Orlando Magic Player Power Rankings: Stacking Up the Full Roster in December
The Orlando Magic currently sit at 7-13 in the midst of a brutal road trip against some of the Western Conference's best.
After Orlando gutted out a victory against the Phoenix Suns to close out the month of November, Stephen Curry's game-winning three-pointer sent the Magic on their way with yet another close defeat Tuesday night, this time at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
The play, other than being a testament to Curry's otherworldly powers as a shooter, was a microcosm of the Magic's season to this point: Sometimes they are so close yet so far.
They've battled through injuries to key players and remained resilient but still lack the cohesion and consistency to push for a playoff spot, even in the lackluster Eastern Conference.
However, this young team has put forth great performances and made noticeable strides. The Magic boast the fifth-best three-point shooting percentage in the NBA after being one of the league's worst in that category last season. The young frontcourt is jelling and becoming a force to be reckoned with.
These rankings are the unofficial snapshot of where the players stand as they push forward into a tough December stretch. Taking into account each player's performance during the first quarter of the season, health and role, this will provide a look into who has been essential in the Magic's growth and improvement thus far.
Honorable Mentions
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15. Devyn Marble
After suffering a strained rotator cuff in early November, Devyn Marble has missed the last 14 games for Orlando and counting. He had yet to play more than three minutes in just four appearances prior to his injury and isn't likely to factor into the rotation upon his return.
14. Andrew Nicholson
Andrew Nicholson has been absent for most of the season, playing in just nine games thus far. After playing 76 games last season and showing flashes of potential, he's fallen out of the rotation. The signing of Channing Frye hasn't helped either.
13. Dewayne Dedmon
Averaging just 8.3 minutes per game, Dewayne Dedmon often gets lost among the trees in Orlando's emerging frontcourt. He's proved to be a reliable rebounder in his limited playing time, averaging 14.4 rebounds per 36 minutes, but doesn't factor in as anything other than a rotational big at this point.
12. Kyle O'Quinn
After missing 15 games, Kyle O'Quinn has been active in Orlando's last four contests. He played 27 minutes Tuesday night at Golden State in Nikola Vucevic's absence, scoring 21 points and pulling down 11 boards. O'Quinn will play sparingly in the Magic frontcourt, but depending on the health of Vucevic and Tobias Harris, he can step in immediately and contribute.
11. Aaron Gordon
Aaron Gordon would have made the top 10 if not for the foot injury he suffered back in November that has knocked him out of action indefinitely. He had the fifth-highest player efficiency rating on the team (15.3) and a true shooting percentage of .645 in 11 games.
10. Maurice Harkless
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Although he has improved in spots, Maurice Harkless has yet to develop the consistency necessary to increase his role.
Playing just 17.8 minutes per game, Harkless has upped his shooting percentage to an even 50 percent, which is a career high. However, his three-point percentage has dropped 20 points to 18.8 percent. This comes after a season in which he shot 154 long-range attempts and showed noticeable improvement.
Just when you think he's turning a corner offensively, his stats indicate that he is still very much a player in search of an identity.
Harkless hasn't played in the last three games and has been stashed behind the likes of Ben Gordon and Evan Fournier on the depth chart in an effort to generate more offense.
His playing time has been sporadic, and there doesn't appear to be a change in sight.
9. Willie Green
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Veteran Willie Green has struggled in his stint with Orlando this season.
Once looked at to provide scoring off the bench, Green is shooting just 32 percent from the field and 18 percent from three-point range.
On a team that added three-point specialists in the offseason, Green simply does not factor into the flow going forward. He's the last player off the bench in the backcourt at this point.
His player efficiency rating of 4.3 is by far the worst on the entire team.
Now that Victor Oladipo is healthy, expect to see less of Green as the season progresses, especially with players like Gordon and Fournier giving the team a boost offensively.
8. Luke Ridnour
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Luke Ridnour has perhaps seen more time than many expected thanks to the gradual breaking-in process of rookie point guard Elfrid Payton.
Ridnour is averaging 16.8 minutes per game compared to Payton's 24.2 and is shooting a far higher percentage from the field (46.9 compared to 38.0 for Payton).
He doesn't have Payton's instincts or athleticism, but he's been a serviceable backup to this point.
Even with the expected progression of Payton as the season plays on, Ridnour will still factor into the rotation as his primary backup. Barring any sort of injury to himself or Payton, he's pretty much locked into this No. 8 spot for the rest of the season.
7. Ben Gordon
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After two disappointing seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, Gordon is still looking to reclaim some of his old glory.
No longer the lights-out three-point shooter he was during his time with the Chicago Bulls, Gordon is nevertheless averaging a respectable 34.5 percent from beyond the arc so far this season.
