Orlando Magic 2017 Season Review: Top 10 Games of 2017

December 6, 2016

At this stage of the season, the Orlando Magic were still defensive juggernauts. They were just arriving off avenging an early season blowout to the Detroit Pistons, winning their final trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The team had established a shaky identity. Orlando kept scores low, unable to score but stopping everything else in its tracks. The Magic could rely on their defense.

That made this game — the final game in a five-game road trip — an odd outlier. For the first time in five games and the second time in 12 games, the Magic gave up 100-plus points. More surprisingly, they won and kept pace.

This with John Wall on an all-out assault, scoring 52 points. Elfrid Payton kept up his end of the bargain, scoring 25 points and dishing out nine assists off the bench.

The bench just was on a tear this game.

In addition to Payton’s 25 points, Jeff Green scored 20 off the bench, Jodie Meeks added 18 and Nikola Vucevic had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. All four players off the bench scored in double figures.

Orlando withstood the barrage from Wall for an 124-116 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The questions surrounding Payton were at their loudest at this point in the season. Vogel, hoping to add more balance to his starting lineup and inject some more offense, moved Payton to the bench in favor of D.J. Augustin.

That move did not help the defense — nor really the offense — but it felt justified considering Payton’s continued struggles on both ends. It was clear the lack of spacing with the Magic’s two bigs in the paint. Payton was not nearly as aggressive getting to the basket as he would become later in the year.

There was still a lot of feeling out and growing this team needed to do. And the Magic needed to figure out how to get the most out of Payton.

This game served a reminder of exactly what Payton could do when he was playing at his best.

"Payton proved in just a half’s work exactly what makes him a special player for the Orlando Magic. Still a player who makes the Magic better when he is playing at a high level. One that can take the Magic’s to a higher level when his offense is working because of his playmaking ability. His career high quickly fell in the second half as Payton finished the game with 25 points, leading the Magic to a 124-116 win over the Washington Wizards. Payton shot 9 for 12 from the floor, making all three of his 3-pointers and all four of his free throws. Payton was about as perfect offensively as he could be."

Payton’s play remained inconsistent until the Magic traded Serge Ibaka and downsized their offense, spreading the floor more for Payton to attack quickly off the dribble and get to the basket.

The defense never returned after this game. This win proved to be the last moment of true hope for the team. Orlando scored and won a nice road game to end the road trip. But their defense was never the same, giving up 100-plus points in the next nine games and 21 of the next 22 games.

The defense was never the same again.