Five Orlando Magic takeaways from NBA Summer League

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 8: Melvin Frazier Jr. #35 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 8, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Defense will be Orlando Magic’s calling card

Shooting was not the only problem for the Orlando Magic offensively — last year or in Summer League.

And with the moves the Magic made this offseason, it is hard to say they addressed that issue very much.

Instead, it seems like the Magic are going to focus on establishing an identity first. Then they will look to add pieces to bolster against any weaknesses. The roster that will take the floor in October is not a complete picture by any means.

The identity that Steve Clifford, Pat Delany and the Magic are putting together is clearly one built on defense. That was evident by the way the Magic played and the team they fielded and the players they picked throughout this summer. Orlando wants versatile, lengthy defenders to form the basis for their team.

That was the case throughout the Summer League too.

The team seemed a bit disorganized offensively throughout the Summer League. It was not just a matter of the team’s lack of spacing or shooting. the team did not seem to have a lot of offense installed. The team showed its most complex sets as it tried to get Mohamed Bamba and Jonathan Isaac some post-ups in the opener and the 4/5 pick and rolls they ran between them in that game.

Otherwise, it did not feel like the team had much focus on offense. Success for this team was based on their defensive ability and intensity throughout the entire week.

From that perspective, the Magic have to feel like they were fairly successful. Even in the loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Suns shot worse than 40 percent. It was still a good defensive effort — the team’s offensive execution was just that poor.

This makes sense. Clifford’s Charlotte Hornets teams were well known for their defensive ability. They were top 10 in defensive rating in every year but one — last year — under Clifford. That is something Clifford is going to expect from his team. And that is a very big part of the culture he is going to build.

If Orlando puts in the defensive effort the Summer League team put in, the team will have the beginnings of that defensive culture Clifford wants to build.

It is through this prism it is easy to see Summer League as a success.