2019 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Timofey Mozgov

The Orlando Magic swapped bad contracts to acquire Timofey Mozgov. The hope is he can add a steady presence behind the scenes, but play very little.

The first contract reported during the crazy summer of 2016 belonged to Timofey Mozgov.

His four-year, $64-million contract became synonymous with the spending spree that followed that summer. Almost as much as the four-year, $70-million deal the Orlando Magic signed Bismack Biyombo to that same summer. These were the poster children of the that summer’s big spending spree.

It was only fitting then that Mozgov and Biyombo were traded for each other this summer. They were about the only contracts they could be traded for in the end. It was always a fool’s errand to give them that kind of money.

Both players seem destined to ride the end of the bench for the time being as their teams wait for their contracts to expire. With the Magic’s crowded center rotation, it feels hard to figure out where Mozgov can get his minutes. Even if it were not crowded, there would be fair questions about whether Mozgov can contribute at a high level still (if he ever did).

Mozgov appeared in only 31 games last year averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 11.6 minutes per game. At this statistical peak — the 2015 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets — he averaged 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Mozgov’s record is hardly impressive and his role has seemingly only decreased with time.

The Orlando Magic acquired Mozgov essentially to swap bad contracts with the Charlotte Hornets (sending two second-round picks to take on Biyombo’s higher salary) and get Jerian Grant. That was at least partially to give Mohamed Bamba a clear path to minutes behind Nikola Vucevic (at least for the time being).

In a crowded frontcourt that features Nikola Vucevic and Mohamed Bamba (likely the two top guys) along with Khem Birch, finding minutes for Timofey Mozgov is going to be tough. But coach Steve Clifford, feeling the optimism of the preseason, suggested the team will find Mozgov some minutes.

It makes sense there might be at least some stretch where Clifford favors Mozgov. Some of those center minutes might be by committee, especially if injuries hit.

Mozgov has stuck around the league even before his big contract because he does have a few NBA skills.

While he lacks much mobility to get out on the perimeter, he is a solid post defender and a good shot blocker with a 3.6 percent block rate. Mozgov is not going to come over and send a shot deep into the stands. But he is going to slide over and challenge a shot at the rim and make it a little more difficult.

Mozgov is not going to give a whole lot more offensively either. He is going to run pick and rolls and be a hard roller to the rim. At 7-foot-1, 275 pounds, he is a big target when he comes through the lane. And Mozgov is athletic enough around the basket to finish in simple finishes.

While he does not have 3-point range, Mozgov is a decent jump shooter from the mid-range. He can work Princeton sets out of the high post and is a good passer. For someone who seems like a lumbering big man, he has some deft touch with the ball.

This is all in degrees. Timofey Mozgov is not Nikola Jokic or even Nikola Vucevic as a shooter or passer. He does not nearly have any of the agility that those two have. And neither one is exactly known for their agility.

If the Magic are relying on Mozgov for heavy minutes, things have likely gone very wrong.

At this point, it feels like Mozgov is in Orlando for insurance (as much as the realities of his contract which still has one more year left on it).

Orlando Magic

He is a veteran to have on the roster later in the season when perhaps the team makes some shifts to the roster — as many suspect they will. He is a veteran insurance policy if the team suffers an injury at the position so they do not have to rely on young players — especially Bamba — before they are ready to play.

Again, these are all things that could go horribly wrong. That seems to be the only way to envision Mozgov getting major or consistent playing time. Otherwise, much of what he does will probably come in practice where he can give the team a different look. He is solid for that role for sure.

But with the Magic’s roster so loaded at the position and considering where Mozgov in for his career, it is hard to envision him able to contribute a whole lot more. It is hard to envision the Magic wanting to use him a whole lot more.

Undoubtedly, there will be situations — likely early in the season more than late — where Clifford will prefer the steady consistency a veteran provides. And Mozgov will get minutes in those situations. The hope is that Mozgov’s minutes start relatively small, filling in spots as needed, and then get completely eliminated as the Magic’s young players come into their own.

It is easy and probably accurate to say that Mozgov does not fit the ultimate vision for the Magic. Aside from being a big body, Mozgov lacks the positional versatility and mobility that the Magic seem to be trending toward.

He can teach Bamba a few things about positioning and playing without athleticism. Those will be valuable lessons. Bamba needs to soak up as much information as he can from veteran players. That will help him get better.

If Bamba can take those positive lessons from Mozgov, then Mozgov’s role will be served in Orlando.

Other than that, the Magic will try to get whatever they can positively on the court with whatever time they give him. But that too should be very little in the long run.