Orlando Magic hope to turn defense from weakness to strength

The Orlando Magic wanted to build themselves defensively last season. Their struggles last year feed their desire to turn it into a strength this year.

Coach Frank Vogel and the Orlando Magic last year sought to build themselves as a defensive team. The team definitely tailored its roster that way with two defensive-minded bigs as the biggest acquisitions. Vogel joked at that time the Magic might have to win some games scoring in the 80s.

That joke proved to be all too true through the first quarter of the season. Orlando, indeed, had to win a few games with the score in the 80s or low 90s. But the defense was working too. Orlando had begun to carve out a defensive identity through 20-or-so games.

Then it all collapsed. Suddenly.

The Magic went from one of the best defensive teams in the league to one of the worst. Orlando finished last season 24th in the league in defensive rating, giving up 108.0 points per 100 possessions. After the All-Star Break, the Magic were 25th in the league, giving up 109.9 points per 100 possessions.

Either way the team cuts it, the Magic’s struggles last year were as much about how poor the defense worked together as it was about how the team fit together overall and some of the personnel changes.

With Vogel’s strong defensive reputation, it makes sense that defense is a focus early on in camp and for the team was a whole.

"“I think we are making strides,” Elfrid Payton told Orlando Magic Daily after Wednesday’s practice. “We are definitely better than we were yesterday. That’s the goal every day. I have seen some flashes.”"

Elfrid Payton said at Media Day the Magic had to be better on the defensive end, calling it the team’s Achilles heel. He said the team found a better offensive rhythm and improved on that end.

The defense remained a major problem for the team.

There were certainly several breakdowns defensively last year. The backstop of having a rim protector in Serge Ibaka or Bismack Biyombo was not enough to lift the defense up. Poor perimeter defense often blew up the team’s rotations and opponents took advantage.

Orlando Magic

That still happened even after the trade and the Magic downsized their lineups. For instance, while the Magic’s starting lineup was stellar offensively, it was hardly strong defensively. The lineup gave up 110 points per 100 possessions.

While Orlando found a distinct style that seemed to make the team more modern and aesthetically pleasing, the team still had work to clean up the defensive side of the ball.

The work to correct those defensive struggles are coming in the early days of camp and throughout.

Vogel was not ready to comment on the team’s progress on that end through three practices. He said he is putting his emphasis on installing the team’s defensive principles and system. Measuring the progress will come once preseason games begin.

There is no denying the importance of playing well on defense, especially at point guard where Payton has struggled most. Improving the team’s defense this coming year is a high priority.

"“We have to get better on the perimeter than we were last year,” Vogel told Orlando Magic Daily after practice Wednesday. “The head of the snake on your defensive teams is the point guard. He is picking up the ball and pressuring and setting the tone. He is definitely a focal point and a big part of this.”"

Part of the reason the Magic originally drafted Payton was because of his defensive prowess. He won the Lefty Driesell Award as the nation’s top defensive player in college in 2014. But he struggled to establish himself defensively at the NBA level.

Payton posted 2.0 defensive win shares and had a 0.2 defensive box plus-minus last year, according to Basketball-Reference. Average numbers around the league. But a step in the right direction after a difficult 2016 season.

Payton could certainly stand to improve on the defensive end. But so could everyone else on the team.

Aaron Gordon was the team’s best overall perimeter defender and Nikola Vucevic had his best defensive season by many metrics, but both could still use some improvement. The team brought in a strong defender in Jonathon Simmons and a player with a strong defensive reputation to help bolster the team’s perimeter defense.

It will still take everyone working together to get the defense back on track.

"“I think the key to the defense is being together,” Evan Fournier told Orlando Magic Daily after practice Wednesday. “I always say when you have one guy killing you offensively, you can always find ways to score. But defensively, it’s really teamwork. If one guy is slipping or not paying attention or being lazy, the whole defense is messed up. It’s really teamwork and communication is the key. And taking advantage of our speed.”"

The Magic will be trying to build themselves back up defensively. It is one of the biggest tasks facing the team this season and in camp especially.

Next: Orlando Magic must repair national reputation

That work is just beginning. The focus is clear for the team to build that reputation back up. Vogel has his defensive reputation to reclaim and a familiar roster to reclaim it with.