5 options for the Orlando Magic to bolster their forward depth
The Lakeland Route: Vic Law
The easiest path to find someone who could help the team is to use the minor league system the way it was meant to be used, to bring up players for this exact situation.
The Orlando Magic called up Amile Jefferson essentially for this exact role, converting his two-way deal into a full contract before the season. Jefferson though is seemingly already out of the rotation in the two full games since Jonathan Isaac went out.
Jefferson, who dominates the G-League whenever he heads to the Lakeland Magic, scored two points and grabbed six rebounds in the win over the Washington Wizards in the wake of Isaac’s injury. Then he did not play against the Miami Heat and just 44 seconds against the Utah Jazz.
It seems like there is some doubt about whether the Magic will fully guarantee Jefferson’s deal by the Jan. 7 deadline. If they are not going to use him now, when would they use him?
The other option with the G-League roster is to call up a two-way player like B.J. Johnson. That has not happened yet. B.J. Johnson was not even called up for an extra body for the weekend games. Meanwhile, Johnson continues to torch the G-League.
The wing forward is not quite a power forward material, but Orlando could certainly use a guy who is averaging 23.6 points per game and shooting 43.5-percent from beyond the arc.
Orlando Magic
With 10-day contracts now free to sign, another option presents itself.
Former Northwestern Wildcats forward Vic Law has found a home in the G-League and has been the biggest surprise of Lakeland’s season.
Law is averaging 17.7 points per game shooting 41.1-percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-7 forward has been playing the 4 next to Johnson and has given Lakeland a good one-two punch from beyond the arc.
With Josh Magette able to drive and kick, Vic Law and B.J. Johnson have been able to fire freely from beyond the arc.
That has been the case lately. Law has scored 27.5 points per game in his last four games, including a pair of 30-point games. He has shot a 64.6-percent effective field goal percentage in that four-game stretch.
Law, despite his relatively short height at power forward, made his name in college as much for his defense than his streaky shooting. Law is very athletic and takes pride in his defense.
A big part of signing a new player is familiarity and the ability to pick up the Magic’s system quickly so he can plug right in. Law earned a G-League roster spot by playing with the Magic’s Summer League team and training camp roster.
If Orlando gave him a 10-day flyer, he would be capable of jumping right in. While he is undersized to play every power forward, he would give the Magic some much-needed shooting to spread the floor while still holding his own defensively.