2020 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Melvin Frazier Jr.

Melvin Frazier Jr. did not see any meaningful minutes for the Orlando Magic last year. He has to begin showing his potential and play or he could get lost.

The biggest highlight of Melvin Frazier’s rookie year came at the end of a blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the bubbling Orlando Magic were able to blitz the Milwaukee Bucks and take a win against the league’s best team.

It was garbage time and so the end of the bench was getting its chance, including Melvin Frazier.

The Magic drafted him knowing he was going to be a project. Like the team’s 2017 second-round pick in Wesley Iwundu, Melvin Frazier was known for his defense with a shot that needed improvement. Yes, the Magic fell in love with Frazier’s wingspan and that would stake his potential as a defender and in the league.

But here, he had open space. A runway to take off and fly. And Frazier was going to have his moment.

He threw down a massive windmill jam, a NBA confirmation of his athleticism and skill.

https://twitter.com/nbagleague/status/1094463109958389761

It is OK if you missed it though. Frazier simply did not see the court enough to get much notice or attention.

Frazier played only 44 total minutes in the NBA across 10 games last year. He scored 15 points, but he hardly had enough time to make any kind of a noticeable impact. None of the minutes he played came when the game was in doubt and he played more than five minutes in a game just four times in the regular season (and twice in the Playoffs, including a career high 5:52 in Game 5).

Frazier simply did not play enough to draw any conclusions about his game.

Even in the G-League, Frazier did not get the chance to do very much. He played only 30 games with the Lakeland Magic, averaging 12.2 points per game and shooting 44.6 percent from the floor (and a 48.7 percent effective field goal percentage).

His offense was not going to be how he was going to make his mark. It was always a work in progress, especially his 3-point shot.

He was drafted for his defensive potential over everything else. That was the promise his length would deliver.

But he never got the chance to put it out on the floor. He never really stepped out onto the court. He was mainly working in the background or in Lakeland on his game.

It was hard to see much promise on the court. It was all still the potential mostly because Frazier did not see any time on the court.

Players inevitably get better with an offseason of work. Frazier got a small taste of the league. But draft picks can be like cars. They start to lose value once they enter the league. And they constantly have to prove their worth.

And that is the most difficult thing for Frazier. There is not a whole lot to say about him because the public has not seen him play a ton. If he takes a leap, he could push for minutes. But this is a suddenly crowded backcourt where an established player like Wesley Iwundu might find it hard to get minutes.

On a short-term basis, beating out Iwundu in the rotation should be Frazier’s goal. But that will be a tall order because Iwundu is also very good and improving.

The complaint when the Magic drafted Frazier was that he was too similar to Iwundu. In college, both were defensive-minded wings who steadily improved their shooting ability as their careers progressed.

The one advantage Frazier had was his wingspan — 7-foot-1.75, the second-longest among guards measured at the 2018 NBA Draft Combine.

It is that wingspan that still provides hope for Frazier to get minutes. Wingspan and length can help reduce a lot of mistakes. And everyone knows how much this Magic front office values that physical trait.

But Frazier has to do the work to find the floor. He has to show that he is an improved shooter and is more than a rookie defensively. And even then, he has a long hill to climb because Wesley Iwundu is just as good and showing improvement and veteran players like Al-Farouq Aminu are in front of him.

It is hard to suggest or say Frazier could spend another year primarily in the G-League. It is possible the Magic feel that is best for his development if they believe he can still be a long-term piece for the team. But he has to graduate to the NBA court at some point. He has to push for an opportunity.

The Magic can make an investment in him as they hold a team option for the 2021 season on him. Then again, they could easily decide to cut bait if Frazier simply does not look like he is ready to take that leap and compete for a spot in the rotation.

Frazier is going to be in constant competition to keep his spot and try to push for more.

Not helping matters was an early summer injury that knocked him out for a while. Frazier had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right leg. He should be recovered from it now and ready to work.

But that obviously took some time away from his summer. He had to spend at least a part of his summer restrengthening his leg and getting back healthy. That is perhaps time lost to improve his overall skills.

Really only the Magic know where Frazier is at health-wise and development wise. Fans and the general public have not seen Frazier play almost at all. And really even those minutes were non-pressure minutes. Frazier has not gotten his test at the highest level.

Frazier should focus on the simple things when he gets that opportunity and in practice. He has to be solid defensively, where he can display his length and athleticism. When he gets open shots, he has to shoot it confidently and make them.

These are all the same things Iwundu had to work on last summer to earn a rotation spot. It is certainly possible for a player like Frazier to take the leap. But Iwundu had the advantage of playing fairly regularly in the NBA as a rookie. Frazier does not have that experience.

Frazier is essentially starting from scratch it seems. He is essentially a rookie all over again. And every moment for him will matter to get him into the Magic’s rotation and plans.