It’s a shame that the trade deadline just passed, because Mario Hezonja is hotter than a twice-microwaved Hot Pocket and the Magic (who obviously do not care about trying to develop Mario Hezonja) could’ve gotten some good stuff for him from some team that recognizes his talent. Maybe even a first-round pick! They couldn’t get diddly-poo for Elfrid Payton, but Hezonja is different. He’s been doing good lately, but he’s also still got that raw unknown mysteriousness surrounding him. He could get even better, and who knows when it could happen!
I guess the problem for a team looking to trade for him is that he only has this one year left on his rookie-scale contract and they could just wait to sign him in free agency. The Magic were so low on him that they didn’t pick up his option for next year, a move that they’re likely regretting now that he’s showing serious signs of life in defiance of the organizational chaos that surrounds him on a daily basis.
He’s now had two 20-point games in a row, something that had not even come close to happening during the rest of his time in the NBA. Can he make it three? Probably not, but this mini-bout of consistency is great to see. He played a big part in the Magic’s huge comeback late in the fourth quarter, dragging them back from almost 20 down to take the lead. The tank rolled on after a bungled inbound with only seconds remaining, but that doesn’t take away from what Hezonja did tonight. Him having good games that lead to wins can wait until next year when he’s playing for the Spurs.