Hoops Habit
Fansided

Orlando Magic: 3 players who need big final stretch after the hiatus

By Luke Duffy

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 8: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic during the team's intro before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Amway Center on February 8, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The Bucks defeated the Magic 111 to 95. 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 Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 8: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic during the team's intro before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Amway Center on February 8, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The Bucks defeated the Magic 111 to 95. 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 Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Orlando Magic
(Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

3. Terrence Ross

We start with Terrence Ross because of how important he is to the Magic off the bench. He was having a pretty rough season, being generally inconsistent off the bench and struggling with not being the certified sixth man anymore after players like Michael Carter-Williams showed their worth on the defensive end in that spot.

Ross, who is clearly a fan favorite and who should have made this list which appeared on the site recently, had seen some dip in his personal numbers compared to last season but was still averaging 14.8 points per game on 35.7 percent shooting from 3-point range (that number was an even better 38.3 percent last year).

As their offensive spark plug off the bench though, on nights when he was off or shooting the ball far too often compared to how much he was scoring (which was quite a bit), the whole team suffered. Thankfully though, we got to see a version of Ross who was more in line with what he produced last season just before the All-Star break.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsFL/status/1242269398582398977

In his last 10 games, Ross came to life, averaging 22.2 points per contest and shooting a scorching 50.6 percent from deep. He did this while averaging 30.5 minutes a night, compared to the 27.3 he was averaging on the season as a whole. Head coach Steve Clifford clearly capitalized on this hot stretch.

It is no coincidence then that the Orlando Magic had the top-ranked offense in the league over that same period of time (117.8). Clearly then Ross is a huge contributing factor to what they do on that end, while also not being a bad defender. This makes his play and skillset so valuable, and in truth irreplaceable on the Magic’s roster the way it is currently constructed.

If Ross can keep this production up heading into the playoffs, then that is a great sign for the franchise. But if he could go up just one level more, it would make the Magic even tougher to beat and provide them with somebody to go to in order to score a bucket late in games. Ross has done this before but does defer this duty to Evan Fournier when both are healthy. At only 28, he may be entering his prime now, which is an exciting thought for the front office.

Home/Orlando Magic