2018-19 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Wesley Iwundu gets confidence as 3-and-D player

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ORLANDO, FL – OCTOBER 19: Wesley Iwundu #25 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during a game on October 19, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Good and the Bad

Per Game Table
Season	G	GS	MP	FG%	3P%	eFG%	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	PTS
2018-19	68	13	18.1	.412	.367	.465	.816	2.7	1.1	0.4	5.0
Career	130	25	17.3	.419	.304	.457	.787	2.5	1.0	0.5	4.4

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/8/2019.

Wesley Iwundu had a pretty simple role when he entered games this season.

His job was first and foremost to provide the team with energetic defense. That is ultimately what got him into the NBA. His athleticism and defensive ability are central to his opportunity for playing time. That is what made him NBA worthy, to begin with.

The second part of his role is to make outside shots when the opportunity presents itself. Teams are going to leave him open and dare him to shoot. He had to make them pay.

Iwundu clearly had the defense part down.

According to Basketball-Reference, he posted 1.4 defensive win shares and a 0.7 defensive box plus-minus. The Magic had a 102.4 defensive rating with Iwundu on the floor, the best mark for any player on the team who played at least 1,000 minutes this season.

Wesley Iwundu was not making overwhelming defensive plays like Jonathan Isaac might. Nor was he guarding the best player on the opposing team every night like Aaron Gordon was.

Related Story. 2019 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Wesley Iwundu. light

Iwundu’s role was off the bench. The team did not need him to start except in some spot areas. But his energy defensively was noticeable. He was a reliable defender both on his own man and in help.

It was easy to see why Steve Clifford raved about him. And puzzling to figure out what took Steve Clifford so long to get him in the rotation over the struggling Jonathon Simmons.

It might have been that second piece. Iwundu’s 3-point shooting was still a cause for concern.

But even there he took some major strides. Iwundu shot 36.7 percent from beyond the arc, significantly better than the 19.6 percent he shot his rookie year. That was a significant improvement.

He is still not a supremely confident 3-point shooter. Iwundu was selective with his shots, never really playing outside of himself. If he was not in rhythm or feeling the shot he did not take it.

That is a good thing for the team’s approach overall. Iwundu would generally make the right decision with the ball and look to attack to keep the ball moving. But teams were still more than happy to take their chances at let Iwundu fire away from three.

To be sure, Iwundu has to continue improving as a 3-point shooter, including gaining more confidence and consistency with his shot.