Shooting and Expectations
8. Who steps up to boost the Orlando Magic’s shooting?
The one weakness everyone can point to with the Orlando Magic is their lack of shooting.
It is really a problem of perception more than reality in some ways. Orlando finished last year 11th in the league in 3-point field goal percentage. The team was about league average in attempts. Orlando can hit 3-pointers.
But they do not have a lot of great shooters. Nobody is afraid of the Magic’s shooting. And any lineup that does not include probably two of Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier or D.J. Augustin is going to struggle.
Nikola Vucevic can help space the floor and clear the lane with his shooting. He can operate from the high post and work as a screener and fulcrum of the offense because of his passing ability. But the team still needs to find spacing and shooting.
Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac’s development as shooters will be vital in this regard. The team needs shooting and it needs spacing.
More than anything, the Magic need the threat of shooting. And piecing together lineups that maintain this threat will be critical to the Magic’s success.
9. Who wants to be an All-Star?
The NBA is driven by stars. There is no doubt about this.
The thing keeping the Magic from being a runaway favorite to take a leap in the Eastern Conference is that star power.
Nikola Vucevic is a great player. He was a clear All-Star last year. And the team is expecting him to be that again. If not all of it, then pretty close. The Magic are made better with Vucevic on the floor. There is no denying that.
But the playoffs also showed his weaknesses. He is not one who can take over games completely. Vucevic will certainly learn lessons from that moment and those games. He knows there is a lot of work to do.
And the team will need someone to keep building and keep pushing the team forward. Orlando would probably like to see someone take the lead from the perimeter. That would help the Magic take the next step.
In any case, the next big move is to find that perimeter creator and scorer. He might be on the roster, he might need to come from the outside.