Orlando Magic Power Rankings Roundup: Back to the start
John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Golden State Warriors. 1. team. 41. . (49-9). Previous:
(24-35). Previous: . New York Knicks. 26. team. 27.
Orlando Magic. 27. team. 38. . (22-38). Previous:
"The Magic have played a good 84 minutes coming out of the break, allowing Portland and Atlanta to score just 90 points per 100 possessions over seven quarters. But they got outscored 35-18 by the Blazers in the fourth on Thursday, blowing an 11-point lead with less than nine minutes to go. On Saturday, their new starting lineup was dominant, outscoring the Hawks 58-27 in less than 21 minutes. Even if the bench can’t hold onto leads, playing better defense and finding a lineup that works would be important accomplishments for the last two months of the season."
28. team. 66. . (18-41). Previous: . Phoenix Suns
If there is something to rain on the Magic’s parade since the All-Star Break, it is that fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers. There, it was clear, the unfamiliarity and Damian Lillard‘s star power took over and gave the Magic a lot of trouble.
It was the exact kind of loss coach Frank Vogel said the Magic can no longer afford to give up. Not in an effort to make the Playoffs, but to build a culture of winning. An 11-point lead in the fourth quarter at home should be a win.
Instead, the Magic let Lillard lose contact with them and let him go off for a big game. That cannot happen again.
After dropping a nine-point lead in Saturday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks, and falling behind by nine themselves, the Magic seemed to learn a bit of that lesson. They put the foot down and the Hawks never threatened in the third quarter after their own strong efforts.
Saturday was a sign of optimism. Thursday may be a sign of reality. And no one may truly know which team this group is or will become until they get a few more games under their belts and create a decent enough sample size. Or we could learn this team’s character again the next time they play a close game.