OrlandoMagic.com's Dan Savage and Josh Cohen debate which player will be the most improved in 2017-18. Stay tuned for more "Jump Ball" features throughout the season.
Mario Hezonja
By Dan Savage
Could this be the season that Mario Hezonja takes the next step in his development?
That’s one of the major questions facing the Orlando Magic as they head into their 2017-18 campaign.
It’s easy to be down on the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. After all, career averages of 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game are hardly what’s expected of such a prized prospect.
However, it’s easy to forget all the adversity Hezonja’s had to manage in his short time in the league.
In just two full seasons, he’s had multiple coaches, had to learn several systems, and watched his playing time go up-and-down like a yo-yo, all while adjusting to a new country and life away from much of his family and friends.
But the tide could be turning for Hezonja. Now in his second year under the tutelage of Magic Head Coach Frank Vogel, Hezonja has exhibited greater comfort on the court and flashed aggressiveness as a scoring option.
"He needs to be aggressive because in that second unit we need him to score and have some shooting there along with Jonathon Simmons," Payton explained. "J-Simms is going to get into the paint, so we need somebody like Mario to spread the floor and knock down shots. He's confident and he's never lacking that, but he's got to continue to work."
Although Vogel is still evaluating his regular season rotations, if Hezonja is one of the first players off the pine – as he’s been much of the preseason – through minutes alone, he could possess the largest statistical percentage jumps on the roster. His preseason stats of 7.6 ppg., 3.6 rpg. and 1.6 apg. are all well above his career average.
In order to maintain his place in the rotation, he’ll need his shooting percentage to improve and cut back on the negative plays that have plagued him much of his career.
But with his coach’s confidence behind him, both as a scorer and now a playmaking forward, Hezonja is extremely encouraged by his role.
"It’s easy for me to be confident individually, but you still need that confidence from the coach," he added. "(The continuity) is a great thing because (Vogel) knows us now and as he says, we are building from where we ended last year and I really like that."
Aaron Gordon
By Josh Cohen
Last season was a roller coaster for Aaron Gordon, who erupted for 30-plus points in four games, played outstanding individual defense and showcased his elite athleticism. He also struggled from 3-point range for extended stretches and had trouble adapting to a small forward assignment.
The switch to the four, however, spurred AG and he flourished after the All-Star break. In the 24 games he appeared in to close out the season, Gordon averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and delivered several electrifying performances.
A fourth overall draft pick in 2014 by the Magic, Gordon showed that he’s far more valuable as a roll-man in pick-and-roll situations. AG shot 51.2 percent (58.5 effective FG percentage) when he was the screener and scoring target. In contrast, the four-year veteran shot 34.7 percent (38.4 effective FG percentage) when he was the ball handler and attacker.
The two-time slam dunk contest participant has a knack for cutting and slashing inside. With his long strides, agility, mobility and activeness, AG does a superb job eluding defenders. Gordon shot an incredible 88 percent from the field when he cut to the basket and he had an 11.4 percent AND-1 rate on these possessions.
Adding more muscle to his frame, which by the looks of it it appears he did, and becoming a more reliable 3-point shooter were at the forefront of his development.
Especially if he’s playing the four on a permanent basis, it’s essential that he has the strength and resistance to defend more physical, post-oriented players. It would also help him absorb and initiate more contact on his drives to the rim.
Gordon has worked tirelessly on his outside jumper as well. If he can bump that 28.8 percent 3-point shooting mark last year to, let’s say, 33 or 34 percent, AG will be a far more efficient offensive player. He has good form and mechanics and a fairly quick release but sometimes he’s not balanced when he squares up to the hoop.
Highly disciplined and a true gym rat, the gifted athlete is confident all his hard work will pay off.
“The offseason you work on skill after skill after skill and you do drill after drill after drill, footwork, ball handling, shooting, a lot of different things,” he said about his offseason workouts. “In the game you get to let that kind of flow naturally out. Over the course of the season, you guys are going to see, oh wow, Aaron put that in his game or he’s doing that more smoothly.”