Orlando Magic Lineups: Versatility is a Good Problem
By Seth Arora
The Orlando Magic return several key pieces of the roster that propelled them to the Playoffs in 2019. Coach Steve Clifford must harness the roster’s versatility for the team to go even further this season.
Ben Parker famously told his nephew Peter, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
The Orlando Magic are not a web-slinging superhero. They are a NBA franchise, so the adage probably needs reworking to properly apply. For newly successful teams, what is probably most true is, “With any modicum of success comes expectations.”
After a rousing finish to the 2019 season, the Magic look ahead to the 2020 season with expectations of better. The team wants to move deeper in the Playoffs, especially after the front office retained so many key pieces and brought in the additions of Al-Farouq Aminu and Markelle Fultz.
It is well-documented the Magic’s 2019 campaign was a Tale of Two Seasons.
From October 17 to roughly January 31, the team felt like it was in the mud. The team turned it around to give the season a rousing close. The Orlando Magic made the Playoffs before the eventual champion Toronto Raptors dispatched them in the first round.
For the Magic to improve on last season, coach Steve Clifford will have to find the right mix of players to deploy at the right times, like any NBA coach. Clifford’s challenge will be to find the right blend of playmakers, shooters, and competent defenders among a roster that may sometimes make him feel as if there are not enough minutes to go around.
The first key will be finding the right players to improve the Magic’s offense without giving up too much (or anything) on defense.
The Magic finished 2019 ranked 24th in team scoring, 25th in Pace (26th according to NBA.com), and 22nd in Offensive Rating.
Sure, starting January 31, they ranked 16th, 20th, and eighth in those respective categories, but to truly make the rest of the league take notice of something beyond its defense this season, the Magic must present players that pose consistent threats to the opposition’s defensive scheme and style.
For that, the Magic will likely turn to many of its familiar faces.