Orlando Magic’s bench providing a spark, but starters still needed
The Orlando Magic’s bench has taken a step up and played better in this improved stretch. It emphasizes how much the team needs its starters.
In two defensive plays, the Orlando Magic had found their spark to take a 47-46 lead over the Washington Wizards in the second quarter.
Wesley Iwundu got a steal and started a fast break, finishing with a difficult lay-in through traffic. It is the kind of play the rookie has become known and reliable for this year. Make the energy play on defense and finish at the other end.
Then Shelvin Mack was able to sneak past Bradley Beal for a steal. He took the 2-on-1 fast break himself and finished around Beal. The Magic had their lead.
Then the Magic re-inserted their starters. And the energy slowly dissipated.
The Wizards went on a 13-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to take a double-digit lead they would never give up. Coach Frank Vogel ended up pulling all of his starters a mere three minutes into the third quarter with his team trailing by 15 points. The Magic were not happy with the energy from their starters and they were seeking a spark from anywhere.
It was an instructive moment.
The Magic’s bench has played well of late and provided the team with a nice boost. Orlando has gotten a lot from their limited depth. Young players have come into their own and the lineup combinations Vogel has used, as odd as they seem at times, have largely worked.
But they are going nowhere without strong play from the starters. The Magic simply are not good enough. And the split between the Magic’s starters and the Magic’s bench in Saturday’s 115-98 loss to the Wizards was evident.
As much as plus/minus can tell anyone anything, it is telling all five of Orlando’s starters had a plus/minus of at least -10. Meanwhile, the Magic’s key reserve players had a plus/minus no worse than -3.
Orlando’s bench lineup — featuring D.J. Augustin, Shelvin Mack, Wesley Iwundu, Mario Hezonja and Khem Birch — was largely responsible for getting the team back into the game and a brief one-point lead.
Orlando Magic
Injuries have stretched the Magic’s depth very thin all year. The team has rarely been able to play at full strength and have players in their proper roles. Jonathan Isaac has been out since November. Shelvin Mack has had to play a lot of shooting guard to fill in for the injured Terrence Ross. Bismack Biyombo is starting. Marreese Speights has had to play heavy minutes.
None of it is ideal. It is no wonder the Magic have a bench that ranks 22nd in net efficiency according to HoopsStats, entering Saturday’s game.
In the last 10 games, the bench has played significantly better. Orlando’s bench has climbed to second in net efficiency, outscoring opponents by 11.2 points per 100 possessions. Scoring 40.1 points per game off the bench is a huge boost.
So why then are the Magic still struggling to win? If players like D.J. Augustin and Mario Hezonja are scoring so effectively and getting good boosts from Shelvin Mack and Marreese Speights, why are the Magic not seeing the results come through?
Saturday saw the Magic’s bench again perform well. Beyond the plus-minus, Orlando got 41 points off the bench. Hezonja was essentially playing starter’s minutes as Vogel made a last-minute decision to stick with Speights in the starting lineup. He scored 15 points to lead the Magic, playing with confidence the team has not seen from him.
Ultimately, a team will rely more heavily on its starters for minutes. And so a team will rise and fall with its starting unit. And the starting unit has struggled through this stretch.
The starters in the previous 10 games have a -12.6 net efficiency according to HoopStats.com. They give away more than the starters can make up. That is why the Magic have continued to lose despite any offensive revival or better overall player.
The Magic seem to be reaping the rewards of improved depth, but they cannot get the support from their supposed best players.
No one would suggest the Magic should flip their lineups. Perhaps Orlando could mix up its rotations some and play guys like Mario Hezonja or Khem Birch more. Players who provide some clear energy. Iwundu, another young player, also seems owed a bit more of a leash and more minutes. That may happen after the trade deadline.
Injuries continue to be a story for the starters too. This is not the lineup the Magic hoped to trot out. They seem to be counting the days for Aaron Gordon to return from his strained hip flexor and provide some better balance to the power forward position. And Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac do not seem that much further behind him — perhaps another week away from playing again.
Their returns would inject the team with some much-needed talent. Some of the best players on the team. And from there, the lineup can return to some balance.
If the bench continues this play, adding more talent will lead to some more difficult decision for Vogel on how to manage the rotation, but also more weapons to turn toward. The Magic have always been searching for something to work, scrambling to seek combinations that work. It has not always worked this well for Orlando.
The bench now is doing its part for the Magic. The rotation has settled down enough that Orlando has put together a strong group to support itself off the bench. It has done enough to help deliver the Magic a few wins and keep the team in games. A better bench is a better chance to win.
Next: Grades: Washington Wizards 115, Orlando Magic 98
But the Magic continue to go nowhere without more consistency from the starting lineup. A lineup that works better together and plays better together for the majority of those “starter’s minutes” is the key to taking the next step.