Orlando Magic: One question for each player for 2018-19
By Luke Duffy
Terrence Ross: Can he become a starter again?
Terrence Ross has had a stop-start career in Orlando because of injury, and the big question for him coming into this season is whether he can regain his spot as a starter. To date, he has started 40 of the 44 games he has appeared in for the Magic.
Last season saw him play only 24 games because of a knee injury, and he will find it tough to move Fournier from the starting five. What works against Ross here is the fact he has all the tools to be a great sixth man.
His shooting stroke is so sweet, and he is a career 42.1 percent 3-point shooter. All of these tools could be used with the starters, but with Gordon, Isaac and Bamba all needing minutes, as well as Fournier and Augustin, getting back into the starter’s rotation appears difficult.
That is the challenge for Ross, and there’s no reason why he can’t accomplish this. He needs the ball far less than Fournier to influence the offense, and he is probably the best player on the roster at moving without the ball.
That kind of spacing cannot be ignored, especially with so many young guys looking to get into the paint to do some damage, or else shooting from distance themselves. Few players will be as important to the Magic’s season as Ross this year. As he goes, they may well too.