Pre-Season Questions: How have the Orlando Magic responded?

Can the Offense be Decent?

While the Magic’s defense may be succeeding, the offense has done anything but.

Orlando currently ranks last in offensive efficiency, scoring just 95.6 points per 100 possessions, and the team has not put up a triple-digit scoreline since their victory over the Thunder.

Too often the offense is stagnant, with large amounts of aimless dribbling, contested mid-ranged jump shots, poor spacing and lack of ball movement all contributing to killing any momentum or potential of the team’s half-court offense.

Orlando is better in transition, but still oftentimes fall victim to poor or hasty decision-making, a byproduct of still being a young, growing team.

There have been individual setbacks on offense as a result.

Evan Fournier’s 3-point shooting has fallen from 40.0 percent last season to just 36.9 percent in 2017. The ball has at times seemed perennially glued to his hand, even when much better options were available.

Meanwhile, Vucevic has seen his numbers fall across the board, with his scoring average falling from 18.2 to 12.4 points per game. His field goal percentage fell from 51.0 percent to 43.2 percent, his free throw percentage from 75.3 percent to 58.3 percent and his effective field goal percentage from 51.1 percent to just 44.0 percent.

Unlike some of the other problems addressed here, Fournier and Vucevic’s offense should come naturally as time goes on. But the Magic’s offense as a whole should be worrying for the coaching staff and fans alike.

It is in a bad place. And there does not seem to be any practical solution in sight.