Orlando Magic Playbook: How the Orlando Magic finish games

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Decisiveness

The Orlando Magic’s crushing loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the final play that sealed their fate, was a lesson in indecisiveness. That is something no team can have late in a game.

On the final play, the Magic run a clean inbound and get Elfrid Payton at the top of the key. Always a good start for the Magic considering his playmaking and driving ability. He should be able to create something with the team down one and 12 seconds to play. Plenty of time.

What happens next is a series of overpassing and missteps that end ultimately in a turnover. The team did not even get a shot up.

Unlike the plays the Magic ran in Miami a month later, the inbounder here is not a weapon. Green simply steps back onto the court. But like those other plays, Fournier is the primary option. He runs off a few cross screens and curls up to the wing to receive the ball.

The Grizzlies are back defending the paint. Tony Allen gets caught on the Vucevic screen, Marc Gasol is playing safety and Andrew Harrison shifts over to defend Fournier immediately, leaving his man Payton beyond the arc (not a terrible risk).

Fournier notes the switch and the space created with Harrison leaving Payton open, but this plays into the Grizzlies’ hands. He drives hard to the left, his head down and the Grizzlies collapse.

But Fournier has options. Ibaka has popped to the short corner or he could kick it back out to Green, who has not moved since stepping back onto the court after the inbounds. And, if Fournier really trusts and knows the play, Vucevic is wide open beyond the 3-point line.

Fournier drives too deep and begins to regret this decision. He drives into Gasol to create some space and dishes to Ibaka in the short corner.

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Perhaps if Ibaka is in the deep corner for a 3, he has the space to get a shot off. Instead, the Grizzlies swarm him and he passes it quickly to Elfrid Payton. Even with the fast pass, the Grizzlies defense has reset and the Magic are now in scramble mode.

Payton tries to drive and draw Allen in or to create something with time winding down. And he does draw Allen in. That leaves Vucevic wide open for 3 to his right. Instead, Payton tries to force a pass to Fournier and Fournier is not ready to receive the pass.

This play was not executed poorly per se. The Magic got through a lot of their reads. The problem with this play was how players kept their heads down and did not make the plays to keep the ball moving.

When Vogel talks about “trusting the pass,” this is more what he refers to. The team has to be willing to make the pass and keep their head up even when they attack.

One thing this Magic team cannot afford to do is go to isolation. That is when they create their worst offense.