Magic rookie Mario Hezonja does not lack confidence. The 20-year-old Croatian said before the draft that he never respects anyone on the basketball court. The gall it takes to say something like that — even if it falls right in line with the way most 20-year-olds think of themselves — is part of our love for the Magic rook. But mainly it’s his personality imbued with a game that can border on the ferocious.
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So it makes sense that Hezonja would do what he did during Monday night’s, 105-82, Magic beat down of the lowly Nets. Hezonja, who is only averaging 12.2 minutes per game under Scott Skiles’ steely stare, played more than 18 minutes in the lopsided win and shot a tidy 4-of-5 from the field.
He also tried to nutmeg Thomas Robinson late in the game while his team was comfortably ahead.
While he was ultimately unsuccessful in the endeavor, we applaud the attempt, even if some might consider it showboating of the lowliest sort — since he didn’t even pull it off. We think his bit of ad hoc open-court razzle dazzle was totally fine for the below reasons.
- The Nets should not be getting crushed while playing at home against an Eastern Conference team that’s barely over .500 on the season (12-11 before their win).
- Thomas Robinson shouldn’t leave his five-hole so open when an opposing player is coming at him in transition. That mind sound unfair, but it’s not the first time a player has been nutmegged in the open floor, even if Jamal Crawford at least saved his own nifty move for his summertime pro-am.
- It seems to suit his personality.
If, say, Steph Curry tried to pull this off — like he did to an assistant coach in USA Basketball practices over the summer — in a blowout win, it wouldn’t feel authentic. There would be two or three thinkpieces about how Steph has changed from the humble underdog MVP to the me-first exhibitionist some would start calling him. The Warriors generally deal in more blowouts than the Magic, too, and there’s that old adage about acting like you’ve been there before. Hezonja has not, so you can excuse the bit of mad hatter decision-making when faced with a defender in the open floor.
“Whether it’s a veteran or a young player standing in front of me I always have the same goal. I want to run over everybody,” Hezonja said before the season. Now he can add: or through their legs.
