Another year. That’s what new Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman is asking for, more patience. That’s a curse word for Magic fans who are in the midst of the longest playoff droughts in franchise history and players who are working under their fourth different coach in the past three seasons. But Weltman has already made clear that he and his staff, which includes veteran front office sage and former Bucks general manager John Hammond, will use this season to evaluate the roster and make decisions accordingly. Which means it’s going be another long season in Magic country.
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ICYMI
The Magic’s biggest and best offseason moves involved hiring their new front office tandem of Weltman and Hammond, who bring a fresh perspective to a situation that had clearly grown stale under former general manager Rob Hennigan … Hammond built an intriguing young playoff roster in Milwaukee around Giannis Antetokounmpo and coach Jason Kidd. The hope is that similar magic can worked in Orlando … Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac fits the mold of the sort of dynamic, long and athletic young player that could serve as a franchise cornerstone. But he’s joining a frontcourt rotational already loaded with bodies … Veterans Shelvin Mack and Arron Afflalo were brought in to infuse the roster and locker room with some veteran help in the backcourt … A champion with the Golden State Warriors two years ago, Marreese Speights provides a big man with shooting range that the Magic have not had in recent years … The best summer find, however, is defensive ace Jonathan Simmons, who brings an edge and winning attitude from his time spent in San Antonio, where he was pressed into service and responded well during the playoffs last season.
THREE POINTS
1. Mario Hezonja, the fifth pick in the 2015 Draft and a favorite of the previous regime, simply has not lived up to the hype in his first two seasons. He’s averaged just 5.5 points and has struggled to find his NBA niche. If the Magic are going to find their way out of their current playoff drought, they’ll have to do it in large part with a player development component that produces much better early results for players like Hezonja.
2. During his time in Indiana, coach Frank Vogel built his program on defense, a trait that served him well with a roster filled with quality individual defenders. He doesn’t have that sort of personnel to work with but the tone has to come from the top. If there is a defensive identity to be crafted (and what coach worth his whistle doesn’t preach that to his team at the start of every season?), it must come from Vogel.
3. One of the most difficult decisions for the franchise and specifically Vogel will be how to handle the development of Isaac, the prized rookie from Florida State. He has a tantalizing blend of size and skills but certainly has a transition period he’ll have to undergo before he can be counted on for consistent production at the NBA level. How much you feed him, and how soon, must be handled properly.
MAN ON THE SPOT
Elfrid Payton is at the point in his career where he has to show that he’s either ready for a more of a prime-time role as a starting point guard or risk being cast as something else. He’s suffered perhaps more than any other young player on this roster with all of the coaching turnover and front-office indecision about how they wanted him to play. He’s not a great shooter by any stretch (a 28.9 percent 3-point shooter) but has the requisite skills to lead a team and perform at a high level at the deepest position in the league right now. But talking about it and doing it on a consistent basis are two very different things. And Payton needs a coach willing to turn the keys over to him and let him drive. The coach-point guard relationship this season is critical for both men, but especially for Payton.
STARTING FIVE
Elfrid Payton | 12.8 ppl | 4.7 rpg | 6.5 app
Started showing signs of being player the Magic hoped he’d be late last season, but must improve his shooting.
Evan Fournier | 17.2 ppg | 3.1 rpg | 3.0 apg
Youngster’s overall game can still improve; shot a career-worst 35.6 percent on 3-pointers last season.
Jonathan Simmons | 6.2 ppg | 2.1 rpg | 1.6 apg
A defensive-minded and fierce competitor, he’s the league’s best late-bloomer and could thrive under Vogel.
Aaron Gordon | 12.7 ppg | 5.1 rpg | 1.9 apg
The most promising of the Magic’s young homegrown talents, as Gordon’s shooting stroke improves so does his overall game.
Nikola Vucevic | 14.6 ppg | 10.4 rpg | 2.8 apg
Two years ago, the plan was to build around this rugged, young rebounder. Has his game plateaued?
KEY RESERVES
Arron Afflalo | 8.4 ppg | 2.0 rpg | 1.3 apg
Afflalo is always on the short list when teams are hunting veteran leadership to add to their mix in rebuilding situations.
Terrence Ross | 11.0 ppg | 2.6 rpg | 1.1 apg
Ross, who has excellent size for the position, could be a starter. He has always been excellent in a reserve role, too.
Bismack Biyambo | 6.0 ppg | 7.0 rpg | 0.9 apg
The Magic need him to be an impact player as a rim-protector and finisher.
THE BOTTOM LINE
New leadership in the front office does not provide an overnight cure for years of wheel spinning in Orlando. Crazy as it sounds, the Magic organization is still recovering from the Dwight Howard nightmare exit and all of the restarts that accompanied the departure of a franchise player and future Hall of Famer in his prime. And it’s still unclear whether or not the player who will carry that torch in the future, the franchise player torch, is even on the roster. Instead of this being a turning point season, we should see more growing pains from this group as Vogel attempts to shape and mold them into a cohesive unit.
Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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