Orlando Magic defense flashes its dominance against Atlanta Hawks

The Orlando Magic said they wanted to build on their defense. For a few moments Sunday, that defense was a terrifying reality for the Atlanta Hawks.

The sequence was like something out of a dream for the Orlando Magic when considering this roster and how it was built.

The Atlanta Hawks came into the lane and found Kris Humphries near the basket, only for Serge Ibaka to meet the shot and swat it away to Evan Fournier. The Hawks came back and tried again, only for Bismack Biyombo to meet Mike Scott‘s shot near the rim with a block. And then on a fast break on the next possession, Scott tried to challenge Bismack Biyombo again only to see his shot blocked.

Biyombo gave a finger wag as the crowd erupted in a frenzy. It was, as Aaron Gordon and D.J. Augustin called it after the game, a “block party.”

Easy puns aside, there were many possessions like this for the Magic throughout the game with Nikola Vucevic sitting out for rest. Biyombo and Serge Ibaka proved a worthy defensive tag team. In one third quarter possession, Ibaka closed out on a player from behind the arc, with Biyombo trailing behind him in case he drove and then recovered enough to grab the rebound or block another shot.

The Magic unveiled a defensive powerhouse and monster in this game with that Ibaka-Biyombo duo everyone was waiting to see. And it was, for at least a moment, glorious.

“It’s working pretty well,” Ibaka said. “Bismack did his job and that’s it. Like I keep saying, it’s going to be fun. When you have Biz and you have AG and you have myself and we can block shots. Also Nik. He can help us out there. It’s going to be fun out there.”

Those moments when the defense was rolling was certainly a lot of fun. Blocking shots and igniting fast breaks will be the key to the Magic’s defense.

And, yes, even Nikola Vucevic appears to be playing better on the defensive end. His positioning and verticality backing up Ibaka have been noticeably better throughout the preseason.

The Magic as a team though are still far off defensively. Coach Frank Vogel described the defense as where he expects it, but not where he wants it to be.

In reality, Orlando gave up 105 points and a 107.3 defensive rating Sunday. Those are not elite defensive numbers at all. In the entire preseason, for whatever that is worth, the Magic have a 105.4 defensive rating. That is among the NBA’s worst.

Orlando gives up a 51.6 percent effective field goal percentage and 43.2 percent from beyond the arc on 23.6 attempts per game (a little more than 10 makes per game).

Granted with all this, it is preseason. But the numbers are not good.

The Magic’s defense shows flashes like it did in Sunday’s game, but still has a little ways to go.

“We have enough potential to be a really good defensive team,” Biyombo said. “We have to take it as a fun process rather than putting your head down when we are losing games. I know once the season starts, everyone is going to be ready and everyone is going to be at their best. Today wasn’t our day, but we keep getting better.”

Biyombo said the team is still learning its weaknesses defensively. The 3-point line has been a problem, and it was a problem again Sunday.

Limiting fouls and free throws is a common concern in the preseason and remains one for them.

The Magic though have quickly become a solid team defending the paint. Atlanta shot just 20 for 41 in the paint. And the Hawks shot just 40.9 percent from the floor.

Those are ample signs the Magic have a good defensive team in them. And the belief is certainly this team will emerge defensively soon.

The confidence is certainly not lacking.

“Our defense is really good,” Aaron Gordon said. “There is definitely room for improvement. We’re going to be a top-five defensive team in the NBA.”

And with the way the Ibaka-Biyombo combination debuted Sunday, it is hard not to get excited and think of the possibilities with this group.

With those two on the floor together, the Magic posted a +2 in 60 possessions, including a 110.0 offensive rating. But they also had a 106.7 defensive rating for the entire game. In the first half, the Magic’s Ibaka-Biyombo combo netted a 80.0 defensive rating in 35 possessions.

“Those two guys are great,” Vogel said. “That lineup is going to be tough to score on in the lane. There is no other way to put that. that’s going to be solid for us.”

The unit in the first half did exactly what it was expected and supposed to do. But like so many things with the Magic, it is all a work in progress. Orlando did not quite have everything together for the full 48 minutes.

The defense slipped considerably in the second half. It started early and continued on. The Magic did not have the same intimidation factor or sharpness chasing the Hawks around.

Vogel wants his team to center on its defense. But that is still very much under constructions. Things have not clicked completely into place as the team learns its switching and rotation coverages. The Magic have shown flashes — very strong flashes — but the whole thing has not come together quite yet.

Related Story: Grades: Atlanta Hawks 105, Orlando Magic 98

For a few moments Sunday, the flashes were more than just subtly apparent. The Biyombo-Ibaka duo that would lock down the paint and prevent anyone from scoring near the basket became a terrifying reality.