Orlando Magic Playbook: 5 ways the Orlando Magic offense changed after the All-Star Break

The Orlando Magic changed identities on offense after the All-Star Break as they downsized and created transition. There should be some carry over to 2018.

In reviewing the Orlando Magic’s season, there is a clear dividing line in terms of style and, to some extent quality.

The Magic’s trade of Serge Ibaka just before the trade deadline signaled both a philosophical and a quality shift for the team. Orlando went into the All-Star Break as one team and emerged as another.

The team before the break played at a relatively plodding pace. The team had two big post players clogging the paint and making it difficult for drives and penetration. Without adequate shooting, things became cramped with defenses crowding the paint and daring Orlando to shoot.

Teams still dared Orlando to shoot after the break. But by moving Aaron Gordon to power forward, it helped the Magic establish a bit more of an identity. The Magic offense was not efficient yet, but it was not the horribly inconsistent group that struggled throughout the first half of the season.

The Magic seem to believe this it the kind of play the team needs to have moving forward. It would seem the shift to a more modern, transition-based style is the way the league is headed and the way the Magic want to head. They have every reason to invest in that method with the way Aaron Gordon played to close the season — 16.4 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game.

It is easy to point to the stylistic changes and say this is how the team should play. Orlando went from 19th in the league in pace before the break at 98.4 possessions per 48 minutes to ninth in the league after the break at 100.8.

The team’s offensive rating rose from 100.5 (29th in the league) to 102.9 (26th in the league). That is a sign the team improved its offense. But it is not the dramatic rise that suggests the team does not need change.

A full training camp and offseason of planning to play this way will help the team further improve its offense. Just about every offensive metric showed improvement from before to after the All-Star Break. It felt more than cosmetic.

But there are specific ways the offense improved that provide a strong amount of hope the team can find success playing this way.