Orlando Magic Grades: LA Clippers 106, Orlando Magic 96

Nikola Vucevic continues to put up some major numbers. He had 16 points and 24 rebounds in the game. The 24 rebounds were part of the Magic’s dominant start to the game. Nikola Vucevic quickly had 10 rebounds in the first quarter. His rebounding early in the game was vital to the team building the lead. He gobbled up every available rebound and locked down the paint.

But, as seems to be the trend of late, Vucevic fell back into bad habits. He was hanging back a bit too much and allowing penetration. While he was able to anticipate and recover better throughout the game, it did let Tobias Harris get to the basket for instance.

Vucevic still had a solid game. He also had eight assists, helping move the ball. The Magic tried to get him going in the post but the Clippers did a good job doubling and preventing the Magic from getting good shots through him in the second half.

Aaron Gordon continues to put up solid all-around games. His defense on Danilo Gallinari throughout the game was largely strong. And he helped keep Tobias Harris from scoring efficiently until Harris got things going in the second quarter with Aaron Gordon out of the game. His passing is solid still too. And he attacks the boards well.

For the first time in a while, Gordon seemed to be looking for his shot a whole lot more. He took 17 shots, which is the most he has had since Dec. 31 and just the second time he has taken 17 or more shots since Dec. 21. A guy we expected to be a high-usage player has struggled to keep himself involved offensively.

This game saw him force things a bit more. And that is part of the problem with the Magic’s offense in this game. Gordon got the ball a lot in late-clock situations and tried to drive into shot situations. He made just five of his 17 shots to score a team-high 17 points. This is part of Gordon figuring out his offensive role more even as the other parts of his game round into form.

One play aptly describes Jonathan Isaac‘s game. The Orlando Magic got the ball to Nikola Vucevic in the post and Danilo Gallinari was ready to crash in on him to double. The problem was Jonathan Isaac was his man and was wide open at the top of the key. This was a simple play for Vucevic. Flip the ball to Isaac at the top of the key and let him shoot. He had all the time and space in the world.

Isaac received the pass and paused. Gallinari recovered and that hesitation hurt the team. Isaac tried to take a dribble to get himself into a rhythm. And it was still no good. The biggest issue is that hesitation. The Magic had far too much of that as they missed more and more shots. But for Isaac particularly, this hesitation is bad.

Teams are starting to ignore Isaac on offense. His poor shooting percentage are catching up to him. He has to prove he can hit those shots. And that will not happen if he is not shooting confidently. It matters less that he shot 1 for 7. It is that he hesitated to keep shooting. Isaac is smart and will not be selfish with his shot selection. But when he passes up open shots, that is a problem.

On the other hand, Mohamed Bamba is starting to gain some confidence on the floor and make some major strides. He recently said the coaches gave him a bit more freedom to play his game, a wise move for a young player to play more on instinct. And that is paying off.

He had eight rebounds in his first seven minutes of play and recorded eight points and 10 boards for the game. He had a strong block that sparked a fast-break alley-oop to Jonathon Simmons in the second quarter. That confidence is indeed brimming for the young big man.

Mohamed Bamba obviously still has to learn the finer points of the league and his defensive assignments and coverages. He got muscled around and outmaneuvered by players like Marcin Gortat and Montrezl Harrell. But his latest run of play is extremely encouraging that he can make a bigger impact this season and he is grasping how he can make plays and how to trust his teammates.

The LA Clippers can wear down any team with its depth. They have a lot of very solid players and players who understand their roles. They keep etching and etching at a team until they break down, with enough big shot makers to pull things out in the crunch. The Orlando Magic are the latest victim.

This was not a clean game for the Clippers. They shot just 43.0 percent for the game and had only 23 free throw attempts — the Magic actually took more shots from the foul line. Orlando’s defense gave the team some problems and it was an uphill climb.

But the Clippers were able and ready to make that climb. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell did a good job working the pick and roll and they made key shots when they had to. This is the Clippers in a nutshell. They keep coming at a team until they find the crack to squeeze through.