ORLANDO, FLA -- Houston Rockets guard and reigning NBA MVP James Harden is the top priority on every opponent’s scouting report. When Harden made his way to the Amway Center on Jan. 13, Wes Iwundu wanted a shot at shutting down arguably the game’s most dominant offensive player.

“With the threat that Harden is offensively, it was a big challenge for me,” Iwundu said following a Magic shoot around. “You know the player I am I just go out and accept the challenge as always. I’m never backing down.”

Wes Iwundu won’t ever back away from a challenge. His game isn’t flashy. It’s tough. Grinding. Consistent. And most important, disruptive.

“Any time I can scramble up the game, be scrappy with them, to do some different things to get into his head, it always effects them.”

It’s the mentality Iwundu has carried with him since he picked up a basketball. Whatever his team needs to be successful, he’s willing to do.

“You need the scorer, you need the lockdown defender, you need everything.,” Iwundu said. “Bringing something different to a team especially on defense can go a long way. Impacting the game on so many ways is a beautiful thing.”

Iwundu beautiful play on the defense end is his calling card. He earned the reputation as an elite defender in high school. That narrative carried over to a strong four-year career at Kansas State where Iwundu holds the record for most career starts.

Longevity and defense didn’t earn the highest praise by NBA draft analysts. Multiple scouting sites rated Iwundu’s defense, motor, and IQ as strengths. His inability to hit to score consistently from the perimeter (33.8% from 3PT at Kansas State according to sports-reference.com) didn’t project well for life at the next level.

“You know the doubt is my biggest motivator,” Iwundu said. “I love the doubters because at the end of the day I’m going to find a way to overcome it.”

Iwundu’s grinding style paid off as the Magic took the guard early in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. Iwundu’s game still needed time to develop. As a rookie he spent a significant amount of time in Lakeland improving his offensive game.

He did what he typically does best. Grind.

“Playing in the G league to not playing a lot last year to everything to now man I think it built me up for this process,” Iwundu said.

His second year has featured much more success. Iwundu is now a staple of Steve Clifford’s second unit. His stat line doesn’t scream stardom, (4.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG according to ESPN.com) but he’s provided a huge lift off the bench for a team battling for a playoff berth.

“It’s great man,” Aaron Gordon said of Iwundu’s development. “Wes has a lot of talent. He’ll develop more and more skill and be a huge asset for us on this team.”

It’s been a long road traveled for Wes Iwundu, a road documented by doubt. He’s continued to prove his doubters wrong and has shown not only can he play in this league, he can be a difference maker.

“Just to be here in the moment, there’s nothing better than this.”

Iwundu and the Magic complete their two-game road trip at Brooklyn Wednesday night before returning home to face Washington on Friday.