Befuddling player rotations theme of Orlando Magic’s three-loss week

At this point, anything seems worth trying.  Or is that even so?

But it has to be wondered if the inconsistency in Borrego’s minute allotments will contribute to the lack of stability in the offense.

In the first half of the loss to the Hornets, the Magic ball movement was crisp and precise, even if the resultant shots were not necessarily falling with great accuracy. Orlando had just two first half turnovers while amassing 11 assists on 16 field goals.

That is top-notch.

In the second quarter, seldom-used forward Andrew Nicholson showed he can have value to a second unit. The forward scored six of Orlando’s first seven points in the period, helping the unit begin the quarter on an 11-5 run to tie the score at 33.

However, by about the four-minute mark of the quarter, the Magic had still hit 3 of 18 in the period—and Nicholson’s three buckets were all of those makes.

Center Nikola Vucevic was all but dared by Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller to take his usually pretty long range twos, and the shots just were not falling.

Even so, the Magic had moved the ball well in the first half and trailed the Hornets by just a point at the intermission. Vucevic hit just 2 of 7 from the floor in the first half while collecting just three rebounds. Zeller had five boards (three offensive), eight points (a dunk, jumper and four free throws) and an assist.

Inexplicably, Vucevic was having his lunch handed to him.

The Hornets starting frontcourt of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Zeller and Al Jefferson outrebounded the Magic’s starting frontcourt of Harris, Channing Frye and Vucevic 31 to 20. It also outscored Orlando’s trio 43-31.

Even with Kemba Walker out for the Hornets, that is a lot of production for Orlando’s backcourt to supplant. Obviously, it did not come close to doing so, and the Magic lost big because of it.

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