Orlando Magic: Cut Mario Hezonja Loose

The Orlando Magic could use a boost, and rookie Mario Hezonja could be the answer if given the chance.

Right now the Orlando Magic are in free fall. They’re 1-9 over their last 10 games, and they’re losing in all manner of ways. If it’s not wire to wire losses it’s last second heartbreakers, like the dagger Kevin Durant hit them with Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder took one from them.

It’s been frustrating to watch, especially as the season had begun with a bit of promise. It’s probably just as tough to play through if you’re a member of the team, even more so if you’re not being given a fair chance at being able to help. With the Eastern Conference as competitive as it’s been in years, perhaps it’s time to accept this team will once again miss out on the playoffs.

While that may not seem so bad, it does hurt when you consider this team is supposed to be slowly putting its young pieces together to one day be a contender. But with the losses piling up and other teams pulling away, perhaps it’s time to change direction. It’s time to give Mario Hezonja more playing time.

Now, some fans would have wanted that anyway, as he’s a rookie who came into the league to quite a bit of fanfare. But now that this team has slipped behind the postseason pack, it makes sense for a number of reasons to give him more minutes each night. Currently averaging just under 15 minutes per game, it’s getting to the point where the pros outweigh the cons here.

First, we need to understand why Hezonja is still being kept under a strict minutes embargo, and that starts with head coach Scott Skiles. It’s been his philosophy for a long time now to not let rookies play too much or start games for the teams he’s managed. It’s not like he’s going to suddenly change his thinking, and in some ways you can understand where he’s coming from.

You have to earn the right to play in the NBA, and for some rookies they get too much too soon, before flaming out early. Easing Hezonja into NBA basketball is a smart move, even if he was playing professionally in Europe before being drafted last year.

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But for the Magic, things are beginning to get a bit stale, and giving Hezonja more minutes may be the shake-up required to get their season going. Skiles has shown he’s not afraid of making big changes, at one point bringing Victor Oladipo off the bench and also turning the offense over to Evan Fournier on many nights. So he’s chopped it up already this season, and usually it’s given the team a boost for a little while.

Playing Hezonja more now would show the other young guys that if they play hard enough, they too can break through. Guys like Aaron Gordon (started seven of 47 games) and even Shabazz Napier (who is 24 years old but only in his second season as a pro and averaging 12.4 minutes per game) could do with knowing that if they play hard enough, they will also get their chance.

They should get that chance, because too many times this season Oladipo and Elfrid Payton have failed to deliver for this team. The same could also be said of Nikola Vucevic, who worryingly appears to be getting worse as the season wears on. So Hezonja could give them an injection of youthful enthusiasm that has been lacking.

From a more practical point of view, the Magic actually led the league in three point shooting earlier in the season. They’ve slipped to 11th in that category (35.8 percent per game), but Hezonja could be of help to them there. He’s shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc, a nice number for a rookie and also the second highest mark on the team behind Channing Frye.

So playing him more may hurt the team defensively (although you could argue that as other guys are not pulling their weight on that end either) but he’d give this team another more consistent three point threat. This is especially valuable when you consider both Payton and Oladipo, while improving as shooters, are by no means feared marksmen.

Why not just give Hezonja a chance in what is quickly becoming a lost season? When Oladipo was drafted he was allowed to make mistakes as he played because there was no pressure to win. First as a point guard and later in his preferred shooting guard role, Oladipo had some terrible nights for the Magic. That experience stands to him now, as his decision making and overall play are miles better than the year he was drafted.

Hezonja didn’t have that luxury to begin the season, as the Magic were outside bets to make the playoffs. With those dreams essentially dashed, it makes sense to give him all the playing time he can handle now with the pressure off. You can bet that experience would then be of use to this team as soon as next season.

It’s hard to see Skiles doing this, but he should look at how he cans other players who aren’t doing what he wants and reverse his thinking with Hezonja. No player is above being benched (like Oladipo earlier this season) so why not also implement a system where no player is tied down by a minute’s restriction either?

The team needs something to get it going again, and the kid from Croatia may be just the remedy. He’s exciting when he’s on the court, although it’s also clear he still has much to learn about the NBA. Now is the perfect time for that learning on the job to begin, with another trip to the lottery looking likely. The Orlando Magic have so many young and interesting pieces on their roster, isn’t it about time we saw more of them on a nightly basis?