Trends that will follow the Orlando Magic through the 2018 season
By Ryan Doyle
After a shocking 4-1 start, what trends in the Orlando Magic’s game will carry them through the long NBA season? Can they keep this up?
The Orlando Magic have gotten off to a hot start. At 4-1, Orlando has put together amazing offensive performances, allowing them to blowout two Goliaths in the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Through the first five games, trends have started to appear. Playing fast and shooting well from the outside has been commonplace for the Magic as the season tips off.
Of course, not every statistic is going to translate throughout an 82-game season. But based on past history and this current roster’s play style, it is clear to see where Orlando will thrive throughout their season.
First and foremost, Aaron Gordon is going to take the NBA by storm this season. He has the confidence to make transition 3-pointers. His otherworldly 59.5 percent field goal percentage, including his 73 percent from beyond the arc will last forever. Still, it is clear Aaron Gordon is a different player this season. The Magic are going to go as far as he can take them.
Gordon has remained strong defensively. As he continues to develop his offensive game, All-Star status will be on the forefront. His 23.7 points per game have a huge outlier in his 41-point effort, but Gordon has been solid overall, even in his other two games.
Alongside Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic is proving he belongs. The longest-tenured player on the roster, Nikola Vucevic has played lights out. He may not put up the fantastic scoring totals all year. But it looks like he is hitting jumpers at an impressive rate.
Finally, Evan Fournier is going to be a top contributor on offense. His 56.0 3-point percentage is impossible to maintain, but even at 40 percent, Evan Fournier will be a dangerous player. A career 38 percent 3-point shooter, Fournier dropping 20 points per contest is hard to beat.
His scoring is up from last year. But more importantly, his efficiency is through the roof. He seems like he will score more effectively with the new spacing in this offense than he did throughout last year.
Orlando Magic
Offensive success for the Magic relies on how well these three play. With a big leap from Gordon and steady play from Fournier and Vucevic, the Magic offense is going to hold their own.
It appears these three players are going to be consistent contributors. Something that has escaped the Magic for years. They may not be superstars, but having a few options during crunch-time should make a difference in a weak Eastern Conference.
Scoring at least 114 points in each of their games so far this season, the Magic offense has been firing on all cylinders. Most of this can be attributed to their fast-paced style. Currently, the Magic rank fourth in pace of play. They average about 103.4 possessions per game and have been extremely efficient on that end.
It follows Orlando is hitting shots at a high rate. That is the surprising part. The Magic were not expected to be such a hot-shooting team.
Shooting just worse than 50 (49.8) percent, the Magic are one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to field goal percentage. This is a huge jump from last season when Orlando was ranked 28th.
With Orlando bound to see a dip in the team’s field goal efficiency, its pace of play may keep the offense alive throughout the season. The Magic have one of the most athletic rosters in the league. After a stop, every player knows, it is time to run.
Along with Orlando’s torrid pace, the team’s ability to protect the basketball is huge.
Only six teams have fewer turnovers than the Magic. This is key for a team that is going to be pushing the ball in transition. Even with Elfrid Payton dealing with some nagging injuries, Orlando rarely makes mistakes.
Even if the tremendous shooting numbers take a dip, the Magic will be able to push the ball and use their smart, team-oriented play style to win games.
On the other side of the ball, Orlando should continue its strong perimeter defense as the team’s guard depth appears much better with Jonathon Simmons now in the fold.
With Frank Vogel in charge, Orlando is going to pride itself on playing strong defense. Without context, the Magic’s defense looks pretty bad on paper. They have given up 107.2 points per game.
To start the year that is a concern, but with how well the Magic are shooting the ball, it has not hurt them yet. When the season begins to heat up, Orlando should step their defensive intensity up as well.
In today’s NBA, the Magic must shut down the 3-point shot. So far this season they have. Opponents are shooting a horrid 27 percent against them. Forcing the ball inside will lead to teams having to challenge a much improved Vucevic down low.
Outside of the Magic’s struggles defending without fouling and sending teams to the foul line, the defense has been solid. Albeit with plenty of room to grow.
Many of the team’s defensive numbers in the first five games are skewed by two games against the Brooklyn Nets, another team that plays at a break-neck pace and scores a lot of points in transition.
In all, the Magic are still ninth in the league in defensive efficiency so far this season, giving up 99.3 points per 100 possessions. Orlando is hardly struggling on defense despite some signs of needed improvement.
One of the biggest issues for Orlando last season was their bench play. The Magic added a few pieces to their bench and it appears to have helped.
Jonathon Simmons and rookie Jonathan Isaac have brought a much-needed boost to the second unit. With more talent around him, D.J. Augustin has also stepped his game up. When the starters build up a lead, the bench is no longer immediately falling behind.
There is still plenty of work to do, but hopefully, more rotational pieces can begin to etch themselves a role.
These are all strong early signs for the Magic. No one is expecting all of these indicators to continue indefinitely. Orlando still has a lot of improvement to go. Teams will slowly catch on.
Next: Orlando Magic know defense must continue improvement
But these early indicators have put the Magic at 4-1 and squarely in some early season conversations. Continuing these trends will be key to the Magic’s ultimate success.