Magic's Aaron Gordon: Expected to start at small forward in 2016-17

Magic coach Frank Vogel said last week that he expects Gordon to start at small forward during the upcoming season, Scott Cryles of OrlandoMagicDaily.com reports.

Analysis:

The Magic gave up a small fortune to acquire Serge Ibaka on draft day, so it's no surprise that he'll be at the top of the depth chart at power forward, which had been almost exclusively Gordon's domain following last season's move at the trade deadline that sent Tobias Harris to the Pistons. Though the more well-rounded Ibaka amounts to an upgrade at power forward, it doesn't appear that Gordon, one of the NBA's top physical specimens, is going to see his role marginalized as he enters his third season. In fact, Vogel stated that in addition to starting at small forward, Gordon would still see plenty of minutes at power forward when Ibaka is off the floor or used as a small-ball center. With the Magic also bringing in high-volume rebounder Bismack Biyombo this offseason, it's clear that the team is prioritizing defensive improvement, and on paper, the physically gifted, long-limbed trio of Gordon, Ibaka and Biyombo figure to terrorize opposing wings and big men. Gordon will need to show increased reliability on the offensive end -- particularly from three-point range, where he shot just 29.6 percent last season -- for his fantasy value to truly take off, but his ability to lock down both perimeter and frontcourt players defensively should at least guarantee him plenty of court time in 2016-17.