Orlando Magic 2016-17 Season Outlook: Returning To The Playoffs
The Guards
In the backcourt, the Orlando Magic will mainly feature Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier, with proven role players D.J. Augustin and Jodie Meeks as the probable main backups. So far in his career, Payton has looked quite a bit like Rajon Rondo if Rajon Rondo was longer and had insane hair.
He has shown the ability to function as a good defender, a strong passer (boasting a two season career assist average of 6.5 per game), and a solid playmaker overall. Much like Rondo however, his shooting has not been so excellent (“boasting” a two season career three point percentage of .306). At the very least, Payton should be a reliable, albeit unspectacular and not especially accurate force for the Magic this season.
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Evan Fournier should also be solid and unspectacular overall. Being 6-foot-7, relatively athletic at the NBA level, and with shooting ability should on paper give a player potential to be legitimately spectacular. However, whether for lack of ability or role, Fournier has not generally shown the creativity, aggressiveness, or production associated with stars.
He was efficient and productive last year for Orlando (15.4 points per game on .462/.400/.836 shooting lines is nothing to sneeze at), and he will likely continue to be so this year. I just don’t see Fournier as a player who’s all of a sudden going to be averaging 22 points a game efficiently for a winning playoff team.
If Fournier makes the All Star team this year and leads the Magic to home court advantage in the playoffs, I will justifiably be exposed as a total fraud who will have to prematurely end his blogging career. Frankly though, I don’t exactly see that happening. I would love to be proven wrong though. Seeing new and unexpected faces become stars is always a special journey: save a seat for me on the Evan Fournier for MVP hype train!
D.J. Augustin, Jodie Meeks and CJ Watson round out a guard bench rotation that shouldn’t theoretically burn the house down when Payton and Fournier aren’t putting in work as Orlando’s version of Patrick Beverly and James Harden (I’m getting on that Fournier train before I’m run over by it).
Their defense may be suspect, especially Augustin’s, but Orlando’s surplus of athletic defensive bigs helps them in that regard. They project to be a competent, if wholly unremarkable bunch who will be able to space the floor for any attacking starters they are paired with.