Orlando Magic Playbook: How the Orlando Magic finish games

Forcing Fournier

Neither of these plays on this slide is particularly bad as far as isolations. But they show the importance of execution.

Payton needs a quick score here and makes a good read after Evan Fournier is unable to free himself on the pin down. Fournier’s cut has cleared the space, though, and Payton drives into it to get a pretty good layup look. He misses.

The only problem with this play is, like the Grizzlies play, once the Magic make that initial drive there is no reaction or secondary play to give Payton an outlet. He is either going to shoot the layup or the entire play breaks down.

This is more evident in the below play from the loss to the Washington Wizards:

Here Payton makes a nice drive and because of some good off-ball action with Nikola Vucevic setting a back screen for Payton to cut into the lane, Marcin Gortat sinks into the paint and Payton feeds an open Vucevic.

Vucevic has a bit of a window to attack here. But not a big one. Payton is running toward him, bringing a second defender into the paint and Green is crowding Vucevic some on the left wing instead of cutting to the top of the key or away from the play. So Otto Porter has one eye on the ball too.

Vucevic does not think about driving, though. He is going to do a dribble handoff to Fournier. The Magic are forcing this play to him.

Fournier runs pass Vucevic without receiving the pass and immediately cuts back. Unlike Green in the Miami play, Vucevic does not think to attack. He continues to wait for Fournier to double back.

This allows Gortat to anticipate the play and smother Fournier as he comes around force him into a difficult 3-pointer that he air balls.