Orlando Magic Daily
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Five Reasons to be optimistic about the 2018 Orlando Magic

By Ricky Scricca

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 22: Jonathon Simmons #17 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 22, 2017 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 22: Jonathon Simmons #17 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 22, 2017 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jonathan Isaac, Florida State Seminoles, Duke Blue Devils
DURHAM, NC – FEBRUARY 28: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Florida State Seminoles dunks the ball as Amile Jefferson #21 of the Duke Blue Devils watches on during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 28, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Improved depth

The Magic’s best lineups really were not all that bad last season.

The team’s most common five-man lineup was Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, Terrence Ross and Nikola Vucevic with 410 total minutes. It had a positive net rating, outscoring opponents by an average of 1.4 points per 100 possessions according to NBA stats.

Those five started most of the team’s games after the All-Star break. It was a fast, efficient offensive lineup that could rebound. Its scoring counterbalanced mediocre defense.

Bench lineups, on the other hand, were an unmitigated disaster all season long.

Whatever good the Magic got out of its starters was often outweighed by the bench. Jeff Green, D.J. Augustin, C.J. Watson and Mario Hezonja were the common denominators of lineups that got absolutely pounded on both ends of the court.

Per NBA stats, there were 15 lineups in the NBA last season with more than 100 total minutes and a net rating worse than -10. The Magic had three of them. No other team had more than two.

No team can afford to give so many minutes to lineups that perform so poorly. Not even teams who spent most of 2017 trying to lose on purpose, like the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, managed to roll out lineups that bad so often.

Fortunately, the Magic will not have that problem again in 2018.

Those four players will all either be off the roster or replaced in the rotation by the time next season tips off. In their place will be capable defenders who, even if they disappoint, will be better on both ends.

Giving Frank Vogel more pieces to work with should go a long way, especially because those pieces are versatile. There are several players on the roster now who can play and guard multiple positions, both off the bench and in the starting lineup. There will be fewer liabilities and question marks and a lot more energy and flexibility.

There are not any superstars or even any borderline All-Stars on this team, but maintaining a lead will be easier. So will Vogel’s job.

The Magic will be able to give more minutes to decent players and fewer to bad players in 2018. Vogel has a year under his belt experimenting with lineups and getting a feel for his players (Aaron Gordon is definitively a power forward again). He found a good starting lineup at the end of last year, and now he can roll out some decent bench units.

The team’s worst five-man lineups will still have negative net ratings. But they will be closer to neutral when balanced out with its best lineups. That alone will win the Magic a few extra games.