Bold Predictions for the '17-'18 Magic
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:36 pm
With the season upon us, let's talk about our boldest predictions for the season. Have fun with it! I'll start.
- Elfrid Payton does not finish the season on the Orlando Magic. With his pending free agency, Payton is under a microscope by new management to show that he's capable of being the right fit for the team. I have no doubt that Payton is a net positive on the floor, but given the dearth of shooting across the board, I think management tries to find a better fit at point guard for this team (perhaps Eric Bledsoe or CJ McCollum or Mike Conley?). With nearly $36 million locked up between Biyombo, Vucevic, and Augustin, the Magic will most certainly attempt to shed salary to make it easier to pay Payton if need be. But, if they come up short moving any of their big men or finding a home for Augustin, it'll be hard for Weltman and Hammond to further lock themselves into this roster unless a big internal improvement is made.
- Aaron Gordon wins MIP. Why not? We've been waiting for Gordon to breakout since he tantalized us in the 2015 Summer League. The pace at which the Magic are playing are conducive for Gordon's game. He's making quicker decisions once he catches the ball and trying to attack earlier in the sets. If his 3 point shooting is just average, he'll make as good a case for MIP as anyone. He has it in him to average at least 20 ppg if Coach Vogel gives him the minutes. If he can do it efficiently, then he'll have a shot to win the award. He'll face competition from D'Angelo Russell, Kristaps Porzingis,
- The Magic end the season with a top 15 defense. It may not seem that bold, but after last season's debacle, it would be a huge improvement. The biggest disappointment of last season was how awful the team was on defense. It took them 3/4 of the season to realize that playing both bigs was not a recipe for a good defense in a league where triple threat wings are dominating. Just be above average and they'll give themselves a chance every night. The preseason, while still only preseason, offered some encouragement. They're playing smaller and faster on the wings. The additions of Simmons and Isaac should provide this team some extremely lengthy and quick lineups that should enable switching. I'm also banking on the 2nd year Vogel bump.
- The Magic win 35 games and fail to make the playoffs. I'm not rooting for playoffs so much as just cracking .500. I don't think being an 8 seed in the East with 38 wins really means anything positive. But, cracking average would be a positive step forward. Cracking .500 and having a positive showing in the playoffs may give the team more credence heading into free agency. Being an explicit season for evaluation, I think Weltman and Hammond will use the first half of the season to figure this team out. If this team is struggling by January, we could see the management change course. As I mentioned, they have to shed some of the excess salary in the front court. It'll be tough to do so. I don't think anyone in the organization could stomach another tear down rebuild, so I don't anticipate another tank. But we'll have a good idea of who is worth keeping around vs who is replaceable vs who needs to be replaced. As a byproduct, I anticipate that Jonathan Isaac's minutes increase significantly after the trade deadline.
- Jonathon Simmons will be the most loved bench player since Darrell Armstrong. I'm all in on Juice.
- Elfrid Payton does not finish the season on the Orlando Magic. With his pending free agency, Payton is under a microscope by new management to show that he's capable of being the right fit for the team. I have no doubt that Payton is a net positive on the floor, but given the dearth of shooting across the board, I think management tries to find a better fit at point guard for this team (perhaps Eric Bledsoe or CJ McCollum or Mike Conley?). With nearly $36 million locked up between Biyombo, Vucevic, and Augustin, the Magic will most certainly attempt to shed salary to make it easier to pay Payton if need be. But, if they come up short moving any of their big men or finding a home for Augustin, it'll be hard for Weltman and Hammond to further lock themselves into this roster unless a big internal improvement is made.
- Aaron Gordon wins MIP. Why not? We've been waiting for Gordon to breakout since he tantalized us in the 2015 Summer League. The pace at which the Magic are playing are conducive for Gordon's game. He's making quicker decisions once he catches the ball and trying to attack earlier in the sets. If his 3 point shooting is just average, he'll make as good a case for MIP as anyone. He has it in him to average at least 20 ppg if Coach Vogel gives him the minutes. If he can do it efficiently, then he'll have a shot to win the award. He'll face competition from D'Angelo Russell, Kristaps Porzingis,
- The Magic end the season with a top 15 defense. It may not seem that bold, but after last season's debacle, it would be a huge improvement. The biggest disappointment of last season was how awful the team was on defense. It took them 3/4 of the season to realize that playing both bigs was not a recipe for a good defense in a league where triple threat wings are dominating. Just be above average and they'll give themselves a chance every night. The preseason, while still only preseason, offered some encouragement. They're playing smaller and faster on the wings. The additions of Simmons and Isaac should provide this team some extremely lengthy and quick lineups that should enable switching. I'm also banking on the 2nd year Vogel bump.
- The Magic win 35 games and fail to make the playoffs. I'm not rooting for playoffs so much as just cracking .500. I don't think being an 8 seed in the East with 38 wins really means anything positive. But, cracking average would be a positive step forward. Cracking .500 and having a positive showing in the playoffs may give the team more credence heading into free agency. Being an explicit season for evaluation, I think Weltman and Hammond will use the first half of the season to figure this team out. If this team is struggling by January, we could see the management change course. As I mentioned, they have to shed some of the excess salary in the front court. It'll be tough to do so. I don't think anyone in the organization could stomach another tear down rebuild, so I don't anticipate another tank. But we'll have a good idea of who is worth keeping around vs who is replaceable vs who needs to be replaced. As a byproduct, I anticipate that Jonathan Isaac's minutes increase significantly after the trade deadline.
- Jonathon Simmons will be the most loved bench player since Darrell Armstrong. I'm all in on Juice.
