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Orlando Magic’s depth chart can help team map out future

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic value versatility and length and that can be seen on their depth chart. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images)
The Orlando Magic value versatility and length and that can be seen on their depth chart. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic, Kenrich Williams, New Orleans Pelicans
Aaron Gordon has struggled offensively this year for the Orlando Magic, but continues to be solid defensively. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Power Forward

Aaron Gordon – Al-Farouq Aminu – Gary Clark

Whether Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac can play together successfully is still an open-ended question. The Orlando Magic are probably getting close to a point where they have to decide whether this is a workable duo.

Isaac will become a free agent in 2021 and will get a big contract that confirms just how highly the team thinks of him. Gordon will have one more year left on his deal as he becomes a free agent in 2022. It seems that next year might very well be the point where the Magic decide this duo’s future.

But they almost certainly have one more year to figure things out. And it is not completely out of the question that things will work out. That might still depend on the 3-point shooting from both of them.

Nowhere is it more clear the Magic are still rebuilding and figuring out what kind of team they want to be and how to build than this decision. It will be a preoccupation and storyline throughout the entirety of the 2021 season (unless the Magic move on this offseason)

As things stand now, Gordon and Isaac are able to switch and bounce back and forth between positions. Gordon is a bit more developed as an offensive threat and on-ball defender. He had put a lot of pieces together in the final 10 games before the league went on hiatus.

Gordon has had a rough season for sure though. He was supposed to take a step up and become an All-Star-caliber player. That has not happened for a variety of reasons. He is averaging only 14.4 points per game and shooting 43.3 percent from the floor.

He is still rebounding and passing at high levels. His playmaking development after the All-Star Break to average 7.0 assists per game was a nice surprise. It will be interesting to see if he can continue that more permanently.

The Magic will still be looking for ways to mix and match their lineups around Gordon and Isaac. That is where Al-Farouq Aminu was supposed to come in.

The former Portland Trail Blazers forward never really got going this year. He struggled to shoot around the basket before a torn meniscus knocked him out for the rest of the year. The Magic never really got to see Aminu at all this year.

Between the quartet of Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chuma Okeke, the team should be able to play two fairly big forwards at all time and keep their length and versatility on the court. They might also still look to bring back Gary Clark in case disaster strikes again.

Gary Clark has been solid for the Magic since joining the team but nothing spectacular. He can become a restricted free agent this offseason.