Orlando Magic: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season
By Luke Duffy
3. Aaron Gordon will make the All-Star Game
Orlando hasn’t had an All-Star since Dwight Howard left in 2012. More than that, it hasn’t had a marketable player who could generate excitement for the fanbase either.
Both Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris have gone on to become two such players, with Oladipo in particular becoming a top-25 talent in the league. Unfortunately, Magic fans never got to see this kind play out of him when he was in the pinstriped blue.
Gordon, however, has the chance to change all of this. He’s had his cameo moments at All-Star weekend twice already, appearing in the Slam Dunk Contest but somehow never taking home the trophy.
Gordon had his best year as a pro last season, and with a new contract given to him this summer, the expectation is that he will truly become the face of the franchise now. He has gotten off to a nice start in this regard too, appearing in the Uncle Drew movie with Kyrie Irving.
Appearances like that will boost his visibility with casual fans and, combined with his own improving numbers and fantastic athletic ability, a first All-Star nod this season should be an expectation rather than a nice surprise.
The Eastern Conference has space for new stars to emerge now that LeBron James is out West as well, so it looks set up perfectly for Gordon to step into a role as the face of an improving Magic squad.
If he can improve on the 33.6 percent he shot from deep last season, it would make his case hard to ignore as a result of having the kind of diverse offensive game that fans love and want to see appear in the big games.