Orlando Magic have a few players ready to bid for All-Star berths
By Joe Buckley
Missed the bus
Two players stand out here, and they are likely two of the first names people will think of when asked to recall this era of Magic basketball in the future.
Evan Fournier definitely had the lower chances of the two. Evan Fournier’s scoring and shooting skills likely could have earned him a selection were he the fourth option on a 60-win team. Think Kyle Korver or even a very-very reduced version of Klay Thompson.
As it is, Fournier could never put the whole package required for an all-star caliber season. Some of the blame for that lies at his feet, some lies at the Magic’s for never truly deciding on how to use him.
He averaged a career-high in points last year at 17.8 points per game and a fairly efficient 53.8 percent effective field goal percentage. He put in solid work. But even with those numbers has not sniffed All-Star consideration.
And now it seems the Magic are more willing to put the ball in someone else’s hands as the primary scorer.
The only player currently on the roster to ever come close to sniffing All-Star weekend since Dwight Howard’s departure is Nikola Vucevic.
The longest-tenured member of the Magic had a career year back in 2015, where he posted averages of 19.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game with 52.3 percent shooting from the field.
Players who score nearly 20 and grab 10 rebounds per game are surprisingly rare. In that season only three players managed the feat. And all three — Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and LaMarcus Aldridge all made the team.
Nikola Vucevic, no doubt due to the Magic’s record, got left at home.
While Vucevic remains one of the Magic’s largest threats he has yet been unable to recapture the same form.
The following season’s averages were similar, but Vucevic only managed 65 games. In 2017 the games were back, but the numbers fell as the Magic cluttered the frontcourt with Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo.
Orlando Magic
Last season Vucevic played in 57 games, the lowest total since his rookie year. His defensive struggles remained, especially after returning from his broken hand that kept him out for several months.
His rebounding numbers returned to 9.2 per game without another big int he lane. But his scoring fell to 16.5 points per game as other players came to the fore. His shooting dipped to 47.5 percent as he tried to expand his game to the 3-point line.
The NBA at large seems to have forgotten about the best Magic player in the past six years.
While fans remain in the know, Vucevic cannot rely on that alone if he wants to make that final grab for a spot. Age will not restrict him, health might, but what is certain to end the quest is a changing of the guard.
The Magic spent their last two lottery picks on Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed
Bamba, two young, athletic players standing at 6-foot-10 and 7-feet respectively.
The pair are quick, long and scream good defense. Unfortunately, that has never been Vucevic’s strength.
Despite his more than admirable job of trying to pull the Magic out of the mire for the better part of the decade, the Magic have to look forward.
Vucevic’s minutes will go down. Shots too. And rebounds most of all.
Without those opportunities. Vucevic has already had his best chance.