Hoops Habit
Fansided

Orlando Magic: 3 best things from season so far

By Luke Duffy

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 04: Nikola Vucevic #9 and Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic walk away from an official moments after a call in favor the Utah Jazz in the second quarter at Amway Center on January 04, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 04: Nikola Vucevic #9 and Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic walk away from an official moments after a call in favor the Utah Jazz in the second quarter at Amway Center on January 04, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Orlando Magic
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

3. Their bench found an identity

Too much of the last decade saw fans have to put up with the Orlando Magic having an ugly product on the floor, which usually only got worse once their bench checked into the game. This was understandable, how could the bench be any good if the guys who were starting weren’t even that much better?

When the emphasis switched to winning games and going for the playoffs, however, it took a little while for the bench to follow suit. Last season was important because it was as a result of guys like Khem Birch off the bench that the Magic made it back to the playoffs. This season, however, saw more turbulence, shaking the promising foundations that had been put in place.

More from Hoops Habit

Up until around New Year’s Day, it showed. D.J. Augustin, moved to the bench to accommodate Markelle Fultz, failed to recapture the dazzling form of the previous year. Terrence Ross went through Snowpiercer levels of cold from the field. Birch was again made to sit, with Mohamed Bamba having recovered from a leg fracture and given time to show his worth.

Throw in Al-Farouq Aminu, signed during the offseason, and it was a weird mix that wasn’t working. Then things began to change. In truth, Aminu’s injury probably helped, in much the same way Bamba’s did last season, even if he was improving before going down. Augustin found his rhythm off the bench. Ross started to heat up again.

Wesley Iwundu got in on the act late, but he too showed an ability to help, even more so when Evan Fournier missed some time through injury. Iwundu started some games then, but that increased playing time was always going to come in handy once he too was coming off the bench again.

Really though the key figure here is Michael Carter-Williams. A spark once signed before the deadline last season and having worked with head coach Steve Clifford in Charlotte before, his offensive limitations are no longer a problem because of the improved play of Augustin and Ross.

What this has meant is that Carter-Williams can guard essentially any position on the court because of his length, covering up the height that Augustin gives up and the lapses by guys like Ross and Iwundu, themselves both good defenders. The bench now makes sense as a group, and to discover that in this truncated season is great for the Magic’s future.

Home/Orlando Magic