Orlando Magic: 3 early reasons for caution next season

1. Lack of a star player

Although Gordon spent the summer getting paid and appearing in the Uncle Drew movie, the Magic still lack a true foundational piece to build around.

They hope Gordon is that guy and have kept him around because they believe he can blossom into their best, most consistent player. On some nights he already is, and the 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game he put up last season were all career highs.

So too was 33.6 percent he shot from 3-point range. Although the number is hardly inspiring, Gordon did lead the entire league from deep early on last season, proving he’s working toward a more consistent jumper.

With all of that being said, the worry here is that Gordon will continue to improve his own personal numbers, but that it won’t correlate with the Magic picking up more wins. They already have a player like this in Vucevic, a guy who has averaged a double-double in four out of his six seasons with the team but who has not led them anywhere of note.

We know Gordon is a flashy dunker who had his best season yet as a pro last year and who should continue to grow at a similar pace.

The hard part is actually doing that, however, and the fact that some fans weren’t even sure he should be given an extension tells you that he is not seen as a franchise player yet.

Until the Orlando Magic have one of those, they will continue to return to the lottery. Unearthing one of them from their own roster is the most pressing concern heading into the new campaign.