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Trends or Mirages: Breaking down this year’s Orlando Magic

By Brett David Roberts

Mar 25, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) and guard Victor Oladipo (5) high five after he made a basket in the act of getting fouled against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Amway Center. Atlanta Hawks defeated the Orlando Magic 95-83. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) and guard Victor Oladipo (5) high five after he made a basket in the act of getting fouled against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Amway Center. Atlanta Hawks defeated the Orlando Magic 95-83. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Evan Fournier, Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
Apr 10, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) and Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) react after their game against the Toronto Raptors at Amway Center. Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 101-99. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Trend: Orlando’s Difficulty Closing Out Games

Orlando has lost eight games this season by six points or less. But it has also won four games by six points or less.

That does not work out too favorably for Orlando in close games, but there is good reason to expect the team to get better in close games as the season wears on.

As to just how much better, it is left for us to guess mostly.

It must be remembered the Magic are still really a team without a solid, go-to premier scorer to milk late in games, and Skiles is going to have to be creative to solve this problem. Orlando was able to win three games by a comfortable margin prior to the three-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. But the Atlanta game showed the same familiar trend of the Magic being unable to execute in the clutch.

Where does this problem begin to be solved? Well, one of the Magic’s most effective late-game sets is to run a pick and roll between Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic. It uses Orlando’s best interior scorer and most explosive perimeter player, and opposing teams will have to pick their poison.

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The Magic are still in search of a premier game closer, but those hardly grow on NBA trees. What can improve until such a talent joins the roster is the execution.

In the Hawks game, the Magic had a chance to send the game to overtime by hitting a three. They called timeout and had nine seconds to find a good shot. The first inbounds pass was tipped and then bobbled by the inbounder, Evan Fournier. The Magic retained the ball, mostly by luck.

The second inbounds resulted in a poorly executed pick and roll which saw Oladipo unable to get a shot, and instead launched it to Vucevic who hoisted a three after the buzzer already sounded.

It was a frustrating end to a game the Magic had fought hard to get back in, but there is reason for hope as this team continues to grow in chemistry and develops into a more cohesive unit.

Part of the blame could rest upon Skiles’ inconsistent rotations, but there is also a lot to be said for playing the five players who have had the best game.

This Magic team is young. Youthful teams are seldom synonymous with well-executed offenses.

Next: Elfrid Payton has the keys to the Orlando Magic offense

As the Magic grow, the close losses should become fewer and fewer. But it stands to reason since the Magic have lost a full two-thirds of their close games this season, it is unlikely to change dramatically in the 2016 season.