Terrence Ross

Having dispensed with all of the anointed 'core' players in their previous rebuild with the possible exception of Nikola Vucevic, the Magic have yet to identify much in the way of a new core beyond perhaps the recently re-upped Aaron Gordon (for whom the extended sign-and-trade must be remembered as a possibility). Now aged 27, Ross is probably past being considered a part of it, and more important here is the fact that his six seasons in the NBA have all been pretty much exactly the same. The only difference is that he spent most of the last one injured; beyond that, Ross has been the same player who has developed little beyond the niche he fitted into from day one.

That said, Ross when healthy is a decent and useful player with the en vogue skill of shooting; he is a decent piece for Orlando to have, but considering his contract expires after this season, there is a foreseeable chance that he is bought out for the final third and joins a contender. It would make sense for him to do so, as an audition on a contender would do wonders for his earning power.

Terrence Ross
SG/SF, 6’7, 206lbs, 26 years old, 5 years of experience

Ross provided some welcome outside shooting after his arrival in the Ibaka deal, and also provided a nice model for Hezonja to look at and see what is possible. Not because Ross is especially good; in being a confident but streaky shooter not providing much off the dribble save for a floater, his offensive uses are fairly limited, while his defence is similarly streaky, sometimes chasing his man through screens and using his good hands to deflect the ball away and sometimes not bothering. But instead, because that level of play is ascertainable for Hezonja as well. It should be noted that although improvements were small, this was probably Ross’s best year, especially defensively, and that he is young enough to be considered a useful piece going forward. But perhaps as a useful trade piece, rather than a playing one.

Player Plan: Two years and $21 million remaining. A decent price for a decent player, and decent players on decent prices have trade value, as the Ibaka trade he arrived in demonstrated.

Pick 8: Another surprising pick comes in as Toronto drafts Terrence Ross from Washington. The consensus best wing players left on the board were Duke's Austin Rivers and UConn's Jeremy Lamb; nevertheless, Toronto takes Ross, perhaps with an eye to a potential pairing with DeMar Derozan in mind. (Taking players on account of their fit is justifiable only if all else between two prospects is equal, or very close to it.)

Jay Bilas immediately trolls the pick by pointing out how Ross averaged 25 points per game last season......in the NIT. Designated international expert Fran Frascilla, who hasn't had anything to talk about yet, reminisces about Jonas Valanciunas, picked the year before. Long night for Fran Frascilla. Dude's lonely right now.

The reaction to Ross's pick is the closest thing yet to stunned silence. Even more so than for the Waiters pick; at least that one was vaguely rumoured. It's also perhaps still in the minds of the audience that the last time the Raptors surprised us at #8, they picked Rafael Araujo, a man who recently retired from the game in order to write a book about how unpleasant the game was for him. Nevertheless, Ross's selection is only a bit of a reach, and he has upside to his game. Frame, athleticism, a sweet shot and a decent basketball IQ. The holes in his skill set can come later - in fact, even if they don't, and he makes his living as a shooting specialist, it'll do.

If you're a firm believer in the idea that you can tell when a player knows they're going to a particular team based on the colour of the outfit that they are wearing, then it is safe to say that Terrence Ross had no idea. His Vaudevillian porn star outfit combined a green bowtie with a blue-and-white shirt and a grey jacket - when the ensemble was topped off by a red Raptors hat, Ross now had a colour for every occasion. And looked completely ridiculous doing so.

In addition to those two, Washington also sport Darnell Gant in the frontcourt, the consummate little-things player who turned up to his junior season armed with a previously lacking jumpshot. Gant puts up few stats, but he can defend opposing big men of any type, chips in with some rebounding, and does not damage the offense, despite his inability to contribute much towards it himself. He is, in a way, the opposite of MBA. On the wings, Washington boast the size and shooting prowess of 6'6 players Scott Suggs (junior) and C.J. Wilcox (freshman), neither of whom contribute a whole lot more than their jumpshooting, but whom both know how to get open for their shots, and are judicious in their usage of them. Wilcox in particular is an impressive role playing contributor for a freshman. The other freshman wing player, Terrence Ross, has slightly more versatility with his ability to put the ball on the floor, and has more upside with his greater athleticism, although he too is used largely as an off-ball shooter in the current set-up.