Orlando Magic Daily
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Five questions for the 2017-18 Orlando Magic’s second quarter

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (2) goes for a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Amway Center Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. The Warriors beat the Magic 133-112.(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)
Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (2) goes for a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Amway Center Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. The Warriors beat the Magic 133-112.(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /
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Jonathon Simmons, Orlando Magic, Jerryd Bayless, Philadelphia 76ers
PHILADELPHIA,PA – NOVEMBER 25 : Jonathon Simmons #17 of the Orlando Magic smiles against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on November 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Can the Orlando Magic bring their defense back?

At the beginning of the season, the Orlando Magic were playing some stellar defense. Stellar may not have been the right word, but it was at least effective. The team has always been near the bottom of the league in points allowed in the paint and in defensive rebound rate.

So the team never played like the top defense they rated out as for much of the early part of the season. The team was going to crash once opponents started hitting 3-pointers (a largely random statistic in the long run that can have wild fluctuations).

But Orlando’s defense crashed to end the first quarter of the season. The Magic are ranked 21st in the league in defensive rating. Since Nov. 1, Orlando is 27th in the league in defensive rating. They are giving up 109.9 points per 100 possessions in that time.

That is . . . not good.

And really this is the difference in the Magic since the fast start. Their offense has chugged along. It has its hiccups and cannot sustain itself at a high level for 48 minutes. But the offense is essentially a league average offense. That is good for this team and should be enough.

If only the defense were good enough.

Some of that has to do with the team losing its two best defenders to injury. The Magic have been significantly better defensively with Jonathan Isaac and Terrence Ross on the floor. Orlando needs those two players on the floor to help support the team.

A lot of fans have started to take out the pitchforks for some familiar faces who have always struggled on that end — read: Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier.

This team is probably not going to be an elite defensive team. But they at least need to be passable. The Magic have to put up a little bit of resistance. Especially early in games where they can set the tone. This Orlando team struggles to come from behind.

And most importantly, the Magic need their defense to help steady the ship. They let their defense slip especially when teams make a bigger run against them. The Magic have to find some resolve.

That comes from defense. If the Magic want to be a Playoff team, it will have to start there.