Orlando Magic's Arron Afflalo Will Need To Focus On His Defensive Skills

Arron Afflalo had such a good NBA season that there’s talk about whether or not he’ll be back in the same capacity next year, or if the Orlando Magic might use him as some type of trade bait for a major deal.

Afflalo could help the Magic be a good basketball team this season and should stay right where he’s at. The Magic should use his talents wherever they fit in with other players. On their way to the worst record in the NBA at 20-62, the Magic didn’t utilize talent of players like Afflalo, who actually had a decent season with 16.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. It was his best season in his six-year career and ended short with injury at 64 games.

Afflalo was impressive with 36.1 minutes of playing time per game and a 43.9 percent shooting clip from the floor, as well as 85.7 percent from the free-throw line as a 6-foot-5 guard-forward.

Afflalo has played his best basketball in the later seasons of his six-year career. He’s averaged in double figures for points; in his last two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, he was at 12.6 and 15.2 points per game prior to coming to the Magic.

A key aspect of Afflalo’s game that needs work is his defense. The Magic need to improve dramatically as a defensive team. If they don’t, it won’t matter how many points Afflalo or anyone else scores for the team. They’re not going to win many ballgames that way. That’s why even though Orlando might get the player of their choice — Ben McLemore — in the NBA draft, they need to focus heavily on defensive-minded players if they’re going to be an NBA contender again.