Orlando Magic Daily
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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Picking up the pieces

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball against the Boston Celtics on March 16, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball against the Boston Celtics on March 16, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 3: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket against the New York Knicks on April 3, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Who was the Orlando Magic’s MVP of this season? What was the most memorable moment of the season?

Racine: The Orlando Magic’s MVP this season was Aaron Gordon. He gave the fans some signs of hope. Aaron Gordon scored 40-plus points twice this season and showed an improved jump shot. The most memorable moment of the Magic season was when they blew out the San Antonio Spurs at the Amway Center. The ball movement was amazing and all the key players on the team played.

Rossman-Reich: I wrote about it earlier this week. Aaron Gordon was my full-season MVP. He took a major step forward in his career this year and showed promise for years to come. He is the biggest hope this team has and has proven worth a long-term investment. If that is the direction the Magic want to go. Maybe it is still being gunshy from Victor Oladipo, but the Magic cannot afford to let another young player walk for virtually nothing. And that is the decision they face with Gordon. Unfortunately, he did not have the best moment of the season. I think the highlight of the season was Jonathon Simmons’ scoring outburst against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That game was just a bright moment in such a down season and still felt like things were possible with this group.

Palmer: I guess D.J. Augustin? He went from what we pretty much would have called an untradable contract to somebody who was a very good player this season. If the Magic wanted to create additional cap space somehow I feel like they could easily unload D.J. Augustin if they do not feel he is a necessary piece for the team’s future.

Scricca: Aaron Gordon is this team’s best player, but some of the most valuable contributions came from the newer bench guys: Shelvin Mack was a nice rotation piece, Arron Afflalo consistently executed well and played hard, D.J. Augustin had a massive bounce-back year and both Jonathan Isaac and Wesley Iwundu brought energy and showed serious defensive potential. This might be a copout, but if I were handing out an MVP award, I would split it among all those guys for doing what they could to breathe some life into this team.