Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 39: The unknown will soon be known

The Orlando Magic are getting ready to being their seeding round schedule to finish their 2020 season. But a lot of questions surround the team.

There has been a consistent and constant drumbeat through the Orlando Magic’s return to the practice court in the last week. Despite everyone’s desire to try to find parallels to previous experiences, nothing seems to penetrate the one message coach Steve Clifford has tried to hammer into the media.

Nobody really knows what this is going to look like. Nobody knows how ready these players will be. The basketball is going to be pretty rough as players get back into something resembling a rhythm.

Nikola Vucevic perhaps described this sensation best: every players’ mindset will be as if these are April games and everything is gearing up for the Playoffs. Their bodies will think it is September, just ramping up for the season.

That is part of the inconsistency and mystery of the season restarting at the Disney campus.

If there is a silver lining to all of this, every team is dealing with the same struggle and same mystery as they restart. The players at least think that might be an avenue for them to score an upset and surprise people if they keep themselves ready.

This is not a resumption of the previous 2020 season. Not fully at least.

This is essentially a new season entirely for every team in the league. And eight-game sprint to prepare for the Playoffs (and finalize seeding) and then the Playoffs as normally as possible. At least by schedule if not physically.

Nobody knows how this is going to turn out. That might be the excitement or mystery of it all.

For the Orlando Magic, all the season’s goals are still in front of them and achievable. The reset to the season is a chance to reset those goals and make good on the mistakes they made earlier in the year. It is a chance to accomplish something.

But it is also a chance to answer some questions about the team’s future. Those questions have not gone away.

After a disappointing 30-35 start to this season, sitting in eighth place with at least a coin flip’s chance of climbing to seventh, the Magic have some major questions to answer about how they get to that next level.

Jonathan Isaac’s recovery from injury and Mohamed Bamba’s added strength are added storylines to the restart of this season that will have implications beyond this season and preview perhaps what this team might become.

Regardless, the front office has some key decisions to make to help the team not only maintain its playoff spot but continue to grow.

All that comes to a head in these final eight seeding round games and the team’s (likely) second straight playoff appearance.

There are a lot of questions swirling around this team as the season gets set to resume. It is perhaps time we try to answer some of them.

Let’s dive into this edition of the mailbag.

From Jim DeMaio, via comments

"Let’s discuss keeping Evan and moving Aaron and Nick"

The Orlando Magic certainly are at something of a crossroads. The team settled in at 30-35 and would have been hard-pressed to meet last year’s 42-40 record. In the standings, the Magic stayed at the same seventh seed.

While making the Playoffs again showed a certain amount of growth and consistency, stagnation is not progress. And a young team like the Magic has to be making progress to make the most of this opportunity.

There is truly no standing still in the NBA. If the Magic are going to improve their spot in the Eastern Conference, it really feels like change is necessary.

A lot was made of how few changes the team made from last season. Everyone believed this chemistry would carry over and allow the Magic to hit the ground running. That did not happen.

Injuries did not help matters. But there was no rolling over the same chemistry and focus. The team has never been as sharp as it was in last year’s playoff run. And so it is fair to question every player on the roster — really not named Jonathan Isaac or Markelle Fultz at this point.

Evan Fournier’s free agency has put further focus on this question. The team seems destined to change just based on the reality Evan Fournier could become a free agent.

Daily Knicks

For many fans, that change means officially ditching the pillars of the team’s never-ending rebuild. There is a restlessness to see guys like Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier move on. There is certainly a desire to turn things over to some more of the young players.

But the uncertainty over the league’s future means Fournier is likely to opt-in to the final year of his contract. And while an expiring contract has a lot of value, especially in a market with few free agents, Fournier still seems more important to the team as a necessary outside shooter.

While a whole lot of fans are ready to move on, the team has to consider bringing Fournier back. And, yes, that might be the easiest way to make a lot of changes to the team at the end of the day too.

Players like Aaron Gordon and probably Nikola Vucevic might have more value on the trade market.

Those players are also standing in the way of players the Magic want to develop. There are a lot of questions about how Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac ultimately fit together. And the Magic spent a sixth overall pick on Mohamed Bamba for a reason. At some point, they hope he can take over the starting role from Vucevic.

