ORLANDO, FL (FNN News) – The past month consisted of two FIBA championships: the Americas, and Eurobasket. Two Magic players were represented in FIBA America, forwards Andrew Nicholson and Melvin Ejim played for Team Canada. Two were represented in FIBA Eurobasket (three including Jannis Timma who played for Team Latvia; Timma signed a two-year deal with an European team so he will not be discussed in this article). Evan Fournier played for Team France and Mario Hezonja played for Team Croatia. Canada and France took home the Bronze medals in their respective tournaments, Croatia got eliminated in the first round of knockouts, and Latvia made an impressive run, advancing to the top eight, falling one game short of qualifying for the Olympic Qualifiers. .

Andrew Nicholson
Nicholson had a good, not necessarily great, tournament. His offensive gifts showed in ways they had not under the Magic’s previous coaches, but his weaknesses were apparent as well. While he is effective in the post, he is not able to use his length or move laterally quick enough to efficiently defend or rebound at a reasonable clip. While he will be a serviceable player to step up when needed, he does not seem to be a rotation player worthy of starter minutes just yet. Hopefully if he learns defensive principles under Coach Skiles, he could one day turn out to be a daily contributor for the Magic. Nicholson missed a set of free throws in the semifinals that could have guaranteed Team Canada a spot in the Olympics. He should keep that as a chip on his shoulder and improve in the upcoming season. Nicholson averaged 7.4 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Melvin Ejim
Ejim emerged as a defensive presence in the tournament. He could be a very nice niche player to call upon when needed. I do not really see what he does that Devyn Marble cannot do, so I think there is a good chance the organization lets him develop in Erie. Training camp in a few days will ultimately decide whether Skiles thinks he brings something unique to the table. Ejim averaged 5.6 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Evan Fournier
Fournier was fun to watch this tournament. He was draining threes, facilitating for his teammates, and playing surprisingly GREAT defense. If Skiles watched Fournier play in the tournament, I am positive he would be pleased. Fournier will most likely get at least 30 minutes per game once the season comes around. He showed discipline and decisiveness. He has a little bit to work on, like finishing cleaner, but it certainly is something that can be fixed. Fournier winded up averaging 6.8 points per game in the tournament.

Mario Hezonja
Possibly one of the most widely watched players this tournament, Magic and NBA fans alike, Hezonja made the rounds on social media, providing highlight after highlight. It was too bad there were not a lot of plays run for him. He rarely got touches on the ball, and I felt like he made some poor decisions as a result. At times, he did not play the shot clock correctly, a mistake that cost him and his team a game to Greece. The only glaring issue with Hezonja is his decision making for the little things that add up and end up being the difference in a game. Whether it be turning the ball over because of an overly flashy pass or chucking a shot way too early into the shot clock despite being up with little time to go, Hezonja has to learn from his errors. Those issues are fixable and common in a lot of younger players. Once he becomes a more seasoned player, those mistakes will eventually cease. Croatia looked like a completely different team when Hezonja was wired in. His dunks and three-point celebrations made the crowds go wild and boosted the morale of his team when they needed it. In the game they got eliminated in, the team seemed out of it, Hezonja and former Magic draftee Dario Saric tried to do all they could, but the team just looked unfocused. They are a young team with a lot of promise and will eventually be one of the best teams in Europe. Hezonja finished with 6.7 points per game and 4.3 points per game in the tournament.

Overall, the FIBA Tournaments were nice to keep up with. We were able to witness the gifts of Nicholson’s offense, the constant highlights from Hezonja, and the unexpected defense of Fournier. Training camp starts in a few days and all of the players on the roster are healthy.