Orlando Magic: Injuries Highlight Potential Frailties

For the Orlando Magic, this offseason has been one which has provided hope that things are going to get better for the team. The acquisition of Channing Frye, as well as the drafting of intriguing youngsters Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton, gave fans reason to feel more optimistic about the future.

Second-year guard Victor Oladipo was the key to moving forward though, he is the player the Magic feel can lead them back to the playoffs. So when he went down with a strain to his medial collateral ligament, that bright future was covered with clouds for just a moment.

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As it turned out, Oladipo did no real damage to his knee, save for strain it a little. He is listed as day-to-day, and even said himself that he finished the practice session after the incident occurred. So everything is still fine.

But it does make you think, what if it had been a more serious injury? Not even a dreaded ACL tear, but something like a damaged meniscus that forced him out for at least a couple of months. The fact is, it would have set this franchise back a few steps, and that is a scary thought.

Although this coming season will probably see the team dip back into the lottery one final time, there will definitely be an improvement on both ends of the floor. It starts with the athletic Oladipo and his tremendous defensive work. Imagine if he’d been gone for any significant amount of time though.

If anything, this minor incident just highlights the need for Orlando to cover itself should something like this ever happen, for fear they end up in a similar situation to the Chicago Bulls.

Luckily however, they appear to have the players on the team who can take over should Oladipo ever miss any significant time. Center Nikola Vucevic is entering the last year of his rookie deal, and it is imperative the team resigns him. Even if it means overpaying him somewhat, the Magic can afford to do this and the incoming injection of revenue from the new league-wide television deal means the salary cap will rise anyway.

Vucevic is a double-double machine and averaged more than 14 points and 11 rebounds last year when healthy. He could absolutely do the heavy lifting if required to, such is his skill set. Although, his defensive side of the game does need some work. However, when you see your franchise player miss some time through injury, it makes your realize that the fortunes of an organization can change in an instance.

Are we overreacting here? Potentially, but this was a scary moment, at least for me personally. Since Dwight Howard skipped town, the single objective for this team was trying to bounce back and be a competitive team. It’s been a long road already, and we’re probably only halfway there at this point. There are some young and talented players in place, and it is now time to take it to the next level.

Hearing Oladipo had a small knee injury was a momentary throwback to the dark ages when this club was playing to lose and get back to the draft. These are times I for one don’t want to return to.

The news that Frye also suffered a similar injury, although reports suggest he will be out a little longer, only compound the fact that it is so important to be deep in this league. Frye is a fantastic stretch big man, and it is important to get him back as soon as possible. Luckily however, it appears his off court persona will be as important to this young team as what he does on the court.

While this is all a bit scary given the season hasn’t begun yet, there are some more positives to put next to the early injuries to Oladipo and Frye. Devyn Marble, a second-round draft pick this summer and somebody who put in some impressive shifts at Summer League, scored 13 points in the Magic’s first preseason game against the Miami Heat.

That the team won the game in overtime is largely irrelevant, but the fact Marble scored eight of his points in the extra period suggests he could crack the rotation early in the year.

Marble’s defensive effort was evident in the Summer League, but seeing him score some was nice too. Why this is important is because with the injury bug already biting early, having as many players who can contribute is vital for this team. Although the playoffs aren’t the aim this year, it would be nice to see the team have a go at trying to get more than 35 wins.

So while the regular season is still a couple of weeks away. already it seems this Magic team has had a little scare that should make them think twice about putting so much of their faith in one player in Victor Oladipo. He seems set to have a great second season, and certainly a strain in his knee won’t stop that.

But had it been worse, and if the worst should happen at another point in time, does this team have a plan B? If it didn’t before, it absolutely has to now.