There is no clear replacement for Fournier on the roster. There is no player in the wings ready to fill that role. And so Fournier certainly has some leverage and bargaining power. Unless the team plans to trade away someone like Gordon or Vucevic along with losing Fournier.

That might be the path the team actually goes down at the end of the day. That might be the requirement of turning things over and moving forward.

But it is far from outside the realm of possibility that Fournier will remain in a Magic uniform for some time and even get another contract from the team.

If you would have asked me before this whole thing began whether Jonathan Isaac would play, I would have told you the answer was a definitive no. They were bringing him along so he could continue working with coaches and be involved in the playoff process.

The hiatus undoubtedly slowed Isaac’s recovery from the injury. He probably would have been already cleared to play and resume his offseason work. But being unable to go into the training facility or touch a basketball for four months very clearly delayed things. And raised the Magic’s caution.

But after listening to both Isaac and the Magic talk about his recovery through the first few weeks of training camp, it sure seems like he is closer than we all would think. And some since-deleted footage in the Magic’s practice video suggests Isaac is moving around pretty well.

Not to mention he has started doing some limited contact work.

The Magic are still being cautious, as they should. But the chances of him playing have gone from unlikely to probably not, but who knows?

Isaac playing, even in a limited role, is a major wild card for this team. It is hard to envision the Orlando Magic being able to compete with the Milwaukee Bucks or the Toronto Raptors without him.

Swarm and Sting

It is not about any statistics he adds, but his versatility and the potential he has to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pascal Siakam. It is merely about a measure of resistance.

The Magic do not have anyone that can stand a chance to slow those guys down — despite Aaron Gordon’s best efforts as the most disciplined player on the team.

At this point, I would not expect Isaac to play more than a few minutes off the bench if he does play. Everyone else is already on a minute’s restriction and the rotation is already expanding because everyone has been off so long. The Magic will continue to be cautious with Isaac.

But he does have a major role to play in the team’s success and chances of scoring an upset.

At this point, the Magic’s only goal is to finish seventh. The team should view that as a goal and anything less is failure considering the players the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are playing without — not to mention the Sacramento Kings, the second opponent the Orlando Magic face when the season resumes.

The Magic should be able to do that even if they do not have Isaac available. But defeating the Toronto Raptors or Boston Celtics will be tough even with him.

Assuming, of course, that everyone plays somewhere near their ability level. A bigger mystery than anything else.

Aaron Gordon’s career has been a frustrating one for sure.

Every time there is a moment of brilliance, he has struggled to sustain and build upon it. Either that or injuries disrupt any kind of push he was going to be making.

This season has been a frustrating one for Gordon for sure. A year after putting together his most complete season and helping be one of the key players for the team in the Playoff push, Gordon has struggled to find any kind of footing.

He is averaging 14.4 points per game with an icy 47.9-percent effective field goal percentage. His rebounding numbers are virtually the same. And he has still provided solid defensive play throughout the season. But he definitely did not take the leap offensively everyone wanted.

Injuries played a large role.

Gordon was seemingly hurt from the very beginning of the preseason — taking a shot to his jaw on a screen in the Magic’s third preseason game. He then sprained his ankle in mid-November. He came back too quickly from that and was still feeling lingering effects into January. It was clearly slowing down.

This is all to say, it has been a long time since we have seen a fully healthy Gordon. When we do, we get results like last year’s versatile season. And we get what we saw in the last 15 games from Gordon.

Nugg Love

The time heading into the All-Star Break and afterward were Gordon’s best play all year long. He averaged 16.8 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game and 6.2 assists per game while shooting a 51.3-percent effective field goal percentage.

He may not be an All-Star and someone the Magic could center their offense around, but he proved to be a versatile do-everything forward. They could still run a lot of their offense through him. Finally picking up the pace and keeping him inside the 3-point line unlocked a yet-unseen playmaking ability in him.

Gordon will play a huge role in the Magic’s return to play. The team is going to rely on him to keep that up. And the time off should mean he is healthy again. And he plays his best when he is healthy — he had a strong first showing in Wednesday’s scrimmage.

My posture on what the Magic should do with Gordon has not changed.

