Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Shooting is the top priority

Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Shooting

Option 5: Gunners

There is, of course, another type of shooter. One the Orlando Magic perhaps need to avoid, but one who could still prove to have some value.

Of course, we are talking about “the gunner.” A pejorative label for a high-volume scorer who takes a lot of shots to get a lot of points.

This brand of player still has value in the league. Every team needs a big scorer off the bench and someone who is not afraid to take charge with bench lineups and get some shots up.

But the premium that teams used to play for raw production has certainly changed. These are not the $20 million per year players they once were. But they still come at a pretty hefty cost.

At one point, this was probably the label put on Cole Anthony. He was an inefficient scorer in college but someone who needed the ball in his hands and a lot of shots to get going. That might also describe the early part of his career when the Magic had to put the ball in his hands a lot because of the injuries on the roster.

Last year, though, saw a transformation with Anthony. He had his most effective and efficient season, averaging 13.0 points per game on 36.4 percent shooting from deep (with 3.4 attempts per game).

The Magic may not need to go after a so-called gunner in free agency because Anthony may yet develop into the positive version of this kind of player. And he is extension eligible this offseason and could end up being the big signing — or re-signing — of the offseason.

Whether the Magic get that extension done or seek out more high-volume bench scoring may come down to how real the Magic feel his 41.8 percent shooting from deep after the All-Star Break is.

Still, there are some other high-volume but low-efficiency 3-point shooters to consider in this free-agent class. But buyers beware of the cost they might require.

That would be a player like Kelly Oubre.

Oubre had the best scoring year of his career averaging 20.3 points per game for the Charlotte Hornets this season. But he shot one of his worst 3-point percentages, making 31.9 percent of his threes on 7.1 attempts per game.

His 3-point field goal percentage goes from between 30-35 percent most years, but he is consistently shooting more than five attempts per game. That volume is encouraging.

But the trick with Oubre is making sure you have a roster that can set him up for success. Last year with LaMelo Ball out, the Hornets were certainly not set up that way. He got a lot of shots and he was not afraid to take them.

The same could be said for D’Angelo Russell.

Russell is a former All-Star who has struggled to find his way to fit in with teams with other stars. He is having a bit of a Renaissance with the Los Angeles Lakers in their run. He is averaging 17.4 points per game since joining the Lakers in the regular season. He hit 41.4 percent of his 3-pointers after joining the Lakers and he was at 39.6 percent for the year. He is consistently shooting better than 36 percent from deep.

There is no denying Russell’s proficiency from deep. But he has struggled to make those around him better. And while his individual brilliance can lift a team on occasion, it has not always translated to team success. Especially when he has to take on a secondary role.

Will Barton could be another option as a high-volume shooter. But he really struggled to stay on the court this year and flamed out after getting picked up by the Toronto Raptors. That would be a last resort and not a high-level option at this point.