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Orlando Magic Shooting Month: 5 Most Improved Magic shooters

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Nikola Vucevic has established himself as a solid player. But notice will only come with flash, and more importantly winning. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Nikola Vucevic has established himself as a solid player. But notice will only come with flash, and more importantly winning. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
Victor Oladipo needed time to find his range from deep. He was making good progress with the Orlando Magic but became a solid shooter after he left. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

5 most improved Orlando Magic shooters

Victor Oladipo

When the Orlando Magic drafted Victor Oladipo, they knew they were getting a dynamic athlete who could attack the basket and finish with athleticism. They were banking on his defense and the comparisons to Dwyane Wade as the centerpiece of their rebuild with the second overall pick.

They truly believed Oladipo would grow into an improved 3-point shooter. He showed hints of it in college, but his years at Indiana were not about his shooting — although he improved each season in school topping off at 44.1-percent from deep in his final year in Bloomington.

It was always going to be a work in progress for Oladipo. But for him to become an All-Star and the player the Magic envisioned, he would need to add the 3-pointer to complement his driving ability.

It was slow going to get him there. But in many of Oladipo’s biggest games, it was because he could hit from the outside. When he had these big burst games, it was because he caught fire from deep.

Oladipo shot 32.7-percent in his rookie year and progressed nicely to 33.9-percent in his second year and 34.8-percent in his final year in Orlando.

Oladipo was every bit the dynamic athlete. He struggled to finish consistently at the rim and get to the foul line. Orlando ultimately questioned how much he was worth in free agency and opted to trade him for a get-rich-quick scheme with Serge Ibaka.

That ended up being the best thing for Oladipo. Going to a franchise like Oklahoma City where he was a secondary player helped focus his 3-point shooting and he became the star player the Magic always envisioned.

In his lone season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he shot 36.1-percent from deep. He continued to improve, topping off at 37.1-percent with the Indiana Pacers in the 2018 season on 5.8 attempts per game. That 3-point shot is why Oladipo suddenly seemed to make good on all of his potential and become that All-Star.

It was perhaps percolating in Orlando if the team had the faith and the patience to see it through. That was just something the Magic did not have.

Next. Orlando Magic Shooting Month: Shooting trades the Magic regret. dark

Injuries zapped him of his athleticism. And Oladipo is still working to reinvent himself as a shooter. Last year for the Miami Heat, he shot 41.7-percent from deep on 4.5 attempts per game. He might be a shooter yet.