Orlando Magic: 2017-18 NBA season preview
By Simon Smith
Storyline 2: Starting small forward
From the outset, this appears to be a battle between two candidates.
Firstly, there’s the incumbent Terrence Ross, who was acquired midseason from the Toronto Raptors as part of the Serge Ibaka deal. An athletic, 6’7″ swingman, Ross averaged 12.5 points and 1.4 steals in 31.2 minutes per game in his 24 games with the Magic. A high-volume 3-point shooter, Ross converted at a 34.1 percent clip from 5.6 attempts in his brief time with the Magic.
The other candidate is Jonathon Simmons, a defensive-minded swingman entering just his third season in the league despite just recently turning 28. Last season, Simmons averaged 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game. While his offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, his defensive numbers are another story all together.
Last season, Simmons produced a defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 96.7, which ranked first in the league among players who played in at least 70 games. Having learned his trade in the elite Spurs system, Simmons’ addition should prove to be invaluable on a team that ranked 24th in defensive rating.
Although Simmons has plenty to bring to the table for the Magic, Ross’ clear advantage of being able to stretch the floor and shoot from downtown appears likely to give him the edge on team that finished 29th in offensive rating last season.
When you consider that two other starters in Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon are themselves below-average perimeter shooters, Ross’ place in the starting unit should be straightforward decision for the Magic coaching staff.