Orlando Magic: Who Should Start At Center?
The Orlando Magic have a logjam down low. Who should head coach Frank Vogel start at power forward and center?
Though the roster may be similar, the Orlando Magic of 2016-17 will bear little resemblance to the team from 2015-16. A borderline blockbuster trade, a new head coach, and a massive free agency signing have both improved and complicated the situation.
The question is, what should the Magic do about the logjam down low?
Orlando has four gifted big men to choose between at power forward and center. Nikola Vucevic is the incumbent center, Aaron Gordon was a Top 5 pick in 2014, Serge Ibaka was recently acquired via trade, and Bismack Biyombo signed a hefty contract.
Per Zach Lowe of ESPN, head coach Frank Vogel plans to start Ibaka at power forward and Gordon at the 3.
"“If Serge Ibaka weren’t here, Aaron Gordon would be my power forward,” Vogel said. “But Serge is here. Aaron is going to be playing [small forward]. We are going to put the ball in his hands a lot. We’re going to use him like Paul George.”"
The question is, what does that mean for the Magic’s short-term plans at center?
Gordon and Ibaka’s respective situations have been temporarily sorted out, although there are rational concerns about Gordon playing the 3. He’s never played the position on a full-time basis, and is far from proven as a ball-handler.
Nevertheless, that appears to be the plan entering training camp.
At center, however, is a competition that poses far more of an issue. Biyombo is making too much money to be a full-time backup, and Vucevic is far too gifted a player to be riding the pine behind him.
Per Lowe, the Magic are in no rush to trade Vucevic.
"Rob Hennigan, the team’s GM, called Vucevic shortly after the Biyombo signing to reassure him, but also declined to promise Vucevic he would remain the starter, the two men say.The potential playmaking void is one reason the Magic are in no rush to trade Vucevic despite the logjam, league sources say. They might need his post game, and especially his passing."
Thus, the complicated process of determining who should start at center begins.
Though both players make compelling cases, only one can start at the 5. The question, of course, is which center should Vogel choose as his starting center for the 2016-17 season?
Making that decision starts with acknowledging both what works and what doesn’t.
Dominant Interior Defense
The Orlando Magic have a chance to build the most dominant interior defense in the NBA—bar none. That’s a bold statement considering how superb the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz are in that regard, but it’s a realistic possibility.
Frank Vogel is one of the NBA’s elite defensive strategists, which makes the combination of Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo one worth considering.
Ibaka & Biyombo ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage at the rim in 2015-16. Biyombo was also No. 5 in the NBA in blocks per 48 minutes and Ibaka has led the Association in blocks per game in two different seasons.
Strictly talking rim protection, the Magic have the potential to form the most impenetrable interior in the NBA.
Beyond the rim protection is the intriguing reality that both Biyombo and Ibaka are athletic enough to defend the pick and roll. Both can switch off of screens and step out onto the perimeter to either contest shot attempts or adequately contain a slasher.
With Ibaka’s 7’4″ wingspan and 9’3″ standing reach, and Biyombo’s measurements of 7’6″ and just under 9’3.5″, Ibaka and Biyombo could anchor an elite defense in Orlando.
Two-Way Balance
An elite defense is hard to overlook, but we’d be remiss to ignore how important it is to actually put points on the board. Though Serge Ibaka has been demanding a larger role offensively—and Orlando appears prepared to oblige—there’s no guaranteeing he’ll excel.
Thus, even if it is short-term, there’s merit to the belief that the Magic should start Ibaka alongside Nikola Vucevic.
Ibaka and Vucevic are both marksmen from midrange, with the former displaying 3-point range. Vucevic made 226 midrange jump shots on 48.2 percent shooting in 2015-16, and Ibaka converted 166 on 45.5 percent shooting.
Ibaka also hit 60 3-point field goals in 2015-16, and Vucevic is a capable post player who can finish with both hands at the rim or hit a pretty turnaround.
Defensively, Ibaka’s help-side defense can mask some of Vucevic’s flaws. With that being said, Vucevic has become a much better defensive player than he’s given credit for.
In 2015-16, Vucevic held opponents below their average field goal percentage by a respectable 1.3 percent.
What’s The Right Decision?
The Orlando Magic had a chance to make Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic the starting interior of the future. Ibaka could anchor the defensive interior and Vucevic could play the David West role under head coach Frank Vogel.
Orlando didn’t hand Bismack Biyombo $72 million to be a backup, however, and he didn’t sign on to be a backup when he had opportunities to start elsewhere.
With Biyombo starting, the Magic have a chance to create an elite defensive front court in Year 1 under coach Vogel. Aaron Gordon, Ibaka, and Biyombo are all explosive athletes with a defensive pedigree.
Vogel realizes how powerful that trio could be, per Lowe.
"That would make the Magic huge and mobile — especially when they have Gordon, Ibaka, and Biyombo on the floor together…”In today’s small-ball NBA, we think we can beat the [expletive] out of teams in the paint,” Vogel said."
That’s hard to ignore, even if it would create a lineup in which three of the five players on the court—Elfrid Payton, Gordon, and Biyombo—can’t shoot.
It’s a polarizing proposition, but Orlando should trust its new investments. The Magic gave up rising star Victor Oladipo to land Ibaka, and it entrusted $72 million to Biyombo.
Thus, while I may prefer a starting lineup that includes Ibaka and Vucevic, Orlando must now reap what it sowed.
must read: Teams that should trade for Nikola Vucevic
It may or may not pay off, but for an organization that hasn’t been back to the playoffs since trading Dwight Howard, it’s time to swing for the fences.