Wesley Iwundu forced his way into the rotation and became one of the Orlando Magic’s most dependable players. His fight to stay begins again.

No one could blame Wesley Iwundu for feeling himself a bit.

He was coming off a strong season where he fought his way into the rotation — and the occasional start — on a playoff team. He has put in some incredible work to become a consistent shooter and defender for that team. A second-round pick who has a safe feeling about his place in the NBA should be full of confidence.

So as he sat and watched the Orlando Magic’s Summer League team and spoke to broadcasters on NBATV, he took a chance.

Rihanna has had plenty of people publicly ask her out — Joel Embiid might still be owed one, but he is far from alone. But Wesley Iwundu probably is not on her famous basketball player radar.

The whole situation should remind everyone just how young these players are at times. This boyish immaturity is pretty harmless. Especially when you know the person doing it is at heart a hard worker and a good kid.

Wesley Iwundu got a later start to his NBA career than most — entering his third year at 24 years old, he is actually older than sixth-year veteran Aaron Gordon — but he has been a player that fits the Magic’s ethos perfectly.

He steadily improved throughout his time in college with the Kansas State Wildcats. then he continued that improvement in his first two years in the NBA. There is plenty of reason to think he can still define his role and improve.

The Magic, and coach Steve Clifford especially, put him in a position to succeed. His role was to defend and spread the floor. Teams dared him to shoot and he slowly improved his 3-point percentage to the point where he was taking and making outside shots comfortably.

Iwundu was one of the most reliable and trusted players on the roster. He rarely made mistakes or played outside of himself. If he did not seem comfortable taking a 3-pointer (still a weakness despite improved percentages), he did not take it and looked to attack the rotation or keep the ball moving.

That is what a young player with veteran poise looks like. And that is the kind of player the Magic hope to continue to develop. If he becomes a more consistent 3-point shooter, then the Magic have a really valuable wing defender they can bring off their bench.

But things are never easy. Iwundu should and could feel like he has a sure place in the league. However, his place in the rotation is not quite as certain.

The Magic loaded up on some new players that will demand playing time. Iwundu is improved and should continue to get better. But he will have to fight for his time on a deep and crowded roster.

Iwundu should feel confident. He should feel a bit cocky and sure of himself. But he also needs to be prepared to work and fight for his spot again.