Orlando Magic continue riding with improvement of young players

Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford said players would get better as the season went on. The team is reaping those benefits now.

Wesley Iwundu did not have a great first half Saturday night. He missed all three of his shots and committed three fouls in 8:19 of play. The Brooklyn Nets were able to attack him throughout their strong second quarter and Iwundu could not become much of a factor offensively.

Wesley Iwundu is still in his second year and so some inconsistency is to be expected. Not every game is going to be a winner for him. It is the general trends in his play that remain encouraging.

Or how he turned things around in the second half.

Iwundu was a clear difference maker in the third quarter as the Orlando Magic retook the lead and raced ahead for a 102-89 victory.

He scored seven straight points, shooting with comfort and confidence and driving to the basket for a few tough finishes. Then he showed a lot more defensively, helping stop and slow down the Nets throughout that critical point in the game.

No play may have shown that grit more than what he did after banging knees with Isaiah Briscoe. Clearly limping up the floor, Iwundu still did not let that get in his way. He dove on the floor himself to get a loose ball and preserve a possession on defense. That started a chance for the Magic.

So while Iwundu’s night finished with his leg wrapped in ice, he finished with one of his best and most complete performances of the season — 10 points, 4-for-8 shooting, six rebounds and a steal. It is safe to say Iwundu had his legs back under him after a stint out of the rotation.

But the same could be said for several young Magic players asked to fill a specific role or step up at various times this season.

The beauty of Orlando’s win over Brooklyn on Saturday was how every piece and every player seemed to do exactly his part.

It was a personification of what coach Steve Clifford said about his young players throughout the season. The goal is for them to look better as the season progresses.

Clifford has a reputation for not trusting his young players. He has preferred veterans to start the season, making young players work for their minutes. This may cost the team some games early on, but the long term benefits can be clearly seen.

Players learn to do things the way the coach wants them to earn their minutes and support the team in its winning efforts.

Fans do not have the luxury of watching players make these incremental improvements in practice. But as the season has progressed, the young players on the Magic have taken a clear step up.

It started with Wesley Iwundu who began pushing for minutes during Jonathan Isaac‘s ankle injury. The Magic’s starting lineup worked well with Iwundu in there as a defensive ace even with his shot struggling. He returned to the bench for a spell before ultimately replacing Jonathon Simmons in the regular rotation.

There he has done pretty much what he did Saturday. He plays good defense and plays within himself offensively. Still a bit of a hesitant shooter, Iwundu still takes shots when he is open.

He is shooting 32.5 percent on his 3-pointers this year and all of his 3-pointers are either open or wide open. Iwundu is aggressive and confident, but not playing wild or out of control. He knows his role when he is on the floor and plays it exceedingly well.

That is the kind of confidence the Magic are seeing from several other key players.

Isaiah Briscoe waited a long time to get his chance as the backup point guard. When his turn came around he was ready in a way that was certainly not true earlier in the season when the game looked a bit too fast for him.

It might still be that way, but he now plays with a whole lot more composure and poise.

Since entering the rotation on Jan. 7 against the Sacramento Kings, Briscoe is averaging just 3.7 points per game on 35.4 percent shooting in 17.9 minutes per game. He has added 3.4 assists per game.

But more importantly, his defense has made a real impact for the bench units. The Magic have a 98.8 defensive rating with Briscoe on the floor (only behind Iwundu among rotation players). That is not all on Briscoe, but he has been a big part of the team’s overall improved play (despite the team’s mixed record).

Briscoe has been willing to mix things up and be physical. That is probably what the Magic wanted from Jerian Grant throughout the year. At his best, that is what Jerian Grant did. But he struggled to get the same kind of dribble penetration as Briscoe.

Briscoe still has to grow a lot. He must become a better passer and drive to pass more. Especially if he continues to struggle at the rim.

Then there is Jonathan Isaac.

The Magic’s sophomore forward has played like a rookie for a lot of the year and that is essentially what he is. He still has a lot of development to go. But his potential is on display more and more these days.

In his last seven games, Isaac is averaging 10.4 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. Although he is shooting 40.9 percent from the floor, he is displaying a ton of confidence with his shot and some aggression to attack the basket.

More importantly, he has increased his physicality on the glass and is willing to mix things up. He has double-doubles in his last two games — and just three overall in his career. But that increased level in aggression has also shown increased skill defensively.

Orlando Magic

Isaac is averaging 1.9 blocks per game and opponents are shooting just 44.2 percent against him according to NBA.com since that game against the Atlanta Hawks. Only Nikola Vucevic has a better mark among the starters.

Not coincidentally, Iwundu and Briscoe rank better than both of them and have the best marks among rotation players in that time. That is an imperfect measure, but it shows just how well they are playing defensively in some form and fashion.

There is clear growth and understanding of the little things from all three of those players as they gain more NBA experience. They are getting better and making a big impact for the team.

It should not take statistics to display that ability though. Watching them play has shown that growing confidence and improvement Clifford said would come with young players. The Magic have gotten a lot out of these young players.

At this critical point in the season, the Magic certainly need it more.