Orlando Magic: Is Arron Afflalo's Latest Performance a Cause for Concern?

Arron Afflalo's performance Tuesday night in Orlando's loss at Detroit was, to say the least, very perplexing.

Afflalo, who typically starts at the 2-guard spot, took the court this evening as the starting small forward. However when he did so, it's hard to believe anyone thought his performance would take the drastic turn that it did.

In the 38 minutes that he played, Afflalo didn't connect on any of the four shots from the field he took. Certainly he must have connected on a free throw, right? Nope. He failed to reach the free-throw line once in the embarrassing 105-90 loss to the Pistons. And while he did contribute nine rebounds and five assists, one has to wonder what was going on this evening for the team's leading scorer.

For someone with Afflalo's importance to the team and for someone who logs as many minutes as he does, being held scoreless is odd enough in itself. Perhaps the strangest thing about his performance though was his lack of aggressiveness and general lackadaisical demeanor.

If there's one thing that has stood out in terms of Afflalo's game this season, it's that he's not afraid to shoot the ball, even when maybe he shouldn't. But when the team needed a spark tonight, he was nowhere to be found.

The fact that he was incredibly passive and seemingly uninterested in what was going on offensively raises a red flag.

Did something happen in the locker room? Is he nursing some sort of injury? Was he not feeling well?

Yes, it was only one game and there are a number of reasons why his performance was the way it was. But for someone that has been such a crucial part of the offense all season long and for someone that's been so aggressive in terms of getting to the rim and making plays, it does bear watching.

Here's to hoping Afflalo bounces back Thursday against the Raptors.