When the Orlando Magic trust the pass

The Orlando Magic got their romp through the Detroit Pistons and played exactly how they have always envisioned. They trusted the pass and scored easily.

Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel has asked his team to “trust the pass” all year to fix their offensive woes. They are a team without a great one-on-one star and they cannot rely on individuals to create offense consistently. A good defensive team will close them out if they try to go at it alone.

They have to move the ball, get it to the second side and make the defense work to create space. It is not ideal, but considering the team’s personnel, it is their only way forward.

Even if the Magic had that All-Star, they would likely ask to “trust the pass” and keep the ball moving. That is how teams like the Golden State Warriors create such good looks too.

When Vogel implores his team to trust the pass, he is likely not talking specifically about throwing alley-oops. But when they are so open and the team is so connected, it is hard not to sit back and marvel. The Magic are finally playing with the space nad athleticism they promised all season.

"“Our best ball movement game of the year, by far,” Vogel told Orlando Magic Daily after Friday’s win. “We preach it every game. Some games it’s easier than others. That starting group in particular set the tone both with Elfrid initiating everything and Evan [Fournier] and Terrence [Ross] have gotten really good at reading defense, looking to be aggressive with their curls. When the bigs are throwing the ball and our bigs are willing passers.”"

Elfrid Payton was the catalyst, driving into the paint and causing the defense to collapse. But he had friend son the other end of his passes. In one pass in the second quarter, he flung a pass to the far side of the rim where Aaron Gordon was waiting. It was a sign of Aaron Gordon’s extreme athleticism, but also of the connectivity of the Magic’s offense.

Mario Hezonja had his turn too. He drove into the lane in transition and would find Bismack Biyombo ducking to the basket or kick it out to 3-point shooters.

Orlando Magic

Everyone played their role. Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross were active and aggressive, quickly darting off screens to get open and attacking the defense with whatever hole they gave them.

The shots the Magic were getting and making were open. The lanes they were finding were open. And the Detroit Pistons were scrambling to stop them.

In all, the Magic recorded 36 assists on 47 makes, a dominant display of passing and teamwork in a blowout victory. They had 30 assists on 38 field goal makes through three quarters.

Elfrid Payton recorded a triple double through three quarters, his fourth triple double in the last 10 games. Mario Hezonja and Nikola Vucevic each finished with six assists. And the Magic coasted to a rare blowout victory.

"“Everybody was touching it,” Payton told Orlando Magic Daily after the game. “We talked about moving the ball a little bit more. We did a good job against Charlotte too. Today we were able to get a bigger benefit from it because guys were knocking down shots. It was just a concerted effort.”"

The Magic tied their season high in assists with the 36 dishes. This game was not just about the passing and offense, though. The passes seemed to build off the effort the team put forward defensively. This was a complete game.

This was how the Magic were always meant to look, whipping the ball around the perimeter, in and out, finding the seam and the defense’s weak spot seemingly at every opportunity. Whether the team went over the top for alley oops or worked around screens for jumpers, the Magic made the right play over and over and over again.

There is no other way to explain the Magic’s play except to say it looked easy. It was beautiful basketball.

When Payton made his drive or dished to Nikola Vucevic, Fournier moved to fill the space and often found the pass. The Magic were playing with that joyous purpose they do when they are winning. This was a game that showed their potential.

"“It’s probably our best game as far as passing tonight,” Fournier told Orlando Magic Daily. “We had easy buckets on easy buckets because everyone was moving the ball and cutting with a purpose. We had fun playing tonight.”"

The plain fact is the Magic have had trouble offensively all year. They have one of the worst offenses in the league. Even since the All-Star Break when they supposedly created more space, the offense has had its struggles.

Offense remains a struggle. Passing with this much precision and aggression remains a struggle. Games like this provide hope that everything can click into place. The team can not only work together. But do so efficiently.

This style and this philosophy offensively can be contagious, Gordon said. It was the team simply playing basketball.

The Pistons are in a weird spot right now. They are struggling and they clearly were not connected. The Magic easily put them away and put their foot down in the second half.

But this was also Orlando asserting its dominance and playing the way it always imagined.

Next: Grades: Orlando Magic 115, Detroit Pistons 87

Gordon said Friday’s game was the Magic trusting the pass. No one cared about their numbers or anything else but helping each other succeed. That produced the outcome the Magic have so long desired.