By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Lack of depth was supposed to be the outcome from the vast amount of trades the Orlando Magic have done this year. Has it shown? Not necessarily. The Magic haven’t changed their game plan. They run and gun threes and force feed Dwight Howard. They’re style of play alone keeps them in games for the most part. That has a lot to do with how well numerous athletes can shoot the long ball.

Problems with depth were pin pointed at center. Behind Dwight Howard for the last several years was Marcin Gortat, and they also had 6’10 forward Rashard Lewis. Ryan Anderson hardly received minutes, but it’s beginning to look like the Magic needed to find him minutes. Over the last month or so you can see that he is in the flow of the offense and his team is searching for him. It’s tough to cover a 6’10 big man that’s agile. Anderson is just that. He is able to find his spots on the perimeter and be wide open for the most part.

That could be why he is gunning up between five and seven threes a game. A stat most coaches would frown upon from their big man. Anderson though is shooting the three point shot at near 40%. He does the little things as well. He’ll attack the glass and get some put backs when the Magic go with a small guard lineup. Which they have had to do for stretches.

For the Magic to have post season success it’s going to come from an unfound young talent. It won’t be veterans Jason Richardson, Jameer Nelson, and definitely not Gilbert Arenas. Turkoglu has shown his age, even though he typically raises his game in the playoffs. Anderson is comparable to Channing Frye but a tad bit higher in terms of talent. If he can transfer his forty percent three point shooting with this veteran cast into the playoffs, watch out.

From a fantasy standpoint, Anderson will deserve a shot to be drafted next season in later rounds. His minutes won’t peak above the thirty minutes a game mark, but he gets enough done with his minutes. With Turkoglu on the decline who knows how his minutes will fare. There’s tremendous upside for Anderson and he should be on all fantasy radars as a potential steal in next years drafts. Remember he came out of college in 2008 from California early, and won’t be 23 until next month.