What is a reasonable expectation for the Orlando Magic’s 2016 opening night starting lineup?

The Orlando Magic have a heady task of vast internal improvement to better what was just a 25-win campaign in 2015. Without any marquee players joining the fold, the pieces already intact are going to have to grow together into a competitive team.

The Magic are a team which is really locked in at three of five positions, arguably four, even. But it is not a club with a definitive starting-5.

When people speak of the Magic’s prospects, the discussion hovers around how good the pieces are. But those pieces have not yet defined themselves into concrete and defined roles.

Tobias Harris, the recipient of a $64-million, four-year deal, has oscillated between the forward slots before finally settling in as a small forward last year. Victor Oladipo had flirted with playing point guard and combo guard, before becoming a definitive shooting guard last season.

The Magic are a team of interlocking pieces, but the plasticity of the lineups has to be thought of as an asset, not a hindrance.

And really, more than anything, how this lineup takes form is going to be a product of Scott Skiles. Skiles is a coach who stresses defense, but he is also a coach who knows how to get the most out of players on the offensive end too. His clubs in Phoenix, in particularly, were potent offensive squads that could put the ball in the bucket.

Skiles is going to likely roll with units that function the best together, and by all accounts that is still a good bit of guesswork on anyone’s part.

We saw hints of how well Aaron Gordon, Mario Hezonja, Elfrid Payton and Devyn Marble could function together, but that quartet is just one part of the greater Magic picture.

There are going to be position battles of sorts, and sometimes we may even end up seeing a surprise or two (Foreshadowing: Did anyone expect Dewayne Dedmon to become a starting power forward last season?).