Orlando Magic Roster 2021 Orlando Magic Roster

2021 Orlando Magic Roster Top Questions

What will Chuma Okeke bring to the team?

Chuma Okeke comes to Orlando via the 16th pick in the NBA Draft. He’s a player of mixed skill set that was one of the better prospects coming out of high school. At Auburn, he averaged only 12.2 points but also 1.9 steals which surely attracted the defensive savvy Magic. He’s got great size and the ability to move around fluidly on the court. On the offensive end he can do a bit of everything though he won’t be Orlando’s top offensive threat by ny means.

Defensively, he’s got room to grow but already looks to be a MLB caliber defender. He’s got great coverage skills and easily gets in the passing lane as evidenced by his almost 2 steals per game. He can guard multiple positions and should be a lock to provide stats in three categories. In his rookie season, Okeke will likely slot as a rotation player who’ll mainly be deployed for his defense. He’s got the ability to rack up double digit point totals and a bunch of rebounds but steals will be his department of specialty.

How will Al-Farouq Aminu impact the team?

The Magic wasted no time in free agency by signing Al-Farouq Aminu to a three year, $29 million dollar contract once the season ended. He was a consistent starter for the Trail Blazers that averaged 9.4 points, 1.3 assists, and 7.5 rebounds last season. While Aminu won’t be anything special on the offensive end, he’s been a consistent player for Portland throughout his past few years and started nearly every game the past two years. He’ll also add some outside shooting after knocking down 34.3% of his attempts last season.

With Orlando, Aminu will likely have to take a seat on the bench to start the year unless they decide to play big and start him as a small forward. Traditionally, he’s operated as a power forward who’s got great length, athleticism, and range. He’s an ideal defense first player that first the Orlando system. However, the signing creates a problem as the magic already have several talented big men on the roster. It remains a questionable signing at best as there will likely be serious concerns about playing time that arise from adding Aminu to the roster.

Bringing back Terrance Ross and Nikola Vucevic?

Perhaps the two biggest offseason moves made by Orlando was resigning Terrance Ross and Nikola Vucevic. The pair were key players in the Magic’s system and will be essential to their success this year. In his third year with the team, Ross finally made his presence known. He averaged 15.1 points per game, tied for 3rd on the team, and was heavily utilized as the first man off the bench. He gave Orlando a versatile shooting guard and formed a great duo with fellow guard Evan Fournier.

Starting center Nikola Vucevic was perhaps even more important for the Magic as he provided the team with a team high 20.8 points and 12 rebounds. He was the dominant force in the paint and quickly ascended to Orlando’s first option. With Aaron Gordon taking a step back, Vucevic was their best player down in the post and will look to continue being a force on both sides of the ball. While the $154 million being committed to both players is a sizable amount, Orlando had no choice but to shell out some big money for two key rotation players.