Orlando Magic aren’t afraid to play all their bigs together

There are moments in the Orlando Magic’s practice where their bigs have to do a double take at what just happened and what one of them just did.

The league has gone increasingly positionless and turned the traditional role of big man on its head. The Magic are not exempt from that with shooting big men in Mo Bamba and versatile forwards like Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero on the roster.

Still, some of the things the Magic are thinking about doing would seem insane to someone even five years ago.

So when Bol Bol is able to step out and hit a 3-pointer over a solid shot blocker like Mo Bamba, it made everyone do a double take. It left Bamba asking Bol how did he do that. Just as Bmaba can do things that gets others to turn their head.

Bamba and the other bigs have that moment too where they just simply do something nobody would expect to see from a 7-footer.

The Orlando Magic roster is full of versatile big men and the team seems intent on using it, experimenting with and growing lineups with all of their big men out there together.

Orlando has not been afraid to experiment with lineups under coach Jamahl Mosley. And the team has collected a lot of versatile young bigs who are capable of shooting and spreading the floor. There are a lot of untraditional bigs and there could well be a lot of untraditional lineups ahead for the Magic.

The Magic have made it clear they want everyone to have responsibility within the offense.

"“We have a job for these young men to become great decision-makers and great basketball players,” coach Jamahl Mosley said after Saturday’s practice. “Regardless of the size or the length or whatever it is, we still want them to be great decision-makers. They have to continue to improve. Whether that is Paolo, Fraz, Wendell, Chuma, Bol in a lineup, we want them to be able to make the next person better. That’s what we’re asking them to do and that’s what they’re challenging themselves to do.”"

This could be the reality for a lot of lineups. After spending last season pairing their two centers in Wendell Carter and Mo Bamba together, the Magic are turning some heads by some of the lineups they have said they are trying.

Yes, that was a lineup featuring Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Bol Bol and Wendell Carter playing together during the team’s 5-on-5 runs Friday. Mosley said he will continue to experiment with lineups throughout the rest of the preseason — both in games and in practices. But the team has a lot of bigs at their disposal.

They all seem to have those multi-faceted skills the league has increasingly sought from its centers. The Magic are going to run 5-out as their base set, according to Terrence Ross. They want to leverage their bigs’ versatility and shooting to find an advantage.

But it only works because the bigs are skilled enough to be used in this different way.

Bamba, for instance, is as skilled as a shot blocker and rim deterrent as he is as a 3-point shooter on offense. As the Magic have learned throughout camp Bol is another player who has the ability to play like a guard in a 7-footer’s body.

"“We’re both 7 feet and we have length,” Bol said after Sunday’s practice. “Defensively that helps us cover a lot of ground. We’re both able to put the ball on the floor and shoot. That’s just good for us because we have a lot of different guys who can do the same thing but we’re all the same size.”"

It is no secret how much the Magic have valued length. And adding Bol to the mix on top of all the other players on the roster seemed to stretch that to impossible lengths.

But what may make them different is that they are not just big. As Bol put it, the bigs are not stationary bigs. They can move and have some athleticism to keep defenders on their toes.

The question is just how the Magic will use all these players.

However the team uses them, they will have a ton of value just from their ability to pull big men away fom the basket since defenses have to respect their shooting. That is their biggest offensive value.

On top of this, the Magic expect their bigs to be able to do everything their guards can. So they are not just merely centers playing together within this offense.

"“There’s such a unique skill set in both of them,” Mosley said of Bamba and Bol on Sunday. “Not just their height and their length but their decision-making and skill. Guys who can put the basketball on the floor. Guys who can make shots. There are not many bigs who are capable of doing that. They are two guys who can do that at a pretty good clip. That’s fun to watch and fun to see hwo they’re progressing within what we are doing.”"

Bol’s presence has been one of the bigger curiosities of camp.

Bol simply has not played a ton of games — 53 games in three seasons including 14 last year as he dealt with foot injuries. Bol said he feels he is healthy and he is eager to play as much as everyone is eager to see him play.

Ross gave a ringing endorsement of Bol before training camp began from the team’s summer pickup runs. He called him a freak for his ability to play and move like a guard at 7-foot-3. Bol Bol said he watched a lot of Kevin Durant to try to model his game.

It is easy to see why there is some curiosity still about his skill and talent. The Magic will be the next team to try it out. And it seems like they are going to give it a serious look. No matter the kind of lineup the team eventually throws out.

The Magic are clearly going to squeeze Bol into the rotation at least for preseason. It will be among the lineups the team seems eager and willing to try before their season begins.

As difficult as it might be to play this kind of style — and it is an adjustment especially for bigs who have gotten used to playing a certain role with certain spacing — it is something that has found success and can be successful.

"“I really look at it as an opportunity,” Mosley said after Saturday’s practice. “It is a great way for these guys to get better. You are allowing these guys to think and allow them to play the game. I think what some teams can go to is I put them in this position and you only have to do A and B. These guys, if we are going to develop their entire game, they have to be able to do A, B and C and a little bit more. That’s part of being a whole-developed basketball player and not just a position.”"

If this is the future — true positionless basketball, including switching on defense regardless of size — then the Magic seem like an interesting testing ground for what might come. At least for this season as the team still grows and assesses its young roster.

At the end of the day, the players know they can make things work if they are locked in and make good decisions with each other on the floor and play together on defense.

"“It’s just basketball,” Bamba said after practice Sunday. “You go out there and play basketball. We believe in coach to put the pieces together to the puzzle. But It is easy to go out there when you are playing with guys who are so unselfish, play for each other. Now it is just a matter of competing and having each other’s back.”"

There is still a lot of chemistry and skill to develop throughout the roster. Orlando has shown its willingness to try unconventional lineups to make sure their best players on the floor. Going big is not the only one.

But the Magic are determined to build complete players throughout their roster and this is just one example of that philosophy and strategy. And something to watch and develop as the preseason begins.