Orlando Magic’s inconsistency a disappointing lack of leadership

The Orlando Magic struggled again to close a game and build off the momentum of their strong play. They reverted to bad habits as they dropped one.

The frustration was written all over coach Frank Vogel’s face in the postgame press conference. His short, clipped answers to questions also seemed to indicate something more frustrating beneath the surface.

At one point, he started a thought and trailed off. . . perhaps thinking better of what he might say publicly. His frustration though was clear. He could see this effort coming a mile away.

The Orlando Magic had the lead for nearly the entire game against the Sacramento Kings. Building off a hallmark win over the Boston Celtics and strong efforts against the Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers before that, it seemed like the Orlando Magic had turned a tiny corner. Enough to stay competitive and play with the right mindset and energy.

All that seemed to evaporate. When it came to winning time in the fourth quarter, the Magic’s inability to put the game away, their accumulated turnovers and poor defense all came to roost. The Magic got flooded by an inferior team and dropped a game they should have won, as bad as they played throughout.

"“We chose to play in traffic all night,” Vogel said. “We put our head down and drive into three guys.”"

That mentality was at the forefront of the team’s difficulties all night. The Magic saw poor performances from Aaron Gordon — 16 points on 6-for-17 shooting with 2-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc and seven turnovers — and Evan Fournier — 22 points on 7-for-17 and 2-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

Throughout the fourth quarter, the team was trying to force play to kick-start an offense that was struggling to generate easy baskets. That only made things more difficult.

Too often, the team was not moving the ball or sticking to isolation plays. Orlando had just two assists on six field goal makes. The few times the Magic did get good shots they often came from the pass.

Orlando Magic

That is a message that has been made to this team time and again. Too often it falls on deaf ears.

"“We know we can’t take anybody lightly,” Elfrid Payton said. “We know despite the fact, we played well the last couple games. It doesn’t give us the right to come in lackadaisical. Especially when even when we were playing well, we weren’t getting wins. To be honest, I did not have any concern.”"

Vogel had a reason for concern. He said he could see the team’s poor performance coming in practice Monday. The team he said tries to guard against looking past an opponent — the Kings are tied with the Magic for the worst record in the league — and respecting the opponent. That is just not what happened.

Orlando let Garrett Temple escape too often for open jumpers in his 17-point barrage, burning the Magic while the team failed to adjust. Too often it was someone missing a rotation or someone getting beat off the dribble. The little things that have plagued the Magic for so long.

This was the Magic team that has struggled for most of this season. Not the one that seemingly awoke in the last week. It felt like Orlando got a little too happy with itself following that big win, expecting to roll in the defeat the worst team in the league.

They lacked that fire the Kings had throughout. Too many guys wanted to do it alone.

"“Their switching turned us into one-on-one players and we’re not a one-on-one team,” Vogel said. “We don’t have guys that are going to go out there and get their own shot. That disrupted some of our rhythm. And we settled. We didn’t make great decisions in the fourth quarter either.”"

This is not a team that can settle. It is a message Vogel has hammered repeatedly throughout the season. It is a message coaches have hammered for the better part of five years.

Everyone could point their finger at something. The team struggled tagging roller and getting out to the 3-point line. Aaron Gordon said the team was not sharp. The team did not pay attention to detail throughout the game. Gordon blamed his turnovers on telegraphing his passes.

There was always something. But maybe Elfrid Payton is right that there is something a bit deeper. The team has struggled to find that extra bit of determination to pull through. Even when they are playing poorly and have a chance to win, they cannot take advantage of those moments.

That was this game for sure. The Magic were playing well enough to win despite their turnovers and they let the Kings go out and take the game.

It seems like the problems are deeply embedded and no one knows how to break that spell.

"“It’s super frustrating,” Payton said. “You talk about something that has been going on for four years now. It’s how much work you put in the offseason and practice to go out and get the same result. To get the same result was pretty disappointing.”"

Too often the team follows the same script. And it seemed Vogel was beside himself with frustration about it after the game.

His team did not have it late. They have not had it for a long time.

The confident platitudes continue from the players. Payton said he believes the Magic have enough offensively to win games, they just need to re-commit on the defensive end.

But consistency eludes this team.

That may not come until the Magic get something else. Something they are almost certainly lacking as they continue wild drives into the lane and eschew the ball movement that makes them a dangerous offensive team.

"“We need to see a lot more from guys,” Vogel said. “Leadership, consistency in their play, toughness. We have to guard our own man. We have to guard our own man. You have to bring more to the defensive end. I’m very disappointed in the defensive performance.”"

Next: Grades: Sacramento Kings 105, Orlando Magic 99

Right now, actions speak louder than words. And the Magic are still looking for the right verbiage.