of those guys have played well for us.”"

For now, Birch has found himself on the outside of the rotation looking in.

This could all change. Perhaps as the season winds to an end, the impetus to play veterans will decrease and the impetus to play young players will increase. Maybe that is the time the Magic make the decision to shift their rotation.

Maybe Vogel and the Magic have a plan to shift the rotation on a game-to-game basis. Or maybe they would do it based on matchups to ensure everyone gets the time they need.

Or maybe the Magic will continue to play a rotation that (at least nominally) is trying to win. Maybe Vogel will continue to play the players he trusts most in the pursuit of wins.

It seems Vogel has a lot of options to choose from. And a lot of options he appears to like.

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How he resolves some of these roster conflicts will be critical to managing the rest of the season. And continuing the development the Magic want to build.