For casual NBA fans, a collective "huh?" is released when an international player's name is called. Some are even quick to put a bust label on a player based on past international lottery picks who floundered--namely Darko Milicic, Yi Jianlian, and Andrea Bargnani. Sometimes those international players are even met with boos as they walk across the stage. That is how the cookie crumbled when the New York Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis from Latvia with the fourth overall pick.
Luckily, for Mario Hezonja, the welcome was much less brutal and the Orlando Magic fans in attendance seemed happy with the pick. Back in Orlando at the watch party, there were cheers and a legitimate sense of excitement as Rob Hennigan finally selected a player with the ability to shoot the lights out. Orlando is far from the Mushroom Kingdom, but the Magic got their Super Mario.
Much has been made about Mario's "cockiness" on a basketball court. In the introductory press conference, Hezonja displayed supreme confidence but a positive kind that all great players have. His fiery personality also matches that of the record holder for most assists in an NBA game and Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles. While some believe the two will clash, reports around the Draft said that the competitiveness and confidence that Hezonja plays with made him the guy Skiles wanted come Draft time.
When asked how many Summer League games Mario Hezonja would play in, Hennigan said it would likely only be one or two while Hezonja said he wanted to play in all of them.
The full introductory press conference can be viewed below.
This year, the Orlando Magic fielded two Summer League teams because of a need for a tenth team. One team was comprised of their draft picks and the stars from their D-League affiliate the Erie BayHawks; that team was their "Blue" team. The second team was made of international and D-League players who were on the Magic's radar. As the fifth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Mario Hezonja suited up for the BLUE team alongside fellow rookie Tyler Harvey and sophomores Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, and Devyn Marble.
In the first two games--the only games Hezonja saw action in--the starting line-up featured Elfrid Payton, Devyn Marble, Aaron Gordon, Brandon Davies and Nnanna Egwu. That meant that Mario Hezonja would be coming off the bench.
When Hezonja saw playing time at the end of the first quarter, he seemed timid and the Clippers defenders seemed determined to make sure he didn't touch the ball. Once Hezonja got his hands on the ball, he made a nifty bounce pass to the cutting Brandon Davies but, as luck would have it, Davies botched the layup and Hezonja finished the play without an assist. It took Mario some time to get going--missing his first two free throws after being fouled on a wild dunk attempt from about eight feet from the basket. It wasn't until Hezonja drove and made an odd sort of floater that he found his game. Later in the game, Hezonja received a pass in the corner and he knocked down his first NBA triple. Four free-throw makes later and Mario was up to nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the line and 2-of-7 shooting from the field.
Then, in overtime, with the Magic down two points with 12.9 seconds left in the game, Hezonja made the game-winning triple to seal the deal and give the Magic their first win of the Summer League.
That shot and the rest of Super Mario's highlights from his Summer League debut can be viewed below.
When asked about the game-winning shot, Hezonja said, "You just have to take the shot. No fear." Aaron Gordon also had something to say about Hezonja, saying, "I met a shooter, his name is Mario. he doesn't care, he's been a pro since he was like 11." That's some pretty high praise from one of the top performers in the Orlando Summer League.
In Hezonja's second Summer League game, he was not shy to pull the trigger on a jumper or dunk all over a defender. With the first quarter coming to a close, Mario received a pass at the top of the key and unleashed a poster dunk on a Thunder defender. It was at that moment that everyone knew the Croatian was in for some highlight plays. Hezonja also displayed his shooting ability, making a corner triple later in that half. One play that could become his sort of signature is on fast break when Drew Crawford stole a full court pass and dished it to Peyton Siva who dribbled the ball up and the court and flipped it to Hezonja at the three-point line. Mario stroked the triple and held a pose before helping Siva up and heading back to play defense. There were also two alley-oops from Gordon and Payton that Hezonja was able to finish with ease and some flare--one of which ended with a fancy little layup and the other ending with the ball slamming through the rim with authority.
However, the fifth overall pick is far from a perfect player. There was a sequence in the second half where Hezonja missed two consecutive dunks. That shook his confidence some but a baseline step-back jumper quickly brought him back to speed. Mentally, Super Mario seems like he's ready to be great. A little maturation wouldn't hurt but the ice that runs through his veins should make Magic fans very happy at the end of games. Game winners will definitely be welcomed over the usual inbound turnovers that seem to have become a staple of the Magic's late-game offense.
Hezonja probably won't be a day one starter but he gives the bench an added punch that couldn't be asked for consistently from the aging veterans Willie Green and Ben Gordon. Also, with Evan Fournier and C.J. Watson in tow, the Magic have floor spacers aplenty to help with their limited spacing from their starting lineup--which should continue to improve but Victor Oladipo and Payton will never be at the level of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson from deep. So the need for shooters will be there as long as the defensive backcourt stays intact.
Many have compared Mario Hezonja to J.R. "uncontested shots are boing" Smith. While that doesn't seem like a compliment, Smith could've been an absolute star in the NBA if he ever got his head screwed on right. Hezonja seems eager and willing to work hard and improve so he could be a Smith-level talent without the off-court issues.
Hopefully, Hezonja will never get this crazy and take 22 triples in one game. (For the record, this writer is not opposed to that; it just isn't a good idea from a winning standpoint):
While a few more games of Super Mario would have been fun to watch, Hezonja firmly set a base for a great rookie season. Had FC Barcelona not made a long playoff run ending in a sweep in the finals, the Croatian probably could've played in some more games, but one can't fault a man for playing on a winning team. Hezonja should now get plenty of time to relax and hone his skills as training camp is still a few months away. All NBA fans can agree on this one, October can't come fast enough. Until then, Hezonja Time will be missed and his highlights will be watched on replay (mostly by this writer). Here's to Hezonja's next 49 minutes of NBA action being as good as his first.