His 15.7 minutes per game are less than Green's, which is disappointing, but Gordon has the ability to surpass him in the pecking order. Once you get past Oladipo and Fournier, the Magic could use a backcourt spark off the bench.
There's still hope that Gordon can be that guy some nights.
It's understandable if you're pessimistic about whether he can fill it up like he did in Chicago, but going forward, you want him over Green.
6. Victor Oladipo
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This is where you really start to get into the foundation of this team.
Oladipo could find himself much higher on this list by season's end, but after missing significant time with a facial fracture, this is an appropriate spot for him.
The 2013 No. 2 overall pick is averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 11 games so far this season, which is very much in line with last season's Rookie of the Year runner-up totals.
However, in a much smaller sample size, he's improved across the board with his shooting.
His .450 field goal percentage and .385 three-point percentage represent marked improvements from last season's .419 and .327 numbers, respectively.
He's still a pest defensively and a key building block for this team going forward. Expect this ranking to jump significantly as the Magic battle through a tough December stretch.
5. Elfrid Payton
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Payton can definitely hear Oladipo's footsteps at No. 5. The rookie has been a bit of a mixed bag thus far, so this is perhaps a generous ranking for him.
He's shown exceptional vision and passing ability at times this season. He's adept at penetrating defenses and finding the open man, averaging five assists per game. He's not afraid to mix it up with bigger players and fight for rebounds.
However, he's shown no ability to score and only attempts shots reluctantly. His 38 percent shooting from the field is third-worst on the team and ahead of only Green and Nicholson, two guys who don't figure into Orlando's future whatsoever.
He rarely gets to the line, and when he does, he's shooting a putrid 49 percent.
Since Oladipo returned from his injury, Payton has been relegated to a bench role as coach Jacque Vaughn is being judicious with the rookie's minutes. Payton and Oladipo may be the backcourt of the future for the Magic, but not necessarily right now, as the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins explains:
"Payton and Oladipo have played simultaneously in nine of the 10 games Oladipo has played this season, for an average of 6.8 minutes per game. In that time together, Payton's and Oladipo's weaknesses as outside shooters have stymied the Magic offense. When Payton and Oladipo have played simultaneously, the Magic have made just 42.6 percent of their shot attempts and only 31.6 percent of its 3-point attempts, according to the NBA's official statistics database.
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Payton has a long way to go this season, and we'll see if he can climb up this ranking as the year progresses.
4. Channing Frye
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Orlando knew what it was getting when Frye signed his four-year, $32 million contract this past summer: someone with the ability to stretch the floor.
Frye is shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc, the second-highest mark of his career.
He's a big reason why the Magic are much-improved from deep. They are shooting 37.2 percent as a team, good for fifth-best in the league.
He has been in a slump as of late, not scoring double digits in Orlando's last 10 games, but Frye remains one of the key pieces in a versatile frontcourt.
It'll be tough for him to hold onto this No. 4 position as the season progresses, but he's been a welcome addition thus far.
3. Evan Fournier
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Much like Frye, Fournier has been a rock-solid pickup this season.
He's scoring a career-high 15.2 points per game while knocking down 42.9 percent of his threes. He's been lethal from long distance.
The Magic identified a need for legitimate outside threats this offseason, and Fournier has delivered.
He's cooled off a bit since Oladipo's return, but he remains one of the most consistent scorers and exciting playmakers on the team.
After starting just eight games total in his first two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Fournier has started all 19 games with Orlando so far. He's a big part of what the team does offensively, and that won't change.
2. Tobias Harris
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Harris is not only one of the most improved players on the Magic roster but maybe in the entire NBA so far this season.
His 18.4 points and 8.1 rebounds are both career highs, along with his .468 field-goal percentage and much-improved .385 three-point percentage.
After coming over in a midseason trade two seasons ago from the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris has really carved out a spot with Orlando.
He's one of the most underrated players in the NBA and forms a dynamic duo with Vucevic in what should be an exciting, young frontcourt for years to come.
1. Nikola Vucevic
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It's just business as usual for Vucevic.
He's been one of the best rebounders in basketball since arriving in Orlando. He's averaging 11.7 boards so far this season to go along with a career-high 18.6 points per game.
The analytics are even fond of him as well. Along with all those counting stats, he's posting career highs in player efficiency rating (20.2), true shooting percentage (.543) and usage rating (25.7).
If any member of the Magic is flirting with the possibility of being voted to the All-Star team, it's the man in the middle and deservedly so.
After signing a new four-year, $53 million extension back in October, Vucevic could be locked into this No. 1 spot for quite some time.
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference. Follow Stephen on Twitter: @S_Albertini
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