Orlando Magic 2019 Season Review: What Went Right — Finding diamonds in the rough
The Orlando Magic were again searching for contributing players anywhere they could find them. They found two key players where no one expected.
As the Orlando Magic prepared for Summer League, they were trying to winnow their roster and called in a Summer League minicamp to fill out who they would take to Las Vegas. These mini camps are fairly regular around the league. Players on the outskirts of the NBA trying to get some notice and maybe the whiff of a chance with a NBA team.
This mini camp came with another directive.
As general manager John Hammond tells it, he asked assistant general manager Matt Lloyd to find him another Khem Birch. Lloyd went through his Rolodex of players and fished one player out of complete obscurity.
Isaiah Briscoe had become an All-Star in Estonia. Often overlooked in the Kentucky Wildcats’ high-powered backcourt, his NBA future was extremely dim. He was just hoping to get a chance somewhere.
He did something to impress the Magic’s brass in that workout. They signed him to a contract before Summer League began. They wanted to bring him to training camp at least.
These are the diamonds in the rough a general manager has to find. It is not always the star players that matter. It is the role players who fill in gaps who can make a huge difference. It is finding bargains to fill out the roster and having an eye for what works and can spark success in the midst of a long season.
Isaiah Briscoe took a long time to work out for the Magic. But he certainly did.
His first stints of meaningful basketball were rough. Briscoe looked a bit overwhelmed by the speed of the game and he struggled to make his mark. The Magic were hesitant to turn to him.
But by early January, Briscoe was in the rotation. And quickly making an impact.
He was a wrecking ball defensively, willing to mix things up and push the pace in a way the Magic were not getting from the second unit. He was equally a wrecking ball trying to drive into the lane. Efficiency was still coming, but his confidence was growing.
As it grew, the Magic got better. He was the right kind of player to mix things up and push the Magic forward. His addition to the rotation was one of the turning points of the season. Orlando literally discovered him underneath a rock.
He finished the year averaging just 3.5 points per game and 2.2 assists per game in 14.3 minutes per game. He made only 33.3 percent of his shots. So it was not like he made a big statistical impact.
But Briscoe had a definite intangible effect. His aggression and his energy were far more valuable and important to the team.
That made his injury all the more tragic. His torn meniscus came at the absolute wrong time.
Orlando had to dive into the bargain bin again and find an impactful player.
Surprisingly, they did.
There was plenty of skepticism signing Michael Carter-Williams. His career had fallen apart since winning Rookie of the Year. The Chicago Bulls unceremoniously dropped him after acquiring him from the Houston Rockets in January.
Like Isaiah Briscoe, Michael Carter-Williams was on the outside of the league. He was training at a gym in Los Angeles with regular weekend warriors (not Golden State Warriors). John Hammond and Steve Clifford’s familiarity with his game certainly helped him stay on the Magic’s radar. But the signing was not expected to be much more than a fill in.
It turned out to be one of the biggest signings of the season and absolutely critical to the Magic’s surprising playoff run.
Carter-Williams averaged only 5.4 points per game and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 33.9 percent from the floor. Like Briscoe, those numbers hardly pop off the page.
But his impact was undeniable.
With Carter-Williams on the floor, the Magic had a +13.0 net rating, the best for any rotation player on the team. The Magic scored 115.0 points per 100 possessions with Carter-Williams on the floor, nearly seven points per 100 possessions better than their season average. All the while giving up 102.0 points per 100 possessions.
The team played at a quicker, more energetic pace. Carter-Williams was able to attack and squeeze between defenses while using his length to slow down opponents. It did not matter that he could not shoot, there were enough weapons to space the floor and allow him to drive into the paint to collapse the defense.
This is really what the Magic needed. Orlando lost their driver and instigator in Briscoe and seemed to get a supercharged version of that in Carter-Williams, allowing the Magic to not miss a beat — or maybe quicken their beat — once the signing was made.
It is fair to wonder if Michael Carter-Williams is not the best or most impactful 10-day signing since Darrell Armstrong (who did not even really play much on his 10-day contract with the Magic in the mid-1990s before becoming a roster stalwart and star).
These were not easy finds to be sure. The Magic put both Briscoe and Carter-Williams in positions they could succeed. But they did so when no one else believed in them or thought they could do much in the NBA. Both were impactful players on a team that found its way into the playoffs.
light. Related Story. What Went Wrong: Mohamed Bamba's rookie year
That has been one of the most encouraging developments since Jeff Weltman took charge of the team. He and his staff — and a lot of credit should go to assistants and scouts like Lloyd and his staff — have done a good job uncovering players who can make an impact in the NBA.
Even their find from last year in Khem Birch continued to find a big impact.
When Mohamed Bamba went down with an injury, Khem Birch stepped in comfortably and ably. As it was last year, the Magic were desperately trying to find time for Birch to play and he got squeezed out of the rotation unfairly. The Magic at least should feel they have a decent big man option to re-sign if they lose Nikola Vucevic in free agency in Khem Birch.
You could even include second-round pick Wesley Iwundu as part of the team’s discovery of hidden gems. Wesley Iwundu turned into a solid and reliable rotation player. He was a strong defender and his 3-point shot and his confidence in it continues to grow.
The whole Magic organization deserves credit for discovering and developing these players. Orlando got plenty of contributions from unexpected areas.
Next. What Went Right: Defending the Amway Center. dark
The Magic would have been in big trouble if Briscoe and Carter-Williams did not work out.