Orlando Magic: One question for each player for 2018-19
By Luke Duffy
Jonathon Simmons: Can he rediscover his best form?
When Simmons joined the Magic from the San Antonio Spurs on a three-year, $20 million deal last summer, it was seen as a steal by the franchise. They had gone out and gotten a player to lead their younger guys, someone that even LeBron James had expressed an interest in playing with.
After a great start, Simmons, like a number of players on the roster, went downhill as the season wore on. This culminated in a wrist injury that caused him to miss the final 12 games of the regular season, and take time to rehab properly during the offseason.
Now fully healthy again, Orlando needs to see the player it thought it was signing, one who can lead on and off the court, particularly on the defensive end. Simmons might be able to get to the rim with relative ease, but it is defending where he has made his name.
Conventional stats matter less for Simmons here than most others, because it is the intangibles he brings when he is in good form that matter.
Prior to signing in Orlando, he had career highs of 6.2 points and 2.1 rebounds, with a 3-point shooting percentage of 32.2 percent in San Antonio. He just needs to embrace the mentor role.