Orlando Magic: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season
By Luke Duffy
2. The Big 3 clicks immediately
The prospect of Bamba and Isaac playing together is such an exciting one because of what it could mean defensively for Orlando. Bamba has the longest wingspan in the entire league at 7’10”, while Isaac showed his worth defensively in limited game time last season.
The only problem here is what this means for Gordon. The goal should be to get the three of them playing together, to really cause problems for opponents. But that would mean Gordon playing as a small forward — something he did under former head coach Frank Vogel that didn’t work — or Isaac at the 3.
Gordon works best as a power forward because of his ability to blow by bigger players, as well as showing that aforementioned improving shooting touch. If he is playing next to Isaac and Bamba, will be be forced into a role we know he is not comfortable with on the court?
The bold answer here is no, and that in fact, the three will click right from the start. Conventional positions on the court are a thing of the recent past in the NBA, and so Gordon could technically play as a 3 but match up defensively with opponents’ bigger forwards.
This would put Isaac on the smaller of the two, where his height and length would cause all sorts of problems. Isaac was a good 3-point shooter in college, and there’s no reason he won’t continue to improve in the league as time goes on.
Isaac and Bamba could also switch assignments defensively, something which we saw tantalizing glimpses of in NBA Summer League. This would leave Gordon, the weakest defender of the three, hidden on the other team’s least threatening offensive player.
It is hard to look at the above video and not be excited. Yes it is only a Summer League game, but Isaac and Bamba combined to shut down the fourth overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. while guarding the paint really well.
Imagine adding Gordon’s growing offensive ability to that mix. The Magic’s own Big 3 era begins this season, and there’s no reason why it won’t be anything other than a success right from the get-go.