The Orlando Magic need to continue to embrace small ball going forward
Frank Vogel decided to go small after the Serge Ibaka trade and the results were impressive. The Orlando Magic need to continue to embrace this new style of play.
The Orlando Magic put together a roster during the offseason that many did not anticipate succeeding due to the new style of play in the NBA. The Magic roster was built around defense, non-shooters and featured a starting lineup with two big men in Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic in the post and Aaron Gordon at the small forward position.
Coach Frank Vogel decided to give this lineup an opportunity. But it did not take long for the Magic to realize the team was not going to be successful playing this style of basketball long-term.
The Magic’s strength entering the season was supposed to be their defense, but it never came to fruition. And, to make matters worse, the offense was a complete mess on a nightly basis.
Due to the struggles on both ends of the floor and the inconsistency concerns, the Magic decided to move on from the Serge Ibaka era and brought in Terrence Ross.
The trade allowed Vogel to move Aaron Gordon back to his natural power forward position and implement a smaller and more athletic lineup with an extra shooter by inserting Terrence Ross into the starting lineup.
After the All-Star Break, the Magic started to push the tempo more. This change benefited Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton the most.
Before the All-Star Break, it seemed like the Magic were ready to give up on Elfrid Payton. But, with the smaller lineup and a brand new style of play, Payton flourished and started to play like a different player.
Payton averaged 12.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game and shot 45.7 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from behind the arc prior to the All-Star Break.
After the break, Payton improved in every statistical category. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.4 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game. He shot 50.8 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from behind the arc. Payton also recorded five triple-doubles during this stretch.
It seemed like Payton had finally figured things out on the court. He was starting to play like the point guard the Magic had been looking for all along.
Gordon also improved tremendously after the All-Star Break and looked more comfortable once he was slotted back to power forward.
Before the All-Star Break, Gordon averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and shot 42.8 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from behind the arc.
After the All-Star Break, Gordon improved his play meaningfully. Like Payton, he looked like a changed player on the court.
Gordon averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He shot 50.3 percent from the field and 28 percent from behind the arc after the All-Star Break.
Along with Payton and Gordon’s improved play, the Magic started playing a more fun and competitive brand of basketball after the All-Star Break. The 8-16 record may not show it, but the Magic played more competitive after the break and they were extremely fun to watch at times.
Prior to the All-Star Break, the Magic averaged 99.9 points per game and shot 44.2 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from behind the arc. The Magic had a 100.0 offensive rating with a 98.43 pace. They averaged 13.4 fast break points per game.
Orlando Magic
After the All-Star Break, the Magic improved their scoring to 104.9 points per game while shooting a slightly worse 43.8 percent from the field and 32 percent from behind the arc. The Magic improved their offensive rating to 102.9 and their pace to 100.77 while scoring 16.0 fast break points per game.
Obviously, the up-tempo offense and the small-ball lineup was a better fit for this Magic team. The young players looked comfortable in it and the team looked like a more enjoyable team to watch on a nightly basis.
Vogel also noticed the improvement his team made. He quickly embraced the new lineup. Vogel’s return for his second season with the Magic will help the team continue to build on their momentum after the All-Star Break and help the young core’s development.
The Magic have struggled to identify a proper style of play for their young core and to have a head coach establish a foundation that is being built around. The lack of continuity has played a factor in the team’s struggles.
Vogel’s return next season will allow his young players to continue to grow in his system and come back next season knowing what to expect. Players like Payton, Gordon and Ross will benefit the most from the new style of play and from a second year under Vogel’s system.
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A lot can change between now and then. But if the core players come back, it is finally known what style of play fits them best. The important thing will be for Vogel and the Magic front office to be on the same page. They must continue to build on the positive momentum the team gained in the final months of the season.