Orlando Magic Daily
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Orlando Magic fans should observe Boston Celtics in postseason

By Brett David Roberts

Mar 21, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) is guarded by Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) and forward Jonas Jerebko (8) during the fourth quarter at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics won 107-96. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) is guarded by Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) and forward Jonas Jerebko (8) during the fourth quarter at TD Garden. The Boston Celtics won 107-96. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Orlando Magic are following a similar building plan to the Boston Celtics, which is what makes watching their postseason semi-imperative.

The Orlando Magic are following a specific building plan, but it has already come to fruition for Brad Stevens and the No. 5-seeded Boston Celtics, playing in the Playoffs for the second straight year.

The Orlando Magic are not short of talent. But a team can be far more than the sum of its parts, and the Boston Celtics exemplify this notion. It is a team devoid of superstars that is challenging to advance against a tough Atlanta Hawks squad in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Boston plays basketball right. Brad Stevens works with a roster devoid of superstars, but he manages to draw top production from guys like Kelly Olynyk and Isaiah Thomas. He perfectly caters to the strength of his players, and that is what really makes the Celtics a dangerous team.

Oh, and the defense: Boston ranked No. 4 in defensive rating at 103.6. Boston went 48-34, and one would have to form a hard-pressing argument the Celtics actually have more talent than the Magic.

Simply, however, it is a better team, and teams are the basis of basketball, not great individual players.

The Magic could easily carve an identity more like the Celtics’, and it is worth observing what Brad Stevens has done with his team.

Because Boston is hardly lacking offense, either. The Celtics averaged 105.7 points per game (fifth in the NBA) while managing a differential of +3.2.

The Celtics’ smothering defense is best suited for the postseason, and the Celtics backcourt is a model that Magic general manager Rob Hennigan has seemed to match.

Boston gets it done with a hounding backcourt: Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart are two of the best defending guards in the NBA. Jae Crowder is much the same on the wing, known as a lockdown defender or a three-and-D guy, but a talent so great the Celtics reportedly balked at the Chicago Bulls for demanding his inclusion in a deal for Jimmy Butler.

Crowder makes an impact far greater than his statistical measures, and it really requires observation to realize what his energy can do to a team, to a defense.

This series between Boston and Atlanta has to be one of the more intriguing of the first round. The 4-versus-5 series typically is, but this one will be most fascinating because the Hawks have a well-organized offense for the Celtics to try to disrupt. The Hawks are not a team prone to turning the ball over nor making careless mistakes.

What really makes the Celtics work, though, is having a gunner and awesome point guard in Isaiah Thomas. He is essentially everything Orlando lacks: a guy with the guts, killer instinct and raw talent to push Boston over the edge. The diminutive guard averaged 22.2 points per game while making his first All-Star team this year.

And there may be plenty of more appearances for a young talent who has yet to fully maximize his immense gifts.

Thomas is gritty, and though listed at a generous 5-foot-9, he got to the line for 6.6 free throw attempts per game. He then knocked those down at an 87-percent clip. He can hurt a team in so many ways, and minimizing his penetration can be pure torture for a defense. He appeared in all 82 games this season, and his durability now can be added to the reasons Thomas is so valuable to this team.

The Magic continue to search for this type of star, but the Celtics dealt for Thomas and seamlessly improved after parting ways with longtime point guard Rajon Rondo. Boston’s build benefited from taking advantage of opportunities and trading away assets from the previous iteration. Orlando did not have a Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo to deal. Much less a desperate Brooklyn Nets team to swindle.

Boston just does so many things right, Orlando fans may want to take note of why it works so well. It is a team whose offense is created by the strength of its defense. It is a squad featuring a backcourt that rivals Orlando’s, but is of course more cohesive and effective than Orlando’s guards have been on a regular basis.

And perhaps that hits to the core: The Celtics are a consistent and competent team coached by a mastermind. Orlando is striving to be similar, but in terms of “playing basketball right,” Boston is a good starting point.

The Celtics are slight underdogs in the series according to Vegas, but it is hard to bet against a team featuring three of the most premier defenders in the league. And Boston can score.

Next: Orlando Magic look back at 2016 with regret, resolve

The chasm between Boston and Orlando is rather large at this point, but it is a gulf that can be breached if Orlando makes the right moves and develop the talent latent on the roster.