It’s beginning to look a lot like the 2019-2020 NBA regular season is effectively over. Rather than sit around and wait for basketball to come back into our lives, let’s reflect on what the season has dished up to this point.
We’ll take a look at each and every NBA team over the coming weeks, assessing what went right, what didn’t go to plan, and where their journey took them as well as where the team hoped it would take them.
Today, we investigate three teams that, for different reasons, help make the argument for those that want to abolish conference seedings for the playoffs and move to a league wide 1-16 format: the New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic and Portland Trailblazers.
Orlando Magic
Record: 30-35 (8th in the Eastern Conference)
82 game pace: 38-44
Expectations
The season expectations in Orlando were the same as they are every season: scrape into the playoffs and hope to avoid getting waxed by their elite opponent. Oh sure, there was talk of the development of the youngsters like Jon Isaac, Markelle Fultz and Mo Bamba; finding the right mix of talent to bring the best out of Aaron Gordon (really, not a hard equation: PLAY THE MAN AT THE FOUR!!!); and to see continued production out of vets Nik Vucuvic and Evan Fournier. But ultimately all that matters in Orlando is hosting a pair of playoff games every season.
What went right
Well, they achieved their objective, so I guess you could say that on the whole the season went pretty well. And on a macro level, you would be correct.
On a micro level there we’re success stories as well, this season. First and foremost is the rebirth (is it really a rebirth when you were never really ‘born’ in an NBA sense?) of Fultz. The former 76er put up solid averages of 12.1 points, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals. His outside shooting is still woeful (25.4%) although his 72.3% free throw shooting is encouraging. Overall, Fultz didn’t set the world on fire, but in flashes he demonstrated most of the elements that got him drafted at #1 in 2017: excellent passing, pesky defense, outstanding athleticism and crafty finishing at the rim.
Before injury struck, causing him to miss the last 31 games of the season, Isaac was a defensive menace with 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. I’m sure Coach Steve Clifford would like to see his 6.9 rebounds improve next season, but a +2.9 defensive box +/- indicates the man was a beast at that end of the court.
Fournier averaged a career-best 18.8 points per game. It will be interesting to see if he opts in to his $17 million player option for next season.
What went wrong
Injuries didn’t help Orlando’s cause this season. Vucevic and Fournier both missed time. The bench units cratered when underrated backup DJ Augustin sat for a month. Isaac’s injury disrupted a breakout season, but it was a blessing in one sense: Aaron Gordon was able to move to his natural power forward spot. At the four, AG went on a tear including 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 39.6% shooting from behind the arc in February. Isaac’s health was a curse in another sense in that it leads to this question: can Isaac play the centre position? If he’s too slight to take the nightly pounding, then Orlando probably needs to move on from one of him or Gordon. Neither idea is palatable.
The outcome
The Magic got what they wanted. For the most part, the youngsters developed (tick) and they will – assuming we have them – be in the playoffs (tick). Great season (tickety tick tick!). Well, yeah. It is, assuming mediocrity is your aim.
What Orlando needs more than anything is the courage from ownership and the front office to embrace a proper rebuild. The Magic have a nice young core, and some solid vets. Personally, I think trading Vooch and seeing if Isaac and/or Bamba are your centres of the future seems a no brainer. It’s understandable if the team decide to keep Fournier long term, but he’ll be hot property assuming he opts in to his contract. A trade seems prudent.
