Chicago at Orlando
Time: 6 PM CT (NBA LP)
Spread: ORL -6.5
Total: 211
Odds c/o 5dimes
Orlando Notes:
It has been another season of woe and misery for the Orlando Magic, but the time is nigh for the team to experiment with its younger talent, and to see just what it may have brewing for the future. Paramount of those concerns, is seeing if youngsters Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac have good chemistry and can function as a tandem.
Thus far, the answer seems to be a resounding “Yes,” despite Orlando’s ongoing struggles and losses. The Magic have been pleased with the defensive presence of Isaac, a one-and-done rookie from Florida State. Gordon, also, has put together a great season for himself, a career year, and will be in line for a max-contract this summer as a restricted free agent. Meanwhile, No. 5 overall pick from 2015, Mario Hezonja, is unlikely to return after the Magic passed on extending him in the fall. That may be a foible on the part of team management, because Hezonja has shined in the second half of this season. He has shown a lot of versatility and the shooting touch that he was drafted for, but it will likely be another team that reaps the real harvest of the Croatian’s talents. The Magic have been mining for a major prospect for six seasons, and Gordon represents the closest thing Orlando has to a franchise player, so it will be wise to make sure and retain his rights as a RFA this offseason.
Even so, the puzzle is so far from complete in Orlando that it is difficult to ascertain exactly where Orlando may head with its draft pick in the 2018 draft. It could go after a major big man like Marvin Bagley or Mo Bamba, or it could continue to search for the answer at the 1-spot after parting with Elfrid Payton at the trade deadline.
The Magic have not had much go right this rebuild, but fans, management and coaches all know that the right pick in the 2018 draft could begin to right the ship in a major way. After all, the Magic reached the NBA Finals twice in team history, and both times the stars of those respective teams were Orlando’s own No. 1 overall picks— Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard. So, while this season was a disaster for the 22-52 Magic, it is one with the silver lining that the difference maker may fall into its lap with great draft lottery odds this summer.
Chicago Notes:
The Chicago Bulls have been better than expected, but still have won less than one-third of their games in the 2017-18 season at 24-51. Chicago is not without hope, though. 2017 draft pick Lauri Markkanen has proven to be a major talent and has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. Trade acquisition Zach LaVine has recovered well from his ACL surgery and appears to be the same talent the Bulls hoped he would be when they dealt Jimmy Butler to acquire him (as well as picking up Kris Dunn in the deal).
Dunn has been a pleasant surprise after a tough rookie season, and he could be the starting point guard of the Bulls’ future. Dunn and LaVine could even function well as a good, interchangeable backcourt, given both have the size and skills to be interchangeable at the 1 and 2 spots. So, that is essentially three pieces of a puzzle assembled, while the Bulls continue to mine for a franchise player of its own.
Markkanen could even be that piece. While 24-51 is a poor record to build upon, the Bulls are hoping the continued maturation off its young pieces and some more draft lottery luck will put the team back in competitive waters soon, or at least sooner than its opponent, as the Magic are now finishing up Year six of a rebuild that has yielded precious little success.
