Orlando Magic Power Rankings Roundup: Back to the start
Kurt Helin, Pro Basketball Talk
Previous: . Golden State Warriors. 1. team. 41. . (49-9)
. (22-36). Previous: . Philadelphia 76ers. 26. team. 93
Previous: . Orlando Magic. 27. team. 38. . (22-38)
"Orlando got back what it could for Serge Ibaka at the deadline, but at least it was a move that cleared the front court logjam and will allow coach Frank Vogel to go a little smaller and try to get some versatility on the court. They had some good moments against the Blazers and Hawks since the break, maybe it can be something to build upon."
66. . (18-41). Previous: . Phoenix Suns. 28. team
The clear goal for the Orlando Magic the rest of this season is to figure out what they have. As I have noted in the previous slides, the Magic went small and have seen some early benefits from it.
That is a big part of the equation. Orlando’s decision to go big was a stylistic choice that did not seem to work out. Going the other way — a more modern bent — appears to have a lot more success.
Orlando has a 98.5 pace this season so far. A relatively pedestrian and slow pace in a league that is going faster and faster. In the past two games, the Magic have seen their pace increase to 102.0. This feels more like a team in the modern NBA and a team that is running.
Part of that is the natural change to a smaller lineup, as Frank Vogel noted after Thursday’s game. A smaller team is going to get more deflections and steals and generally play scrappier.
The bottom line is, through two games so small sample size alert is ringing, the Magic look like a real team again. And, for the first time in a while, the team feels like it is trending upward.