We answered five questions that will provide the best look at what to expect from the Orlando Magic during the 2019-20 NBA season.
1. Use a movie you saw this summer to explain what the Magic get from Markelle Fultz this season.
I’ll be straightforward and upfront, this question gives me an amazing chance to talk endlessly about the movie Booksmart.
Markelle Fultz was once looked at as the bride of the ball, the prize that all teams were after. However, after a few years of wonky play, injuries and jokes on Twitter, the shine around him wore off. He was categorized as just another draft bust — and possibly the biggest one of all time.
At the beginning of Booksmart, our main characters Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are in school and discussing some of their classmates. The camera pans to one girl who is at her locker and flirting as she is surrounded by a flock of teenage boys. Molly refers to this girl as “Triple-A,” a double entendre for the roadside assistance and sexual services. Amy says that it was mean, but Molly counters that “Triple-A” refers to herself by the same nickname so it can’t be demeaning.
By the movie’s climax (SPOILER ALERT) when Molly and Amy get in a very public fight at a party, “Triple-A” picks up a distraught Molly from the side of the road as she walked home. Once in the car, “Triple-A” explains to Molly that the nickname is something she doesn’t like and its origins are not aligned with the reason that was given for its creation.
Fultz is “Triple-A”; his time with the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t go as planned, and people were quick to pile on him. He was fitted with a moniker that didn’t explain the full story behind his situation.
In Orlando, it’s unlikely he blossoms into a Gigi — played brilliantly by Billie Lourd — but it gives him a chance to rewrite his identity in a new place. Much like what “Triple-A” was going to get when she attends Yale (which, coincidentally, is the same school that Molly got into despite having a sheltered high school experience and focusing solely on academics).
Basically what I’m trying to say is, watch Booksmart.
2. By the end of this season, it will be clear that Aaron Gordon is _________.
By the end of this season, it will be clear that Aaron Gordon is a power forward.
Gordon has been masquerading as a ball-handling wing for the past couple of seasons. Yet, it has never felt like a natural thing for him. It has actually caused some roster construction issues for the team, as it’s been hard to figure out what Orlando will get out of Gordon from night to night.
To his credit, he’s put the work in and developed the tools to make himself a threat to operate on the perimeter for stretches. However, it ultimately doesn’t seem like the best use of his talents.
Currently, Orlando has stocked up on just about every possible small-ball 4 that they could find (highlighted by Al-Farouq Aminu, Gordon and Jonathan Isaac). Something will ultimately have to give, but this team is built to create havoc defensively with its length and athleticism.
In a perfect world, Gordon could find his way as a playmaking, switchable defensive big in the mold of Draymond Green. Gordon isn’t the defender Green is by a long shot, but he is a much better individual offensive player than Green.
3. What’s the five-man unit they should rely on the most?
Give me Fultz-Evan Fournier-Isaac-Gordon-Nikola Vucevic.
Fournier, Gordon and Vucevic give them three players capable of creating offense and three players who have been together for a few seasons.
Fultz is a wildcard. He’s big for a point guard, has shown some defensive acumen in his brief playing time and should be able to do enough to not be a liability on that end of the floor. There’s the added bonus of him potentially having his breakout moment and carrying this team to unexpected heights.
Isaac brings the best of both worlds as he is a valuable contributor both offensively and defensively.
This group gives Steve Clifford the best of both worlds and features four out of five players from their likely starting lineup.
4. What’s their most interesting possible five-man unit?
Let’s go crazy. Fultz-Isaac-Aminu-Gordon-Bamba.
Good luck getting off a good look with 431 inches of wingspan roaming around the floor.
5. What skill do you hope Jonathan Isaac added this summer?
A spot-up 3-pointer. Isaac is a ball of clay just waiting to be molded. His first two seasons in the league have seen him flash some potential but never put it all together in order to take a leap in the progression of his skills.
However, it would be unwise to assume that Isaac could magically put it all together in just one offseason, so let’s start small and build from there.
Spot-up shooting is a big part of today’s NBA and the Magic don’t really have anyone who is fit to take on that role right now. Isaac is likely going to spend the bulk of his time on the court with Fournier or Gordon sharing the floor, meaning that he will likely be asked to fit in more so than standout.
The best thing he could provide for this team is floor-spacing. If he is able to be a real threat as a spot-up shooter, it could get interesting in South Florida this year.