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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Meeting first quarter expectations

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Dec 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) and center Bismack Biyombo (11) react after a basket during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Orlando Magic defeated Washington Wizards 124-116. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) and center Bismack Biyombo (11) react after a basket during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Orlando Magic defeated Washington Wizards 124-116. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aaron Gordon, Serge Ibaka, Orlando Magic, Solomon Hill, New Orleans Pelicans
Oct 20, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Serge Ibaka (7) and Aaron Gordon (00) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Solomon Hill (44) and Omer Asik (3) battle for the loose ball during the fourth quarter of a basketball game at Amway Center. The Magic won 111-114. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

What is the biggest strength for the Orlando Magic through 20-plus games?

Iwanowski: The defense has certainly turned it around, and I have been impressed lately. They are third in defensive rating, only 0.3 points per possession behind the No. 2 Atlanta Hawks. That comes from having the elite interior defense we had hoped they would build around. Elfrid Payton, Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic all have positive defensive real plus-minus ratings and Serge Ibaka and Aaron Gordon are approaching that range, which shows the balance in defensive abilities. If the Magic keep pressuring and contesting well at the perimeter and deterring shots inside, they will win more and more of these grind fests and may be able to pull out enough wins to make the playoffs.

Jumani: Defense. In the last 3.5 weeks they have a defensive net rating of 95.8, which sets them at the best in the league and it is not even close. The second-best defensive net rating is held by the Utah Jazz at 100.5, that shows us how great Orlando has been since figuring out Frank Vogel’s defensive schemes. With wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons, it shows defense will get the Magic wins against tough teams. Vogel has improved Nikola Vucevic, who had a bad reputation on the defensive end his whole career, but he has looked stellar thus far this season.

Palmer: The defense has unquestionably been the best part of Orlando’s team thus far and there is no reason it should drop off. Early on the Magic struggled defensively and a lot of that seemed to be on Serge Ibaka’s shoulders. Well, Ibaka has picked it up in an unbelievable way. And the Magic have gone with him. Nikola Vucevic deserves an honorable mention here, I give the guy a bunch of flak but coming off the bench and showing a level of focus defensively we have not seen out of him is a huge thing for he and the team.

Rossman-Reich: The defense, and specifically the rim protection and interior defense. That was the strength everyone expected for the Orlando Magic this season. But it has really become a strength. Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic really do a good job covering for each other when someone gets beat. And they do a fantastic job doing just that. There is a reason they have risen to the top five in defensive rating. The interior defense is a big part of it.