Don’t look at him like the savior of Orlando Magic basketball.
But Philip Rossman-Reich of the Orlando Magic Daily, and many around the league believe the Jonathon Simmons signing is a good one for the Magic given the team’s circumstances.
“The Magic just didn’t have that kind of money this summer to get that kind of true impact player,” the OMD editor said. “I think Simmons will come in and fill a role and he possibly could come in and challenge for starters minutes sometime this season.”
Simmons stat line after two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs doesn’t pop out at you. He averaged 6.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game making just 10 starts. But the 6’6” guard has certainly already created a niche for himself in the league.
“What he brings to the table is just really strong defense,” said Rossman-Reich. “He is a really really good perimeter defender, he’s someone that can kind of change the energy of a game.”
How Simmons will adjust to a presumed larger role in Orlando remains to be seen, but in this years playoffs when he was forced to step up due to injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker the 27 year old responded by averaging 10.5 points per game.
“In Orlando, at the very worst he’s probably going to be the team’s sixth man,” Rossman-Reich added. “He’s going to be the leading scorer off the bench at the very very worst.”
At the least Jonathon Simmons brings with him a winning pedigree, something the Magic could certainly use.