Bismack Biyombo’s defense key to fulfilling Orlando Magic’s vision

Bismack Biyombo has been tough to figure this year and he remains so now in the starting lineup. What is clear is his defense can change the Orlando Magic.

With about three minutes to play in the second quarter, the Miami Heat were trying to make a run and close the gap against the Orlando Magic. They thought they had a clear path to the rim and the basket for an easy layup and a chance to steal momentum away.

That is where Bismack Biyombo rose to meet the offensive player. With two hands, he pinned the ball against the backboard and quickly gained possession. He forwarded the ball to Evan Fournier who started a fast break. The ball found Aaron Gordon open on the wing for three.

The shot was of course good. Biyombo, waving two fingers to energize the crowd, had energized his team too.

The Magic in that second quarter, building a 16-point halftime lead, were realizing their potential. The vision coach Frank Vogel had for his team was built on moments like this. A defensive stop generating energy and getting the team out in transition. That transition funneling into an open 3-pointer or dunk. And the whole thing repeating.

That was how the Magic planned to adjust and evolve. A simple formula that seemed to fit their entire roster. Or at least a good chunk of it.

In a season that has seen the Magic seeming fall flat on their face, this moment felt like a bit of fresh air. Coming out of a second nine-game losing streak, the Magic seemed lifeless. Now they seem to have life again.

And, at least the shaping of an identity.

Most of that credit should go to the return of Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon. Getting the team’s top two scorers back from injury has helped the team recover from this general malaise.

But the thing that has perhaps surprised most for the Magic lately has come from Biyombo. That defensive presence — the one the Magic essentially paid $17 million per year for last summer — does have a measured effect with the starting lineup.

There is no denying, Biyombo can be a bit of a drain on the team. Orlando has a -12.7 net rating with Biyombo on the floor. The statistical difference defensively with him and Nikola Vucevic are virtually negligible while the 94.4 offensive rating is abysmally bad.

Orlando Magic

That was mostly with bench units though. Biyombo has stepped up his game with the starting lineup.

In the week since Nikola Vucevic’s injury (all of three games, so small sample size alert), the Magic have a -11.4 net rating with Bismack Biyombo on the floor. The offense has gotten slightly better at 99.1 points per 100 possessions. The defense has struggled some — a product of poor defensive efforts in the fourth quarter Tuesday and Saturday against the Heat.

But it is also abundantly clear, the Magic can become a much different team thanks to Biyombo’s defensive efforts. He supercharges the fast break with his shot blocking and he is a threat opposing guards have to consider as they drive into the paint. It has proven to be a big difference.

Biyombo has tallied 10 blocks in the last three games. He has totaled 35 rebounds too. Those little plays make a big difference for the team.

Surprisingly, the Magic have not seen any uptick in pace — they are playing at a really slow 97.5 possessions per 48 minutes in the three games since Vucevic went down, although playing against the Heat twice has a lot to do with that. But the team has seen a spike in fast break points to 16.7 fast-break points per game.

This is a general trend the Magic want to see happen. And with Orlando scoring 24 fast-break points in the first half of Saturday’s game alone, it is easy to see how this interconnectivity between Biyombo’s defensive presence (and the Magic’s defense as a whole) and transition opportunities. That is what a rim-protecting center can provide.

But like with all things with the Magic, it is the lack of consistency that has hurt the team.

In Saturday’s game, the Heat took control in the second half as they made shot after shot. The chances to run dried up. And Biyombo, for all his defensive prowess, was not able to make many stops defensively on his own.

The Magic still had a horrid 120.4 defensive rating with Biyombo on the floor.

It all is a part of a picture of a team that is a puzzle. A team that is not able to play at a high level within that preferred identity for long. Or at least not long enough to win.

The observation that the team is better defensively with Biyombo seems right. His shot blocking and rim protection can energize the team. The Magic had an 87.4 defensive rating with Biyombo on the floor in the first half Saturday. That is when he tallied all four of his blocks and the Magic played extremely well on that end.

The second half was a different story with Tyler Johnson and Goran Dragic parading to the basket. Orlando could not get the transition opportunities that feed the offense. Even with a strong field goal percentage, the Magic’s offense became a grind.

That is not the way for this team to be successful. It was predictable the Magic would struggle down the stretch when they needed to execute. Biyombo is still a drain on the halfcourt.

It might still be too early to draw too many conclusions with a new lineup, but it is fair to say Vucevic still gives the Magic a bit more consistency.

But it is also clear the Magic benefit greatly from Biyombo’s rim protection when everyone is dialed in defensively. As they were in Thursday’s win over the Detroit Pistons. And as they were in the first half against the Miami Heat.

Next: Grades: Miami Heat 117, Orlando Magic 111

Here a clear identity emerges. And that is the first step to building winning habits and building a winning team.