2017-18 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Rodney Purvis

Rodney Purvis turned in a strong season in the G-League with the Lakeland Magic. That earned him a call-up where his work continues to make the NBA.

Rodney Purvis was getting his opportunity to end the season and just soaking up the moment. He was unsure if he would ever get this opportunity. His basketball journey was a crazy one that started in Raleigh in and ended in Lakeland before arriving in Orlando.

Purvis was that classic tweener combo guard. He did not have quite the size to play shooting guard full time, or the outside shot to space the floor effectively, nor the passing skills to be a point guard.

That was at least the reputation on him after three years with the Connecticut Huskies. The league did not seem to quite know what to do with him. Even with his experience, he needed time.

That is what the G-League could afford him. And Anthony Parker and his staff did a great job identifying talent and finding someone with the potential to keep growing.

Purvis put together one of the best seasons in the G-League, making the All-G-League Rookie Team. More importantly, he got that multiyear contract every player is chasing and held his own at the NBA level.

Purvis is not at the end of his journey. But he took some big steps this year.

He became a much better 3-point shooter and scorer. But not at the cost of efficiency. He was smart with his shot selection at the NBA level at least and waited for his opportunity to score and attack. Purvis showed enough promise to keep in the Magic system once again.

By all accounts, it was a successful season. But again, just the start of what he hopes is a longer extended NBA career.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/29/2018.

The Orlando Magic called up Purvis from their G-League affiliate on March 8. The season was already over and the Magic were in a position to give some young players a try. After the trade deadline, it seemed like the Orlando Magic would go for a third point guard to bolster the roster, and signs pointed to Troy Caupain as that signee off the Lakeland Magic roster.

But it was too hard to ignore the work Purvis had done.

With the Lakeland Magic, Purvis averaged 20.5 points per game, shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. That included some strong scoring performances where he took over games with his shooting.

The efficiency was not there for Purvis as he had to take so many shots. He made 42.4 percent of his shots on 17.8 field goal attempts per game. But that was in a larger role. Scale his usage back and the question or hope for the Magic was he would keep his efficient shooting and break out that scoring when the opportunity arose.

That was not the case statistically with the Magic once he got the call-up. Purvis shot just 32.7 percent from the floor and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc. He struggled to get his rhythm.

Part of that was the Magic probably gave him a bit more freedom to shoot than he should usually get. With Orlando long out of Playoff position, the team put him in the rotation and kind of turned him loose. He obviously was not going to be able to do what he did in Lakeland for the big club.

Still, the numbers did not quite show how he fits.

Yes, Purvis was taking a lot of shots and missing a fair chunk of them. Even when given minutes and even when left open, Purvis was not quite producing at the level needed.

In theory, if not in reality, Purvis was a smart shooter. His shots generally came within the flow of the offense, not because he was over dribbling or trying to force forays to the rim. He attacked rotating defenses and was willing to stop short and take more open mid-range jumpers. He kept the ball moving.

This did not look like the player he was in Lakeland. He fit into his role. And it was clear that if he could hit his shots at the rate everyone knows he can, he could be an effective player. The Magic certainly liked him enough.

Production does matter and his production with the Magic was not encouraging. Playing on a non-guaranteed deal, he had to stand out and make himself worth something to the team.

It is not clear he accomplished that. Purvis will be working to prove himself all over again at Summer League in Las Vegas, and, if he makes it that far, in training camp.

Purvis still has a long journey to go to establish himself in the NBA. And he will be proving himself to a new coaching staff with the Magic.

He has to produce. It seemed like he did everything else to everyone’s satisfaction.

Purvis is the kind of understated player who comes in and works hard, taking the opportunities that come to him. If it is not there, he is happy to pass it on and keep moving the ball. He is happy being a part of the team. And eventually, the wheel will spin his way.

That is valuable in a bench player. No one is expecting Purvis to take over the team or be the superstar player. That was what the Lakeland Magic needed from him, it is not what the Orlando Magic would need from him.

But it is still clear Purvis has room to grow. It is clear Purvis has to keep improving and getting better. He is not yet a surefire NBA player.

His 3-point shooting has to improve. It did not follow him from the G-League to the NBA. And even in the G-League, it was spotty at best. His shooting was a weakness of his coming out of college — 36.0 percent in three years with Connecticut. It took some time to translate to the NBA.

To be sure, he can get hot from beyond the arc and the confidence will flow for him. It happened several times in the G-League. So there is potential for him to continue to grow there. And if that happens, then the Magic might have a solid bench prospect.

For now, the Magic are still intrigued with what they have. They have someone who seems like he could fit into the Magic’s culture and grow into a nice role. But he still needs the time to develop. It will be on him to make that development and take that leap.

Nothing is guaranteed for him. But Purvis took an important first step.

Next: 2017-18 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Adreian Payne

He took his opportunity with the Lakeland Magic and ran with it.