Orlando Magic’s defense leads to the same result over and over

The Orlando Magic have struggled defensively throughout the year and those problems still come to the fore as the team sees deja vu in its results.

Evan Fournier was as exasperated as anything else following the Orlando Magic’s 117-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors at the Amway Center on Wednesday. He faced the media knowing exactly the questions that were coming.

Everyone on the Magic team seems able to identify the problems facing this team. They are as clear as day it seems.

The team does not move the ball with the pass on offense all the time, devolving into one-on-one basketball. And then on defense, the team simply is not good enough, giving up drives to the paint and scores of easy baskets.

These are the problems of a team with the worst record in the league — confirmed following the Atlanta Hawks’ win in combination with the Orlando Magic loss.

The same problems keep popping up with no simple solutions in sight.

"“We kind of lose the same way every night,” Evan Fournier said. “I feel like we start well, we’re playing good and in the third quarter or fourth, we let them get on a run and never recover from it. They get too comfortable. Once the lead is up to eight or seven, it just keeps growing and we’re never able to come back and have a close game.”"

This game did have a familiar whiff compared to the other games the Magic have played since the All-Star Break.

None bigger than the team’s poor defense, once again making the Magic’s strong offensive showing inconsequential. That 37-point first quarter? The defense left the Magic down by five and chasing the Raptors’ lead for much of the game.

Orlando gave up 118.7 points per 100 possessions to Toronto in Wednesday’s loss. The Raptors shot 54.2 percent from the floor and 12 for 30 from beyond the arc.  They scored 58 points in the paint.

Since the All-Star Break, the Magic have given up 116.1 points per 100 possessions and a 56.0 percent effective field goal percentage. Teams are scoring at will against the Magic since the break.

"“Defensively is where the game was lost the entire night,” coach Frank Vogel said. “We did some positive things on the offensive end. We just don’t show enough resistance defending the paint and keeping our man in front of us. It’s been costly.”"

None of this is new, of course. The Magic have struggled on defense all year.

Orlando is giving up 109.1 points per 100 possessions, 27th in the league, this season. Making matters worse, the Magic give up 49.5 points in the paint per game, the most in the league.

Teams find it easy to parade into the lane or pick up rebounds — the Magic have the second-worst defensive rebounding rate in the league — and score easy baskets. That was the case throughout Wednesday’s game. The Raptors worked the drive and kick game and then turned misses into fast-break opportunities too.

Toronto got into the lane and collapsed the defense far too easily. It is not that Orlando is always in the wrong position, but too often players get beat off the dribble, the help is too late and the team struggles to scramble consistently.

All signs of a team that is playing poorly defensively.

"“It’s not really that much if we are doing enough drills or not, it’s about us just doing it and competing out there,” Nikola Vucevic said. “It’s not always going to be perfect. The plan is not going to be executed to the last detail all the time. Players are good in this league and they will figure out our coverages eventually. It’s on you as players to make the extra effort. A lot of times that’s what it takes.”"

This is the reality of the Magic’s situation and season. The question that might remain is what is there left to do about it.

Vogel built his reputation with the Indiana Pacers on the defensive end. While you can certainly point to individual defensive improvement from several players, the team has not been able to put things together.

Certainly, the Magic have poor rim protection when Nikola Vucevic is in. And he has regressed some on defense since returning from his injury. That has not helped matters, but the Magic are still better with Nikola Vucevic on the floor defensively — the Magic have a 124.2 defensive rating with Bismack Biyombo on the floor.

Vogel said he has had the Magic working through more drill work to try to fix the defense. The ever-optimistic Vogel is still trying to lay down things for his team to build from.

He claimed the Magic are doing more drill work than any other team although Vucevic said he did not notice anything unusual. It suggests maybe the Magic are focusing on fundamentals in a way that is unusual for this point in the season.

Vogel has spoken at the depths of the team’s defensive despair about the team needing to do simple things — such as boxing out — to get over the hump. It seems much of that is still a work in progress.

Everyone has their suggestions for improvement. Vucevic suggested sticking to the gameplan more. Fournier suggested being more aggressive and trying to dictate play a little bit more physically.

Orlando Magic

Vogel’s response seems to be about drill work and creating habits through practice. And perhaps the Magic could be simply regaining trust as they brought back two players healthy for the first time in several weeks.

All of it is likely useful.

Orlando could receive a big defensive boost with Jonathan Isaac‘s return. Frank Vogel has called Jonathan Isaac one of the Magic’s best perimeter defenders.

It could even be as simple as wanting to be better defensively.

"“It is very important definitely,” Fournier said of having players who just want to defend better. “But it’s not everything. We have to be on the same page all five of us. We can have one guy who is very motivated, but if the coverage is not good or the help is not good then it won’t even matter. We have to be sure we are on the same page.”"

Getting on the same page would undoubtedly help too. Too often there are players seemingly trying to communicate after they make a mistake.

It is hard to see the Magic going anywhere with this defensive component lagging so far behind this year. The team has lost plenty of games because of their defensive issues.

Orlando might be a better offensive team than a lot of people give them credit for. But even Vucevic recognizes the team cannot outscore opponents and expect to win too often.

"“It’s been an issue for us all year long,” Vucevic said. “We have to do a better job defensively, follow the game plan and just compete out there. Make the extra play and make the extra effort. I feel like we don’t do enough of those things consistently.”"

Once again, the team is stuck. It knows the team needs to improve the defense. They can even offer suggestions how. But the action is still lagging behind.

Next: Grades: Toronto Raptors 117, Orlando Magic 104

And so too will the wins and the team’s ultimate development. Until then, the same results will keep occurring.