The Orlando Magic and other rebuilding teams have plenty of things to think about watching these Playoffs. Especially as they plan their NBA Draft.
There are lessons learned in every Playoff year. Even for the teams sitting out the postseason. They may not be playing in these games but they can clearly see what works and learn how to build back into a Playoff team — or something more.
And this postseason has been a doozy in terms of revelations about the direction this league is heading and what works at the highest levels. Generally accepted tropes for success in the league are getting turned on their head.
As much as the Inside the NBA crew may dislike this direction, the league has gone smaller. And centers are getting played off the court.
Take Rudy Gobert, the presumptive NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He essentially got played off the court. The Utah Jazz had a 110.5 defensive rating with Gobert on the floor during that Playoff series. Even with Clint Capela in there for Rudy Gobert to defend, the Houston Rockets were able to get him in switches and take him to the basket.
This similar pattern happened throughout the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers left Tristan Thompson on the trash heap in the first round, playing in only three games in the series against the Indiana Pacers. His minutes remained inconsistent in the series against the Toronto Raptors. Against a bigger Boston Celtics team, he has been key in helping the Cleveland Cavaliers tie the series up.
That pattern continued to emerge. Hassan Whiteside played only 77 minutes in the Miami Heat’s series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Giannis Antetokounmpo played a quarter of his minutes at center for the Milwaukee Bucks in their seven-game series with the Boston Celtics, according to Basketball-Reference.
The Golden State Warriors forewent any semblance of a center starting their “Hamptons 5” lineup with Draymond Green at center.
Throughout the league, centers have found themselves guarding perimeter players and getting roasted. They are hunting these matchups and taking complete advantage of them.
It has seemingly been a long time coming that centers were falling out of vogue among the elite teams. Offenses have become so centered on the 3-pointer and having all five positions able to shoot from beyond the arc has left the paint wide open. The Warriors and Rockets use this strategy to perfection. They have so much offensive talent, they put stress on rotations by stretching them out so much.
Not every team is going to be able to play this way. And both the Rockets and Warriors still need rim protectors — Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Clint Capela serve those roles. But these Playoffs more than any other have shown just how the position and the league have changed.
Switching on every screen is so prevalent around the league now. It is almost required centers have the foot speed to stay with guards.
Teams around the league are surely watching and trying to figure out how to shape their rosters. It may be asking too much to make that kind of a copycat. But centers who can shoot and defend the rim — like Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid or Al Horford — are increasingly more valuable now.
The Orlando Magic probably know this as well as anyone. Nikola Vucevic has put up gaudy raw numbers, especially on offense. But too often everyone points to the defensive ceiling he puts on the team. His inability to step out and switch screens effectively has always hurt the team.
The team signed Bismack Biyombo in free agency hoping he would give the team the rim protection and switching power to create a strong defense — especially with Serge Ibaka. That did not work. Serge Ibaka was not as mobile as he once was and Bismack Biyombo was not as good as his massive contract.
On the current roster, Khem Birch is probably the best exemplar of a modern center. He was solid on the pick and roll and able to protect the rim. Khem Birch showed an aptitude to get out on the perimeter and help control pick and rolls. He still has a lot of refinement to his game to go. But even in his limited minutes, Birch looked like the best center on the team.
It is no wonder center remains a focus for the Magic. And this seems to be the Draft to do it.
Scouts and executives have looked forward to this Draft because of all the potential stars in it. That centers Deandre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. This is a big draft, but also a draft full of players who play a position undergoing massive change.
In almost any other year, Ayton with his mixture of strength, size and athleticism would be a runaway No. 1 pick (judging by early mock draft, he still might be). But Ayton also brings with him plenty of questions about his defensive ability and awareness. Even with his talent, can he be a player teams build around?
Bamba has the impressive length — measured with a 7-foot-10 wingspan at the Combine — but questions remain about his mobility and lower body strength. Will he be able to keep pace with the guards he will face? Length can help close that gap for sure.
The league has undoubtedly changed in the last few years. It feels like it has changed even more this year with the way the top teams have adjusted their game plans is a sign of that.
And that should play a role in the Magic’s calculus entering the draft.
This team right now is a blank slate with really only Jonathan Isaac in place. The team will likely retain Aaron Gordon too. Both of them along with this upcoming pick will form the team’s core.
It is easy to point to the modern features that president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman is trying to collect. Both Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon have plenty of versatility defensively. They can guard almost every position on the floor and use their athleticism to get out in transition.
Jeff Weltman’s big free agent signing from his first offseason was Jonathon Simmons, another versatile wing defender.
That is certainly a trend. And looking at how teams have attacked defensively this postseason, they both seem to be a perfect fit for this style of play.
The question for the Magic is how to get the next step. Is there a rim-protecting center in the top of this Draft that fits this modern league? Could the Magic turn to their need for shooting as the approach to modernizing this team?
The Draft presents all possibilities it seems. Especially for the Magic. But it is also a chance to look at the lessons of what works in the NBA and begin shaping their team along those lines.
Next: Orlando Magic's summer revolves around Aaron Gordon
And there are plenty of lessons to draw from the Playoffs with all these options ahead.