I still believe the duo of Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon can work. But both still have to improve significantly to get there. And time is running out to make that decision. The Magic certainly believe Isaac is a big part of their future and they have to do everything they can to foster his growth and improvement.

There is no rush to trade Gordon. Like at the trade deadline, it seems like the Magic are likely to shop around and see what they can get for him. But if a good deal does not present itself, they will not pursue it.

Gordon is still a really valuable player. He proved that in his last 15 games before the hiatus and certainly will do so in the campus setting.

Gordon is still 24. He has a bright future ahead of him still. This is not the time to give up on him unless a really good deal comes along. But Gordon has to maintain the positive momentum and growth everyone sees in him.

One of the big offseason questions the Orlando Magic will face is whether to re-sign Michael Carter-Williams. In fact, both of their backup point guards are hitting free agency at the same time. Deciding whether and how much to re-sign either or both of D.J. Augustin or Michael Carter-Williams is a big part of the summer.

Especially considering how little money the Magic have to spend and how few free agents there are available on this market. Orlando is in a little bit of a corner.

Carter-Williams has been a good change of pace point guard for the Magic. He does a good job keeping the pace up and coach Steve Clifford does nothing but gush about his defense. He still has a lot of the issues that kept him bouncing around the league — he is a poor shooter and not a particularly great playmaker.

For the season, Carter-Williams is averaging 7.2 points per game and 3.4 assists per game in 18.4 minutes per game. He is shooting 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Magic’s offense swing saw Carter-Williams begin producing significantly more — 9.6 points per game and 36.4-percent shooting from deep.

When Carter-Williams is healthy he makes a big difference for this team.

Orlando has done a good job limiting those instances by pairing him with another point guard. In fact, 523 of Carter-Williams’ 773 minutes this season have come with either Markelle Fultz or D.J. Augustin sharing the floor with him. He and Augustin have proven to be a solid backcourt pairing with Augustin’s shooting ability able to space the floor for him.

Swarm and Sting

If I had my pick, I lean toward keeping Carter-Williams over Augustin. But that too seems risky.

The backup point guard question seems like it could be something the Magic use the draft to solve too. Players like Kira Lewis, Theo Maledon, R.J. Hampton and Tyrese Maxey could slide into that backup spot and help the Magic’s guard depth next year.

But re-signing Carter-Williams should be a priority. But if his price tag becomes too great, the Magic should be willing to look elsewhere.

Carter-Williams should have a lot of suitors — the Golden State Warriors have been a popular pursuer. But the Magic should definitely be considering adding him on a long-term deal, even with their own cap sheet to balance.

As for the Mohamed Bamba question.

I really do not read a whole lot into playing with Hakeem Olajuwon specifically. It works for some players and it does not for others. Kobe Bryant took to Hakeem Olajuwon’s teaching well to learn footwork and extend his career. The results with Joel Embiid have been mixed. And Dwight Howard quickly abandoned a lot of the advances he made after training with Olajuwon.

This is all to say, it really is what the players makes of it.

But Bamba’s style does not really match what Olajuwon teaches. At least for now. Bamba still hovers mostly around the perimeter and he is used more as a pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop guy.

This offseason, Bamba should use his time not necessarily building a new skill, but reinforcing an old skill. He has to maintain his agility and shooting stroke while playing at a heavier weight.

I think this is the question everyone has. Will the Orlando Magic actually achieve their goal and finish seventh? What record will the Magic have?

When the schedule initially came out, I had the Orlando Magic going 3-5 — and, more importantly, splitting the two games with the Brooklyn Nets. I was not entirely sure that would be enough to get to seventh or not.

On top of all this, even after the first scrimmages for the Magic and the Nets, we still do not know what play will look like. We do not know how quickly the teams are going to improve and get better. Or whether a player who has lost their rhythm will find it again on time.

Not to mention, the schedules are significantly tougher than they would be otherwise. The Magic will not get the benefit of playing the teams they would have otherwise.

Still, Orlando’s schedule is manageable. The team will play four teams with records worse than .500 — the first two and the last two. That should give the team some cushion and some ability to pick up wins.

After all, 25 of the Magic’s 30 wins are against these kinds of teams. They really struggle against actual winning teams. Those middle four games will become vital to try to steal a few games.

