Orlando Magic: Should they re-sign Mario Hezonja?
By Chris Murch
Should the Orlando Magic re-sign one of the most irrationally confident NBA players of all time? Here are the pros and cons of keeping Mario Hezonja.
On Oct. 31, 2017, the Orlando Magic decided not to pick up Mario Hezonja’s fourth year option, thus making him a free agent this offseason. Three years after saying that Lionel Messi should come watch him, instead of the other way around in Barcelona, and also saying that he doesn’t respect anyone in his way on the court, Hezonja’s status as a fifth overall draft pick is still in a shaky state.
After averaging 13 minutes per game in October, Hezonja barely saw the court the next month, only averaging 7.8 minutes per game in November. He was having trouble even cracking the rotation for an Orlando Magic team that was struggling to do anything of substance in the crowded Eastern Conference playoff race.
He bounced back in the following months, however, averaging over 10 points per game from January to April. His play became more consistent and more consistent minutes followed.
In a 31-game stretch, starting with a Dec. 17 game against the Detroit Pistons where he scored a career-high 28 points that included making eight 3s and ending March 2, Hezonja averaged 13 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field.
Offense has never been something that Hezonja has been afraid of or not shown glimpses in, even in his first two paltry seasons. On a good night, he’s good for a few 3-pointers, a few rebounds and maybe a highlight play or two. But can he ever be more than just an average scorer?
The scouting report on Hezonja during the draft process in 2015 was of someone who was a good 3-point shooter, could hit a mid-range jumper, had an ability to finish at the rim, had a strong “European level” of understanding the game (basically good fundamentals and sneaky good passing ability) and was surprisingly athletic given his skinny build and lack of lateral quickness.
Three years later, sadly, we haven’t really seen any of this break out in extraordinary fashion. While Hezonja actually improved in every offensive statistical category last season (except 3-point percentage), it wasn’t the leap the Magic were probably hoping for.
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He showed glimpses of solid long range shooting, going for 23 games in which he poured in more than one 3. This came at a risk, however, because he also had two separate months in which he averaged less than 25 percent from deep. Once again, inconsistency is a huge problem for Hezonja.
Another thing a lot of scouts didn’t see coming out of the draft is the volume with which Hezonja needs to shoot to achieve some of these good shooting nights. Hezonja had 32 games in which he hoisted over 10 shots. In those 32 games, the Magic won six of them. That’s a horrible split for someone that the franchise is potentially looking to re-sign as a contributor moving forward.
As for his passing ability and athleticism, you’ll get a nice pass or a quality dunk from Hezonja every now and then, but nothing that wows on a consistent basis. As mostly an off-ball player and set shooter, it’s not his job to make plays with the ball whether that’s creating off the dribble or making passes, but you would like to see those 1.4 assists per game go up in upcoming seasons.
A lot of the reason why Hezonja saw inconsistent minutes this season is probably his biggest Achilles heel: defense. Magic coach Frank Vogel was notoriously defensive-minded and Hezonja’s lack of defensive presence hurt his minutes until injuries kicked in.
Super Mario did make strides last year, averaging career highs in rebounds, blocks and steals, but not by much, and he seems to be nonchalant on that end. He is athletic enough to guard 2-4, but is probably too flat-footed and perhaps a little too slow to guard anyone but a slower 3 or 4. The Magic routinely looked to hide him on defense, even against bench units.
Moving forward this is going to be a huge factor in his development as Steve Clifford, Orlando’s newest coach, is also a defensive-minded coach. His Charlotte Hornets teams from 2013-16 were top 10 in the NBA for defense. If Hezonja wants to see the floor more, this improvement will be imperative.
I’m personally on the fence about Hezonja’s future, especially with the Magic. He is only 23 years old and has three years of experience in the league already, which is good to see. However, can Hezonja ever elevate his game past average or slightly above-average? Three years in, his improvement has been slow.
I think whatever team does sign him will expect a jump in his production, but there are too many unanswered questions. Can he become a more consistent, knockdown shooter? Will his defense ever improve enough to keep him on the floor for more than a few minutes at a time? Does he add another facet to his game as a passer, or will he always be a floor-spacing shooter? These are all inquiries that any team thinking about signing him will have to ponder.
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On the right team, Hezonja can be a solid bench contributor moving forward in my opinion. If he re-signs with the Magic, everyone knows they will want more than that out of him. Let’s hope he’s practicing his jumper right now.