We Magic fans are in a period of limbo: the Magic have been eliminated from the playoffs, yet the draft and free agency are still a month away. As such, I thought I'd now would be as good a time as ever to submit individual grades for each Magic player. I've decided to split the players into three different groups: Top of the Class, or the players who had above-average seasons; Middle of the Road, or the players who did about as well as expected; and Better Luck Next Year, or players who either underperformed or did not play frequently enough to be evaluated fairly .
Today's post concerns Better Luck Next Year. I welcome your comments and criticisms.
| James Augustine, Forward | #40 |
 | Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | Field Goal % | GRADE |
|---|
| 1.0 | 1.5 | .333 | I |
| "No-Name James", as I have nicknamed him, played in just 7 minutes this season. As such, I cannot give him an actual grade because to do so would be unfair. Second-round draft choices don't last long here, so I fear Augustine's career may end sooner rather than later. It's a shame too; how many 6'10" guys do you know who average a triple-double per 48 minutes? |
| Keith Bogans, Guard | #10 |
 | Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | Field Goal % | GRADE |
|---|
| 5.1 | 1.6 | .404 | C- |
| Keith is in his second tour of duty with the Magic. His calling cards are supposedly defense and three-point shooting, but Keith failed to deliver on either of those fronts this season. He got off to a hot start, making 47.7% of his three-pointers from November to January. He then forgot how to shoot, as he made only 30.6% of his shots from downtown the rest of the season. I almost feel bad for him; he went from coming off the bench early to warming it perpetually over the course of the season. Maybe he'll break through next season, but I'd rather doubt it. |
| Travis Diener, Guard | #34 |
 | Points Per Game | Assists Per Game | 3-pt Field Goal % | GRADE |
|---|
| 3.8 | 1.3 | .360 | I |
| I believe in Travis Diener. I think he's smart enough to run a half-court offense efficiently, and I think his teammates are good enough defensively to make up for his lack of size and speed. The coaching staff does not share this view, and as such, only played him in 26 games this season. Barring a quick change of heart, the Magic won't re-sign him this offseason. It's a shame because he did show signs of life this season, pouring in 16 points on five-of-six shooting against Charlotte in December. |
| Pat Garrity, Forward | #8 |
 | Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | 3-pt Field Goal % | GRADE |
|---|
| 2.2 | 1.3 | .344 | D |
| Pat Garrity has never been a good defender or rebounder. He's made a living in this league by making three-pointers and drawing opposing power forwards away from the basket. That worked well a few years ago, but not so much this season. When called upon this season, Garrity rarely delivered, making just 34% of his three-pointers. Like Bo Outlaw, he's no longer an NBA-level talent. Unlike Bo Outlaw, there isn't anything he does well anymore, and I feel bad for him. |
| Jameer Nelson, Guard | #14 |
 | Points Per Game | Assists Per Game | Field Goal % | GRADE |
|---|
| 13.0 | 4.3 | .430 | C- |
| Jameer Nelson was playing for a contract extension this season, but you'd never know it by looking at his performance. He shot a career-low from the field, let his three-point shooting drop nearly 10 percentage points, and tallied fewer assists per game despite increased playing time. Simply put, Nelson was indefensibly bad, and his poor showing this season raises questions as to his role with the team. I would not be surprised if he were traded for a draft pick. |
| Hedo Turkoglu, Forward | #15 |
 | Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | Field Goal % | GRADE |
|---|
| 13.3 | 4.0 | .419 | C- |
| I wanted to give Hedo a break for this evaluation; after all, he did play through a mysterious flu-like virus that had bothered him since training camp. However, his Jameer-like dropoff in production is really inexcusable, even with the illness taken into account. Further, his streaky play makes him hard to count on. That doesn't bode well for a team in need of consistency. If he doesn't show improvement in training camp, Trevor Ariza should easily take his starting job. I'll take defense and wicked drives to the basket over sloth-like speed and streaky shooting any day. |
