By John Denton July 5, 2016
ORLANDO – At one point in Tuesday’s second quarter, Orlando Magic rookie Stephen Zimmerman tried spinning baseline and got shoved away, tried going back to the middle and was chucked again before flipping up a hook shot as he was whacked across the arms by Miami’s Michael Carrera.
Before he went to the free throw line, Zimmerman – a string-bean center by NBA comparisons at 6-foot-11 and 234 pounds – turned back to glare at Carrera. The 19-year-old big man didn’t utter a word, but the snarl on his face said plenty. He didn’t appreciate the physical play and he wanted it known that he wouldn’t be intimidated one bit by it.
“I wouldn’t say it out loud, but I would say that I do have to,” Zimmerman said of his need to show others that he can’t be bullied on the basketball court. “Especially with me having a thin frame, something that I have to do is play physical and make sure that people know that I’m not going to get pushed around.”
Zimmerman, Orlando’s second-round pick from the June NBA Draft, showed the Magic some much-needed grit and toughness on Tuesday. Orlando Blue (0-3) was whipped 84-68 by Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and the more experienced Heat (3-0), but Zimmerman was a bright spot with 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.
In addition to his nifty shot over Carrera in the second quarter as he was fouled, Zimmerman showed off his athleticism and agility by swatting Briante Weber’s layup off the backboard after the Heat tried getting him switched onto the point guard on the final play of the third quarter.
“I like the temperature that he plays at and he’s got an edge to him,” said Magic summer league coach Chad Forcier, who will be Frank Vogel’s lead assistant during the regular season. “He’s got a lot of confidence and he’s got a little nastiness that will be fun to watch come out as he gets a little more experience.”
A new experience for Zimmerman on Tuesday was his first-ever back-to-back at the professional level. Orlando lost 73-68 to Detroit on Monday – a game where Zimmerman had trouble finishing around the rim and made just two of 11 shots – and Tuesday offered the center a chance at redemption. He made five of his 10 shots and grabbed four of his 10 rebounds on the offensive end of the floor even though he admitted that the two games on consecutive days took a toll on his body.
“It was super important (to bounce back from Monday’s poor game), but not in a way where I got too mental about it and psyched myself out,” Zimmerman said. “So I just tried to play my game.”
Zimmerman spent just one college season at UNLV where he averaged 10.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks for the Rebels.
Admittedly, his body is a long way away from possessing the girth and strength needed to hold his own in the NBA, but he felt he was ready to learn the game at the pro level and declared himself for the NBA Draft earlier in the spring. He spent the weeks before the draft working out with Georges Niang and Domantas Sabonis, who was drafted No. 11 by the Magic but later shipped to Oklahoma City in the Serge Ibaka trade.
Zimmerman said getting the phone call from the Magic, seconds before he was announced as the No. 41 pick in the NBA Draft, was an emotional moment for his entire support system.
“It was definitely a blessing. I was with my family and my friends and we were all happy and my sisters were crying,” Zimmerman recalled. “It’s a big thing for me, but it’s just the start of the journey.
“I know I’m young and everything, but why not come here and learn from the older guys and get bigger and stronger with the best in the business?” Zimmerman added. “That was the key for me.”
Through three summer league games, Zimmerman is averaging 7.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks a game. He’s made just 10 of 30 shots and only three of seven free throws, and feels there is still plenty of his game he wants to show off over the final three days of the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League.
“I think I’ve adjusted well and I’m running up and down the court with these guys. It is a lot faster, but it’s only going to get faster when the actual games come around,” Zimmerman said. “I don’t want to say that I haven’t had to shooting, but shooting is something I can do more of. I’ve been missing free throws and that kills me, but shooting the mid-range and I haven’t shot a three (is something he can do). That’s not what my team needs right now, but I’m trying to stay in the post, set screens and do what the team needs.”
As a second-round pick, Zimmerman has no contractual guarantees for the season ahead. He said he hopes he’s shown enough to the Magic to earn a contract and an invite to training camp in late September. Regardless of what happens the rest of summer league and in the weeks and months ahead, Zimmerman and Forcier know that the rail-thin big man has lots of work to do to get himself NBA ready so he isn’t pushed around by the mammoth players on basketball’s biggest stage.
“In Stephen’s case everything is brand-new and he literally knows nothing about pro basketball,” Forcier said. “It’s an entirely different game and experience than college basketball, so this gives us a chance to get him out (of games), give him some tips and get him right back in there.”
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