NBA: 30 Storylines Driving The 2015-16 Season
Apr 10, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Amway Center. Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 101-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Orlando Magic – Just Keep Building
The Orlando Magic are bad at a number of things, most notably retaining their stars. That’s why they’ve been in the NBA’s gutter the past few seasons. After failing to keep Dwight Howard happy, they were forced to ship him off to Los Angeles, and they were left in shambles after spending the better part of the last decade building around him.
Now the Magic have embraced the rebuilding model we’ve seen other teams utilize to turn their franchise misfortunes around. Well sort of. The Magic have recently fallen into the habit of trying to overpay for players who have been successful elsewhere, but aren’t quite stars. Most recently, the Magic tried to woo Paul Millsap away from the division rival Atlanta Hawks with a major payday. He opted to win (staying with the Hawks) as opposed to cashing in (heading to Orlando).
The issue with this type of almost-star obsession is that it makes a team like the Magic a dreaded middle of the pack team. With a guy like that, as their star, the team will win some games here and there and possibly even get up around .500 for the season (that’s about what it takes to secure a playoff spot in the East), but not much further.
Looking at the roster the Magic have put together for this season, they have a solid group of young talent that they need to build up as they move forward. Winning at a so-so rate isn’t something that’s beneficial to an NBA team in the modern era. If you can’t be at the top, the bottom is the next best thing.
Nikola Vucevic is a solid big man down low with the ability to score and rebound at a potentially elite level, plus he’s the best piece that the Magic got in the massive Howard deal. Victor Oladipo‘s offensive game is coming along and his defensive prowess already has him ranked as one of the best guards in the league at that end of the floor. Elfrid Payton surprised a number of people last season with Andre Miller-esque play. Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja mark the last two first round selections for the Magic and both seem to be viable building blocks for the future.
This is where the Magic need to focus their efforts and energy. They need to bring these young players along, ensure that they’re able to retain them in a few years, and then bring in the right kind of veterans around them.
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