Orlando Magic: Starting lineup: Locks, fringe, and potential break-ins

Starting lineup locks

As already mentioned, the amount of continuity throughout the roster means that most of the starting five positions to begin the season have been filled already.

Nikola Vucevic

The obvious place to start, Nikola Vucevic continues to be the face of the franchise. Do fans wish it was somebody else in that position? A cooler, more flashy player? Probably, but for years now Vucevic has put up All-Star level numbers and been the offensive fulcrum from which the Magic have attacked.

This hasn’t always translated to great basketball on that end, but there is one important factor that will help Vucevic this season. The supporting cast around him is getting better. There’s a mix of youth and veterans who in theory should all float around Vucevic, highlighting both his and their own strengths.

Vucevic is good for basically 20 points and 10 boards a night and has been for years now. There is no reason that won’t continue this year. There is also nobody who can come close to replicating what he can do at the center position on the roster, so his position as a starter is safer than anybody else’s.

Aaron Gordon

For years we have waited for Aaron Gordon to finally have that breakout season. Every time, we’re left feeling disappointed. There have been glimpses sure, but that expected leap has yet to come. Now entering his seventh season, there is a real “now or never” feel to Gordon’s career in Orlando.

Despite not yet reaching an All-Star like level, Gordon’s position as a starter is not under serious threat. This is somewhat ironic because perhaps cutting into his playing time somewhat would actually give him the motivation needed to step it up a gear.

Gordon is going to give the Magic, at worst, about 14 points and 6 rebounds this coming year. He will do so while having some good nights shooting it from deep. Defensively he may be their best player (at least until Isaac gets back), and he still retains his explosive athleticism. It would take another player making a huge leap to displace Gordon from this position.

Evan Fournier

This one is perhaps out of necessity, as there is nobody on the roster who can create their own shot quite like Evan Fournier. He has been a source of frustration for years, especially when you consider how good he can be from time to time. The kind of good that would have contending teams looking for his services ahead of a deep postseason run.

In the final year of his current deal, Fournier will be looking to maximize his run in the starting five to get paid next summer. Whether that is in Orlando or elsewhere, and many fans will be hoping it is the latter, there is no doubt that this could work to the Magic’s advantage. A Fournier motivated to be paid is sure to be a productive one.

That ability to create and to get a bucket when needed is something that is scarce throughout the rest of the roster, so for that reason alone, Fournier’s position shouldn’t be under any real threat. The best case scenario is more of the same, just on a higher level and more consistent basis.

Markelle Fultz

It is a great source of comfort for the Magic to know that a long-term solution to the point guard position has been found. Such is the belief that they have in Markelle Fultz, that cult favorite D.J. Augustin was allowed to leave in free agency. Augustin may be past his best, but he was the steady veteran presence who helped the Magic through some trying times.

Fultz was the Magic’s second-best player during their postseason tilt against the Milwaukee Bucks last year, an amazing feat when you consider he started last season with some people wondering how much longer he might be in the league.

A stout individual, he plays the kind of defensive game that coach Clifford loves. That alone ensures him some breathing room as a starter. His passing ability and how he gets into the paint almost at will only bolster his case. Should his shooting improve at all, Fultz will be under no threat here for a long time to come.