Atlanta Hawks Playoff Push: Who has best player, Magic, Hawks, or Wizards?

Hawks playoff push: Orlando Magic’s best player is Nikola Vucevic

The player the Atlanta Hawks will need to be most concerned with on the Orlando Magic is Nikola Vucevic, but they can’t quickly forget about Markelle Fultz and Aaron Gordon.

All three players are solid offensive players who can hold their own for the most part on the defensive end, too. Any of them is capable of going for 20-plus points on any given night.

Vucevic, though, at least as of now, is the team’s best. He led the Magic in scoring and rebounding last year with 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Vucevic has continually become a stronger threat from beyond the arc while still maintaining some semblance of interior offense as well.

While his large frame indicates he might be slow, he has an explosive first step from the free-throw line if he gets space, and has no problem handling the ball against other centers with a mix of spin moves and crafty dribbling for a big man.

After making an All-Star team in 2019 and signing a four-year, $100 million contract, Vucevic plateaued just a bit, but he’s still the team’s sole All-Star from the past 8 seasons.

Young can out-score Vucevic even if he really eats, and he’s the type of player that the Hawks signed Clint Capela to handle.

The Magic, perhaps more than any other team in the league, are effective by the sum of their parts rather than just a few players. The Hawks shouldn’t find major issues from Vucevic alone but may open up room for Gordon, Fultz, or even Evan Fournier to get going while distracted handling Vucevic.