NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2020-21
26. Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have eschewed the typical path of a team without a true star. Most teams try to contend with a star player, then when they lose said star tear it down to try to get that new star via the draft. Teams in large markets can try to sign the said star. The Orlando Magic, hardly a free agent destination, have instead elected to tread water in the post-Dwight Howard years.
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Nikola Vucevic is the face of the sustained mediocrity. He is an excellent offensive center who can space the floor, but his lack of defensive impact makes him a poor fit as the top option for a contending team. Now 30 years old, he will begin to battle aging as well as an Eastern Conference that keeps developing talented bigs. His shot should age with him, giving him a role even when the Magic finally find a player to move above him.
In the Mix: Markelle Fultz has the most draft pedigree of anyone on the roster, but when his outside shot deserted him it shoved a low ceiling over him. Aaron Gordon has been the presumptive replacement for Vucevic for years, but he can never take that necessary star step. Jonathan Isaac has the defensive toolset to win Defensive Player of the Year but unfortunately cannot stay healthy long enough to put it all together.