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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Quarter season review

By Philip Rossman-Reich

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 24: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball during the game against Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics on November 24, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 24: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball during the game against Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics on November 24, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic, Ersan Ilyasova, Atlanta Hawks
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 9: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic blocks a shot against the Atlanta Hawks on December 9, 2017 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The defense is obviously a huge issue for the Magic. What is the best way to resolve it in the second quarter of the season?

Scricca: It is hard to say given all the injury issues. A trade or lineup change (like switching Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo in the rotation) might help. But ultimately the first thing that needs to be fixed is the defensive rebounding issues. It does not matter how many missed shots you force if your opponent gets the ball right back anyway. The Magic, in theory, have enough guys who can crash the glass — Nikola Vucevic, Bismack Biyombo, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, etc. — to where this should not be as big of a problem as it is. There needs to be a bigger emphasis on boxing out and hustling for misses, as simplistic as that may sound.

Rossman-Reich: Aside from getting healthy, as Ricky said, the defense is a really difficult nut to crack. The team obviously has some defensive shortcomings and players who are clearly not the best defensively. Saying the team needs to play with more effort and intensity is too nebulous for me. The Magic can still do some schematic things to improve on defense. The reality is the Magic do not need to be a dominant defensive team. They just need to be league average. And with enough focus and commitment, there is no reason to think they cannot do that. Getting Jonathan Isaac back would also be a huge help. He could get added to the starting lineup and give the team the length it needs to switch more effectively. A lot of the Magic’s problems are just attention to detail and communication.

Palmer: There are so many problems that I am not sure there is much Orlando can do that does not involve trading a bunch of players. Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier just cannot defend all that well right now. Jonathon Simmons has lost a semblance of defensive ability he showed with the San Antonio Spurs. Potentially a result of expending a lot more energy on offense. Nikola Vucevic has shown the ability to defend the pick and roll, but his effort wavers and the results can be disastrous for Orlando. Honestly, from a roster standpoint, there are just too many defensively challenged players for Orlando to improve too much on defense.

Doyle: Orlando does not have the roster to be a top-tier defensive team. It is always hard to call out a player’s effort, but I feel like the Magic go on stretches where they are not very engaged defensively. If Frank Vogel can somehow get the team to ramp up their intensity on defense, I think visible improvements can be made. Unfortunately, it likely will not be enough to put Orlando in the conversation with the NBA’s best units.