National Basketball Association

Cliff Alexander a promising mystery for Orlando Magic

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Orlando Magic invited six players to training camp including high school star Cliff Alexander. After a year of struggle, the Magic represent opportunity

The Orlando Magic announced six players would join their training camp roster, essentially playing for the final roster spot — if the Magic even use that final roster spot. In all likelihood, most of those six players will fight for positioning to make the Magic’s D-League team with the Erie BayHawks.

The names are certainly intriguing — and plenty familiar. Nick Johnson has been a NBA curiosity. Damjan Rudez is a veteran with experience playing for Frank Vogel and the Indiana Pacers.

Then there is a guy like Cliff Alexander.

Alexander had plenty of accolades coming into the NBA’s attention. He was the No. 4 recruit in the Class of 2014 heading to Kansas. With the Jayhawks, though, the big man struggled. He averaged 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as he struggled to fit with Bill Self and his team.

The talent was there, but Alexander struggled to scale up to the college level. As Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside wrote on Alexander’s time in college:

Alexander had many problems scoring inside the paint. Due to underdeveloped footwork and a lack of inside moves, Alexander wasn’t really able to find success when he was asked to score inside the low-post. According to Synergy Sports, Alexander shot just 33% in post-up situations while turning the ball over on 20% of attempts. Although he did have success as an offensive rebounder, collecting 4.5 offensive boards per 40 minutes, that didn’t hide the other offensive struggles that he had.

A knee injury in pre-draft workouts then slowed him down further. He went undrafted and had to fight his way onto a NBA roster.

Alexander ended up getting an eight-game cup of coffee with the Portland Trail Blazers last year. He scored 10 points in 36 minutes.

The majority of his play has come in the D-League. He averaged 15.0 points per game in four games with the Santa Cruz Warriors. The traditional power forward shot better than 50 percent and averaged 7.2 rebounds per game too as he fought to return from his knee injury and find some fit.

The Trail Blazers did not have a true one-to-one affiliate for the D-League and struggled to find Alexander a place to get playing time. He never broke through the Blazers’ versatile front court rotation.

Alexander moves on to the Magic and their system now.

To show how far he has fallen, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports Alexander signed a minimum deal but the Magic, unlike in years past, did not pay top guaranteed dollar for these training camp invites.

Talent gets second chances. Alexander will continue to get his. But he will have to earn it.

In all likelihood, Alexander is not going to make the Magic roster and win that spot. The power forward and frontcourt positions are a logjam. Everyone knows the logjam at center with Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic. Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green and Aaron Gordon likely split time at power forward. And Stephen Zimmerman has to find minutes somewhere too.

Then again, Alexander is the traditional power forward the Magic’s roster lacks. He can step out and hit the jumper, but still needs to develop strength and a better post game. He is more a pick-and-pop player at this point in his career.

If the Magic can turn his potential into reality quickly, perhaps the Magic take the risk and use the last roster spot on him.

Clearly, though, the Magic want him around. He likely will get the benefit of spending the whole year in the D-League in the Magic system and then a real chance to make the roster in Summer League and training camp next year.

Alexander showed plenty of ability to play and dominate at the D-League level in his limited minutes. That talented player form high school is still there. He has to learn some of the finer points of the game and get some of the education he perhaps should have gotten in picking a school that would be a better fit for him or spending more than one year at college.

Some stability and quality coaching will go a long way for him.

Then again, opportunity is ahead of him with the Magic. Their D-League invites have all been long-term investments. They have invited back several of their D-League invites. None though have turned into full-time roster invites yet.

Alexander will have every opportunity to make the Magic roster this fall. And he is certainly one of the more intriguing young players Orlando is adding to its development tree.