OKC Thunder among leaders in NBA offseason power rankings
No. 28: Orlando Magic
Steve Clifford consistently gets his players to give 100 percent effort which typically shows up on the defensive side of the hardwood. The issue is the squad as assembled doesn’t have enough offensive talent to consistently be in games.
Part of that equation may be solved if rookie Cole Anthony rebounds from a lackluster college year which was hampered by injury. Anthony isn’t afraid of the spotlight and will be eager to score. With Markelle Fultz’s growth last season and the departure of Augustin, these two will be given ample opportunity to prove they are the perfect yin to the other’s yang.
Orlando has an odd mix of talents with numerous players that teams would salivate to add for depth. The issue is there isn’t a superstar and they don’t necessarily complement each other.
Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross are the only players inked to deals longer than two years aside from the rookies. And, with Orlando not making many moves in the offseason, it seems like they are content to run it back given Isaac’s injury and see what they have within the core.
Offseason Goals:
- Perimeter shooting
- Finding offensive cohesion
- Development of Fultz
Additions:
- Rookies: Cole Anthony | Chuma Okeke
- Dwayne Bacon | Jordan Bone
Exiting:
- D.J. Augustin | Wes Iwundu | Melvin Frazier Jr. | BJ Johnson | Vic Law