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2014-15 Position-by-Position Breakdown: Shooting Guard

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

By John DentonSept. 22, 2014

ORLANDO -- There were times last season – the triple-overtime effort against Chicago, the OT thriller versus New York and the home win against Oklahoma City particularly come to mind – when guard Victor Oladipo would take over games with his hustle and will the Orlando Magic to success.

And to hear Oladipo tell it, those kinds of efforts were just the start of something bigger ahead for him and his Magic teammates.

``I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of being the player that I can become,’’ Oladipo said earlier this summer. ``I can be so much better than I was as a rookie. I just have to keep working hard and keep improving every day.’’

Oladipo improved all throughout a highly successful rookie season, and Magic fans can’t wait to see what heights he can hit this year. The hope is that Oladipo’s improvement, combined with the strides made by other young players and the addition of several high-character veteran players, will help the Magic become a much-improved team in the season ahead.

The Magic traded their leading scorer from the past two seasons, Arron Afflalo, in part to open up more playing time for Oladipo at the shooting guard position. They acquired promising guard Evan Fournier in that Afflalo trade, signed Ben Gordon in free agency and claimed veteran Willie Green off waivers to bolster the depth behind Oladipo at shooting guard.

That mix of players should all Orlando tremendous versatility and depth at the shooting guard position as head coach Jacque Vaughn mixes and matches lineups. Vaughn prefers to have multiple ball-handlers and pick-and-roll initiators on the floor at all times and versatile players such as Oladipo and Fournier will create a host of options for the Magic.

The Magic will hold Media Day on Sept. 29 and open training camp on Sept. 30 at the Amway Center. Orlando begins the preseason schedule on Oct. 7 in Miami and the first home preseason game is Oct. 15 against Brazilian powerhouse, Flamengo. The regular-season opener is Oct. 28 at New Orleans, while the home opener will be two nights later (Oct. 30) against the Washington Wizards.

With the opening of camp less than two weeks away, OrlandoMagic.com is breaking down each position with some in-depth analysis. For a look back at analysis of the center, power forward and small forward positions, click HERE, HERE and HERE. Today, we break down the Magic’s strengths and weaknesses at the shooting guard position:

POSITION: Shooting guard

PROJECTED STARTER: Victor Oladipo (2013-14 stats: 80 games, 13.8 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 4.1 apg., 1.61 spg., 41.9 FG percentage, 32.7 3FG percentage, 78 FT percentage).

PROJECTED RESERVES: Ben Gordon (2013-14 stats: 19 games, 5.2 ppg., 1.4 rpg., 1.1 apg., 34.3 FG percentage, 27.6 3FG percentage, 81 FT percentage); Evan Fournier (2013-14 stats: 76 games, 8.4 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 1.5 apg., 41.9 FG percentage, 37.6 3FG percentage, 75.6 FT percentage); Willie Green (2013-14 stats: 55 games, 5 ppg., 1.4 rpg., 0.9 apg., 37.6 FG percentage, 33.9 3FG percentage, 82.4 FT percentage); Devyn Marble (2013-14 stats with the University of Iowa: XX games, 17 ppg., 3.6 apg.).

OVERVIEW: In Oladipo, Gordon and Fournier, the Magic have three starting-quality players and veteran Willie Green has been a starter at the position for much of his career. Oladipo will play some shooting guard and some point guard and the Magic want him to worry more about playing hard and playing efficiently than they do him being so concerned with what position that he’s playing. Oladipo proved himself to be a game-changer at times last season with his incredible energy level, hustle and high basketball IQ. If he can become a better shooter and cut down on his turnovers – something he worked hard to do this summer during drills – he should be able to make a leap this season.

Gordon is playing with something to prove after a dismal stint in Charlotte and his opportunity in Orlando could be his final one in the NBA if he doesn’t work out here. He’s hungry and motivated to show those in the NBA that he can still be an elite scorer and a player that Orlando can count on late in games and late in the shot clock for big baskets. Fournier, who was acquired on draft night in a trade with Denver, is a versatile guard who can play both guard spots and he’s as good a shooter as he is a creator with the ball in his hands. Fournier, who played well for France in World Cup play despite limited minutes, could very well be the dark horse player on the Magic to have a breakout season. As for Green, he is a high character person who will be a mentor to many of the Magic’s young players. Green also still has plenty of game left in the tank and he’ll push the players ahead of him with his competitiveness and basketball smarts. Rookie Devyn Marble was impressive in Summer League play with his toughness and his ability to play the shooting guard or small forward positions.

STRENGTHS: Magic coach Jacque Vaughn loves having players who can play multiple positions and he puts a high value on rotations that feature multiple players who can initiate pick-and-roll plays. Oladipo and Fournier will give Vaughn two players who can play either off the ball on the wing or with the ball at the point. And Gordon, a former Sixth Man of the Year award winner, is just as comfortable coming off the bench as he is starting. The versatility and flexibility of this group will allow Vaughn the freedom to mix and match rotations and ride the hot hand throughout games.

WEAKNESSES: Outside shooting is going to be a big concern for the Magic, just as it was much of the past two years. One of the reasons that Orlando signed Channing Frye – a career 38 percent shooter from 3-point range – was to address the squad’s outside shooting. Oladipo is much better as a driver than as a shooter, but he’s worked hard on his form and he showed signs of major progress while competing on USA Basketball’s Select Team in Las Vegas in July. Gordon has been an elite 3-point shooter in years past, but his effectiveness has dropped off dramatically in recent years. Orlando will need him to be a knock-down shooter from the perimeter to keep defenses from collapsing inside on center Nikola Vucevic and small forward Tobias Harris. Last season in Denver, under first-year head coach Brian Shaw, Fournier played mostly off the ball and dramatically improved his 3-point shooting. He shot 40.7 percent from the arc and hit at least three 3-pointers in 11 games. He had games with 23 and 26 points late last season, hitting six 3-pointers in the 26-point effort against the Houston Rockets.

EXPECTATIONS: Oladipo handled everything thrown at him as a rookie – coming off the bench and starting; playing point guard and shooting guard; big wins and bad losses – with incredible grace and savvy. Now, he could be poised for a big season after getting more comfortable with his Magic teammates and the NBA’s physical style of play. Orlando’s additions of veterans such as Frye, Gordon and Green will only help Oladipo’s development in becoming the best player that he can possibly be. A year from now, Fournier could be looked at as an absolute steal for the Magic because of his talent level and creativity with the ball in his hands. He’ll get plenty of time at both positions and could be a full-time starter for the Magic by midseason. Magic executives have been pleased with the work that Gordon has put in this summer and they feel that he will have a big bounce-back season in Orlando. If all three players stay healthy, the shooting guard position could be a position of great strength for the Magic.