Three wins seem like a safe bet for a prediction for the Magic’s final record.

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Having watched the team in Wednesday’s scrimmage and watched the Nets for a little bit in their scrimmage, maybe those predictions need a little adjusting.

Orlando is certainly healthier than a lot of the other teams they are competing with and facing. The Nets are depleted and looked totally disorganized in Wednesday’s scrimmage. They might have been the worst team to take the floor — although Jamal Crawford did not play but it does not seem likely he would make a huge impact.

My confidence that Orlando will win both Brooklyn games has significantly increased now.

The Sacramento Kings were game without De’Aaron Fox on Wednesday. But their loss of Marvin Bagley and other injuries have severely depleted their frontcourt depth. That feels like a potentially more comfortable win.

And Orlando looked fairly organized and efficient offensively. As they gain more defensive chemistry, they should be able to improve greatly before the regular season. Having the Nets and Kings — probably the two “easiest” opponents — to start this thing will be a great way to build confidence.

The Magic have to get at least one win out of these games to hit three or four wins. They need a win against one of those playoff teams to get to four or five wins.

With how rosters are shaking out and how some of these teams have looked in the early going, I think it is fair to expect the Magic to win four games.

That should be enough to finish seventh in the Eastern Conference. Even with three wins — and at least a split with the Nets — I suspect Orlando will have enough to finish seventh too. The Nets are just so depleted, it will be tough seeing them putting up much of a fight consistently.

Wednesday’s scrimmage increased my confidence in this Magic team.

This is the ultimate question facing the Orlando Magic and this roster. It is perhaps the biggest question concerning the team this offseason.

Aaron Gordon and his ultimate potential and role has been the latest obsession on the team — probably since Victor Oladipo was traded. Everyone has been patiently waiting and trying to figure out what Gordon can be. And his development has gone in fits and starts.

The Magic need a star. That is a plain fact. To win in this league at the highest levels, you need good players. Not just good players, but really good players.

And six years into Gordon’s career, it is still hard to define who he is.

Gordon is just 24 years old. So he is still growing and developing. He is not yet a finished product. To act like he is would certainly be folly.

The Magic traded Oladipo before his age 24 season. Oladipo had his breakout with the Indiana Pacers during his age 25 season.

That would be next season for Gordon.

Orlando Magic

Things clicked for Oladipo very quickly. He struggled in his last year in Orlando. Patience clearly ran a bit thin. But Oladipo was struggling to play consistently and he rightfully was relegated to the bench for a time.

He needed the time in Oklahoma City playing with an MVP like Russell Westbrook and being in a winning environment to take his next step. Getting traded to Indiana was a blessing too as it put him back in that starring role Orlando never fully trusted him with.

Gordon could take a similar development. He experienced the Playoffs for the first time last year. He tried to add some new elements to his game this year. There was some start and stop to that too. This season has not gone completely to plan.

But as you can see, some players take a little while to find their way. And when they do, they can be very good. Gordon is far too young to give up completely on.

But undoubtedly, time is running out to make this decision. Not only is it running out — with Jonathan Isaac waiting in the wings and already showing an elite skill — but patience has to be running thin too.

Orlando has to find a way to get better and Gordon might well be the team’s most valuable trade asset.

Can Gordon become an All-Star still? Yes, I believe he can.

But not doing it this year — or not taking a more consistent step in that direction — is discouraging. And it will affect decisions the team makes this offseason.

Gordon has shown flashes of the stardom he has in him. But stardom is not about what you do at your best. Stardom is about what you do every night.

Gordon it seems fits in best as a do-everything forward. He is someone that should fit well into an offensive and defensive scheme. He can guard the best player on the other team. But he works better fitting into the gaps offensively rather than being the central figure in it.

With the way his offensive game has developed slowly, it is hard to see designing an offense completely around him. But there is still time for him to grow.

Thanks to everyone for all the mailbag questions. We will hope to open the mailbag up once again after the season ends as we get ready for the offseason. I am sure all these and similar questions will still be swimming around. Until then, you can always reach us @omagicdaily on Twitter or by e-mail at omagicdaily@gmail.com.