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By John DentonNov. 18, 2014
ORLANDO – Shockingly left open time and again on Monday as the Orlando Magic alternately probed the interior of the defense and swung the ball around the perimeter, Channing Frye did just what he was signed to do: He confidently drilled four, momentum-turning 3-pointers.
As he sprinted to the Magic’s huddle following a succession of Detroit Pistons’ timeouts, Frye playfully screamed, ``They better stop disrespecting me!’’
Frye admitted after Orlando’s 107-93 dismantling of the Pistons that he wasn’t trying to show up Detroit with his screams and that he was simply attempting to fire himself up.
What Frye ultimately realized, however, was that because Orlando’s offense was so proficient at moving the ball and was so good at playing inside-out through center Nikola Vucevic, Detroit was simply left to pick its poison and it had to surrender something. The result, of course, was a hailstorm of high-arching threes for Orlando’s sweet-shooting power forward, which is also known as a ``stretch-four’’ in today’s NBA vernacular.
Frye, who chose the Magic over a bevy of suitors last July when he hit free agency, saw just how potent Orlando’s offense could be when the movement and passing are free flowing. Opposing teams can’t cover everything, and it usually works to the Magic’s benefit when it’s the 6-foot-11 Frye who is left open.
``For me, I love this style and I think it’s how basketball should be played. For me, I’ve found success in playing this way (as a stretch-four) and it’s one of the reasons that I came here to Orlando,’’ said Frye, who is averaging 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds a game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and a sparkling 45.6 percent from 3-point range. ``I looked at the talent we had on this roster – guys like Vic (Oladipo), Nikola Vucevic, Evan (Fournier), Luke Ridnour, Ben (Gordon) and Elfrid (Payton) – and I wanted to be a part of it. For me, I saw a familiarity there. I thought I could be a big part in us being successful.’’
If Monday’s win was any indication, Orlando (5-7) heads into Wednesday’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers as it’s starting to hit its stride. A big reason for that is because Oladipo and Frye are healthy and learning to mesh with their teammates. Frye sprained his knee on the third day of training camp and missed four weeks, while Oladipo suffered a knee injury and a facial fracture to cost himself six weeks of time with his teammates.
Frye’s shooting has proven contagious as Orlando heads into Wednesday’s game first in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage at 41.6 percent. The Magic, which made a season-high 13 3-pointers on Monday in Detroit, have five players (Fournier (50.9 percent), Frye (45.6 percent), Harris (40 percent), Vucevic (2 of 2) and Aaron Gordon (4 of 8)) shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range.
``As we continue to understand one another, the (3-point) shots come from where you expect them,’’ Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. ``That’s big on a team where every guy has a role. You can anticipate where a guy will be and I think we’ll continue to get even better at (3-point shooting).’’
While Oladipo’s impact on the Magic is unquestioned because of his relentless hustle and fearless drives to the rim, it’s the addition of Frye that is a game-changer for Orlando, several coaches around the NBA have said this season.
Nothing gives NBA coaches trying to devise defensive schemes more headaches than a power forward who can shoot from the outside. Because foes have to stay up on Frye, it keeps opposing power forwards from double-teaming Vucevic on the inside and it keeps them from helping when players like Oladipo, Fournier and Tobias Harris beat defenders off the dribble and head to the rim.
Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy knows a thing or two about utilizing the ``stretch-four’’ position during his five highly successful seasons in Orlando. He said that the Magic’s acquisition of Frye in July was significant because of how it makes others on the roster even more dangerous.
During their time in Orlando under Van Gundy, Rashard Lewis (658 made 3-pointers in 257 games) and Ryan Anderson (378 made 3-pointers in 188 games) became the first and second power forwards in NBA history to lead the league in 3-pointers made in a season. Now, Van Gundy sees Orlando’s acquisition of Frye – a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter – having a similar impact with the Magic.
``It changes the entire thing,’’ Van Gundy said of how adding a shooting power forward changes the dynamic of an offense. ``What it’s done for them is it has really spread the floor out now for guys like Oladipo, Harris and Evan Fournier to really be able to have more room to get to the basket because Frye has to always be accounted for. Those great-shooting bigs change the game immensely in the way that you play. Even though he’s only averaging a little over 10 (points per game) and you see other guys scoring more, to me, he’s probably been the biggest addition for them in terms of making them a better offensive team.’’
Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who is considered one of the NBA’s best tacticians, said last month that Orlando was wise to sign a ``stretch-four’’ like Frye because of the havoc that it creates for opposing defenses. And Carlisle saw first-hand last season just how much damage that the sweet-shooting big man can do when he gets hot beyond the 3-point stripe.
``Last time we played Frye’s team last season (when he was still a member of the Phoenix Suns), he hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter and we had to hit an impossible, running 25-footer to cut it to an 11-point deficit at halftime,’’ Carlisle recalled. ``That’s the kind of impact that guys like (Frye) can have. He’s really good. Guys like him are so valuable now.’’
Magic coach Jacque Vaughn, who along with GM Rob Hennigan sold Frye on the vision in Orlando, has said for months that the power forward’s addition was most important because of the trickle-down effect it will have on others. Because Frye commands so much attention, it opens up space for Vucevic and Harris on the inside and creates driving lanes for Oladipo and Fournier.
And Vaughn has noticed that even when Frye isn’t getting 3-point shots – usually because the defense is pressed close up against him – it helps out the Magic offense.
``It takes a lot of unselfish thoughts from Channing that sometimes he’s not even involved in the play, but he still has an impact,’’ Vaughn said. ``A great play that I watched of film the other night was when Channing crossed half court and (Washington power forward) Nene was this close to him. So that effect throughout the course of the game, it lends to other guys having success. So you give Channing a lot of credit.’’
Frye said he’s willing to occasionally take one for the team if it opens up drive lanes for Oladipo (14 ppg. and 4 apg.) and it frees up Vucevic (18.8 ppg.) and Harris (18.4 ppg.). As smart a player as the Magic have in their locker room, Frye is well aware that his presence as a ``stretch-four’’ can have an effect even when he isn’t being left wide open for 3-pointers as he was on Monday night in Detroit.
``I think my stretch-four position is going to allow us to play four-on-four at times and guys like Vic and Vooch will have more room. It will make our floor-spacing really good,’’ said Frye, who clearly understands the Magic’s big-picture approach. ``There are going to be nights where it’s just like that (when foes are taking away his shots), but I’m OK with it. If we can play four-on-four, it gives us a better chance to win. I just have to be patient within our system. Right now I’m pretty happy with where we are and how we’re seeing our guys compete and attack. I think this style of play gives us a really good chance to be good as an offense.’’