Orlando Magic: 5 things that need to happen in February
By Luke Duffy
3. Play Mario Hezonja more
Mario Hezonja will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and although he has done little to suggest it would be a mistake letting him walk, some are getting nervous.
This is because he’s taken his chances in the lineup whenever injuries have struck down his teammates, which has been pretty frequently.
Why, then, would the Magic want to alert other teams to him any more by playing him more than they already are? With the trade deadline approaching, contending teams in need of some scoring off the bench are going to panic and want to bring guys in.
Hezonja is one such player, especially given how he has played since around Christmas time, with that 28-point, 8-of-12 shooting night from downtown game against the Detroit Pistons being the turning point.
He had 17 points in the recent loss to the Rockets, and is averaging a much more respectable 10.9 points over his last 10 games.
It is not out of the question that, despite Hezonja being essentially an expiring contract, the Magic could get a second round pick in return for him, or a player in a similar position in need of a change of scenery.
A quick look at Fivethirtyeight.com has Hezonja drawing career comparisons with players like Gerald Green and DaJuan Summers.
The Magic also want to improve their draft position through losing, and Hezonja looks like he can help there too. When the team wins, he averages 11.6 minutes per game. When they lose, he is on the court for 19.6 minutes.
Surely playing him more now to generate interest before the deadline while continuing to lose wouldn’t be a bad decision?