Orlando Magic Daily
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Five concerning statistics for the Orlando Magic in 2018

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 20: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the game on March 20, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 20: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the game on March 20, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 26: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic goes up for a lay up against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 26, 2016 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Pythagorean Wins: 24

The Orlando Magic were a bit of a statistical anomaly last year. Their statistical profile did not meet that of a team that should have won 29 games.

Yes, the analytics would suggest Orlando was even worse than it actually played last year. That is not a good sign, of course, for the Magic. They did not make a ton of changes to the roster.

Orlando’s five-win differential between their Pythagorean wins and their actual wins was the most in the NBA last season. It shows that there are plenty of ways for a season to be variable and a statistical profile is not enough to determine a record.

It is likely, the Magic’s all-too-frequent 30-point losses may have skewed the statistics against the Magic. Or maybe it is that Orlando was better in close games than might otherwise be expected. The players and coaches will not care what the Pythagorean wins say, what matters is getting actual wins.

But critics of the Magic are armed with this information that Orlando outperformed their statistics. To them, maybe this is a reason to say the Magic are improved but that they will not improve their win total. A 29-win season in their eyes would be an improvement over last season.

This would suggest the Magic have to do double duty to make up ground to compete for the Playoffs.

Then again, the Magic were a completely different team after the All-Star Break, so it would seem you have to cut the Magic season in two.

Even there, there are signs of concern.

Orlando went only 8-16 in the 24 games after the All-Star Break and the Serge Ibaka trade. Observers would largely say they played better in that stretch. But a .333 win percentage equals only 27.3 wins in an 82-game season. Again, Orlando has its work cut out for it.

That includes that supposedly optimistic post-All-Star Break run. The Magic’s play after the break gave them only 7.2 Pythagorean wins, according to Basketball-Reference’s formula. So the Magic’s record was a pretty fair reflection of their play after the All-Star Break.

Is improving their bench enough to get the job done? That is one of the big questions facing the Magic this season.