Welcome to theScore's 2016-17 NBA preview, where you'll find comprehensive coverage of all 30 teams and storylines to watch this season.
Orlando Magic
2015-16
| Record | Southeast | East | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35-47 | 5th | 11th | N/A |
Offseason roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Serge Ibaka (trade with OKC) | Victor Oladipo (trade with OKC) |
| Bismack Biyombo (4/$70M) | Ersan Ilyasova (trade with OKC) |
| Jeff Green (1/$15M) | Andrew Nicholson (WAS) |
| D.J. Augustin (4/$29M) | Brandon Jennings (NYK) |
| Jodie Meeks (trade with DET) | Jason Smith (WAS) |
| C.J. Wilcox (trade with LAC) | Dewayne Dedmon (SAS) |
| Stephen Zimmerman (draft) | Shabazz Napier (trade with POR) |
| Devyn Marble (trade with LAC) |
Projected starting five
- PG Elfrid Payton
- SG Evan Fournier
- SF Aaron Gordon
- PF Serge Ibaka
- C Nikola Vucevic
Player to watch: Aaron Gordon
We already know Gordon can fly.
Whether in-game or in-contest, his aerial assaults on rims (and the laws of gravity) were among the great aesthetic joys of the 2015-16 season. But the Magic have far higher hopes for him than just highlight-reel fodder. This season, Gordon's third, will give them an indication of whether they have a full-fledged star on their hands.
In an era of positionless basketball, lacking a clearly defined position - as has been one of the big knocks on Gordon - hardly seems like a problem. But it matters for the Magic, who seem to have shaped their roster in the offseason around the notion that he can be a playmaking forward-wing hybrid.
Gordon blossomed after the All-Star break last season, when a larger role and a spot in the starting lineup propelled him to 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, and two assists across the final 27 games. But his usage rate was still a relatively paltry 18.4 percent, and he still didn't look comfortable handling the ball or shooting beyond the restricted area. His defense - which could really prove to be Gordon's calling card - was manic, jumpy, and unfocused; the moments of brilliance and confusion came in equal measure.
Gordon's physical gifts are undeniable, but others with similar profiles have crashed and burned while relying too heavily on those gifts. He has a lot of in-between stuff to hone, and though Gordon's still about the age of the average rookie, it's reasonable to expect progress this season in filling out his game.
Season expectations
Did any team have an offseason as remotely baffling as Orlando's?
It's not as if last year's Magic were on some surefire path to greatness, but they were at least on an upward trajectory and a clear timeline. There was a semblance of coherence in their vision. This year's Magic will be tasked with justifying the front office's bizarre, course-altering roster shakeup.
The frontcourt is overstuffed to bursting. They're paying two completely one-dimensional centers a combined $30 million. If they could give Bismack Biyombo Nikola Vucevic's offensive skill set, or Vucevic Biyombo's defensive acumen, they'd really have something. As it stands, it's unclear how the pair's minutes will be allocated, or how lineups will fall into place around them.
Serge Ibaka can thrive as a small-ball five, but there'll seemingly be minimal opportunity for him to serve in that role, and playing power forward alongside one of Biyombo or Vucevic will mean spending much of his time spotting up in the corners. Jeff Green is also here, getting paid a pretty penny to do a poor impersonation of what a cost-controlled 24-year-old Tobias Harris could've done. Gordon will pinball around the floor and try to find a role for himself in the frontcourt chaos.
If one thing's bankable, it's that this team, under new head coach Frank Vogel, will defend. They vaulted eight spots to 17th in the league last season, and the additions of Biyombo and Ibaka should nudge them into top-10 territory. With so much size at his disposal, Vogel can run his preferred two-big sets, and with Biyombo and Ibaka, he can do so without sacrificing any mobility or speed.
Lineups featuring those two and Gordon could be absolute hell to score on.
The issue is, the Magic figure to have as much trouble putting the ball in the hoop as their opponents.
Already a bottom-10 scoring unit, they shipped off their offensive linchpin (along with their first-round draft pick) for one year of Ibaka's declining production. Victor Oladipo wasn't a knock-down shooter by any stretch, but he made plays that put pressure on opposing defenses, cracking open space with change-of-pace dribbles and careening drives to the hoop.
It will fall on Evan Fournier and Elfrid Payton to pick up the extra playmaking slack. If the Magic are lucky, Gordon and ultra-raw sophomore swingman Mario Hezonja will chip in as well.
This year's team, though imbalanced on paper, may well prove better than last year's. They have enough to conceivably make a run at a low playoff seed in the East. But after an offseason of ostensible win-now moves, and without a discernible plan moving forward, will that be enough?
