What is the difference between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics?
The centers and forwards
It is true.
If you look at the battle in the post with Nikola Vucevic, there are very few centers in the Eastern Conference that could hold a candle to him. At least statistically.
“We do have guys that can be very good All Stars,” Fournier said. “I’m thinking about Vuc. Vuc is a tough center but he don’t get no credit because we’re not winning. I guarantee if we were winning, Vuc would be an All Star right now.”
It is true. The Magic’s poor record likely kept Vucevic off the All-Star team at the end of the day. It did not make him any less of one, at least by the numbers. And he looks especially good compared to the Celtics’ starting center, Tyler Zeller.
Rk | Player | G | MP | FG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | BLK | TOV | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nikola Vucevic | 74 | 34.2 | .523 | .752 | 3.2 | 7.7 | 10.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 19.3 |
2 | Tyler Zeller | 82 | 21.1 | .549 | .823 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 10.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/6/2015.
In significantly more minutes, Vucevic obviously put up better numbers. He was a bigger focal point of the Magic’s offense over Zeller, who mostly played defense and lived on put backs and dump downs.
Vucevic put up very solid numbers and earned those near-All Star accolades.
The other forward positions, except for Channing Frye and Brandon Bass at power forward, also bend in the Magic’s favor.
Rk | Player | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | TOV | PF | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tobias Harris | 68 | 34.8 | .466 | .364 | .512 | .788 | 6.3 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 17.1 |
2 | Evan Turner | 82 | 27.6 | .429 | .277 | .451 | .752 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 9.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/6/2015.
Harris was a more consistent scorer than Turner. Turner put up a few triple doubles helping facilitate for the Celtics. And that part is rather astounding with Smart and Bradley still developing their larger offensive games. The Celtics are not blessed with great 3-point shooters either.
So it would seem the Magic have the advantage at four positions of the five. They won split the four matchups with the Celtics this season. It does not seem the Celtics are farther along than the Magic. At least, not on talent.
Next: The defense rests