Magic's Joe Ingles Brings 'Maturity' to Orlando
The Orlando Magic has been productive this summer.
The team selected two players in the lottery, those being Anthony Black at pick No. 6 and Jett Howard and pick No. 11. Orlando is adding that to a young core of Paolo Bancher, Franz Wagner and much more. On top of those additions, the Magic brought in Joe Ingles in free agency.
Ingles fits the bill when it comes to on-court production. He provides much needed spacing for the young guys to work, but he's also a solid playmaker and can act as a connector very easily. However, Ingles impact will come from off the court just as much as on the court.
“Adding Joe Ingles brings a measure of maturity to the locker room," an anonymous executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "Not that the guys are immature, but Ingles can help through the rough patches. If we had a guy like him last year, we might not get off to such a rough start.”
The Magic was an incredible second half of the season team. Since December of last season, the team finished out the year with a 29-31, just under a .500 record. If the team had gotten off to a better start, who knows what noise they could have made in the Eastern Conference.
When Ingles brings his presence to the squad and the new rookies add more depth, the Magic has much more of a chance to start the season strong. It also has the youth and depth needed to endure the long season, and this could help the team in finishing the regular season with a solid record.
It's unknown what impact Ingles will end up bringing, but if it's anything close to what the Magic needs, the squad could very well see their first postseason berth since the beginning of the rebuild. Even better, Ingles has seen plenty of playoff games in his career, and if they happen to make a postseason appearance, his experience will be invaluable.
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