The Orlando Magic put some pieces together during a 4-1 homestand. But now they have to keep it going on the road as they take the next steps this season.
When the Orlando Magic started their five-game homestand two weeks ago, they were a team struggling. Their offense was at near historic lows and the team was struggling to scratch out wins.
The homestand was vital to do so. The 4-1 stretch was refreshing. The team started climbing the standings, as early as it is in the season. And there was a return to calm.
Orlando started putting the pieces together at home. The offense improved and they won.
Now they have to see if that travels. It is something the team knows it has to do to reach the level they want to get to.
That is the big goose egg hanging over the team’s record as it tries to get itself back on track. Orlando is 0-4 on the road. The homestand came at a perfect time to build confidence.
But it was also important to note how close the team was on the road too.
The Magic understand they are not missing a whole lot on the road. A lot of those early-season road losses came while the team was trying to get out of its offensive malaise. There are just little things the team is missing.
A close loss in Atlanta to the Atlanta Hawks where the Orlando Magic missed several open shots down the stretch and got beat on a Trae Young banked-in 3-pointer. Another close loss to the Toronto Raptors that hinged on the Orlando Magic’s cold shooting. A missed buzzer-beater in Dallas against the Dallas Mavericks.
Now, the confidence for this team has returned as they hit the road again. The homestand had its intended effect of getting the team back on track.
"“It was very important,” Nikola Vucevic said Tuesday about winning on the homestand. “At one point we were 3-7 a week ago and we didn’t feel really great. Then we win 3-0 and things turn around quickly. Now we go on the road trip and feel much better. We know what we need to do to keep improving. There is a lot for us to improve on both ends of the floor.”"
The mood around the team has certainly done a 180.
A team that entered a five-game homestand with some urgency and a need to find its offense came out the other side with four wins and a wave of confidence.
Nikola Vucevic was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his efforts, averaging 21.7 points per game, 14.0 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game in his last three games.
The offense that struggled so much has now found its rhythm again. In the last five games, the Magic have a 114.7 offensive rating and 52.4 percent effective field goal percentage. That offensive rating is the second-best mark since Nov. 8.
That is a far cry from the offensive struggles the team faced to start the season. So while the defense slipped some at home, the Magic were able to ratchet it up and win games thanks to their shotmaking.
The team has turned itself around. Now the team will see if it is in a meaningful way.
"“We’re definitely playing better,” coach Steve Clifford said after practice Tuesday. “And the offensive part has been better really after Oklahoma City. Starting in Dallas, the last six games, it has been a lot better. You need to be both. We need to get the defense going again now. This will be a good test these four games on the road.”"
This four-game road trip will indeed be a challenge.
It starts Wednesday with a rematch with the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena. The team let one slip through its fingers there earlier in the season. And while the Raptors are down a few key players, they remain a difficult team to play. Their defense is still as solid as ever and they rely even more on ball movement.
From there, the Orlando Magic travel to Indianapolis for a game Saturday with the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers hung the second-best offensive performance against the Magic’s defense on them in the lone loss during the homestand. it was a game that drew a lot of ire for the team’s lax defense. That lax defense has not completely straightened up since that game. But the Pacers remain a tough test, even with their injury issue.
The Orlando Magic then play at the Detroit Pistons next Monday and wrap up at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving). The Pistons figure to be a team that will compete with the Magic for the final playoff spot and have also gotten off to a slow start. The Cavaliers have played some energetic basketball after the Magic beat them in the season opener.
This is a road trip that will challenge Orlando. But each game is important for the future playoff race. It is not too early to think about that.
“Obviously we want to win every game,” Evan Fournier said after practice Tuesday. “When we play against teams from the same conference, it’s almost like double. Especially Detroit, Miami, the teams we’re going to fight against. It definitely means more for sure.”
Orlando knows every game could have some meaning for the final result. That was why the homestand proved important to get the team back into the race, so to speak.
The Magic were able to make a big response. But they did not come out unscathed.
Jonathan Isaac went through all of Tuesday’s practice. He said then he was confident he was ready to play, but he remains officially a game-time decision.
Michael Carter-Williams is out for Wednesday’s game at least. And it appears D.J. Augustin is back in the lineup after dislocating his left pinky in Sunday’s win over the Washington Wizards. The team had Josh Magette with them for practice Tuesday and he appears set to travel with the team as an emergency point guard.
Even with these losses and potential disruptors. The team feels confidence and determination to hit this road trip hard.
Orlando Magic
"“I think it was very very important to come out and respond like we did,” Jonathan Isaac said after practice Tuesday. “We’re 0-4 on the road. We have to respond like we did at home and knock out a couple. I think as we have been talking about from the beginning, our offense has been getting better. As our defense continues to stay where it is at and our offense meets our defense, I think we’ll be just fine.”"
But doing it on the road is a different thing. The team still has a lot to improve upon.
Winning still comes down to the details. And the details are still coming together. The team 106.5 defensive rating since Nov. 8 was 12th in the league. Orlando’s defense was not elite the last five games as the team got its offense right.
If the Magic want to take the next step, this is the time to put it all together.
"“If we want to become a great team, we have to win on the road,” Evan Fournier said after practice Tuesday. “We’ve been playing better. Hopefully, we can play well on the road. Defense travels. So it’s a good first test against the Raptors. Probably the best team on that road trip. It’s going to be about how well can we play offense and defense together and put it all together.”"
The Magic are still putting all those pieces together. The team started doing that during the homestand as they picked up clutch wins and picked up their offense.
Now they have to pass the big test of taking that experience and putting it together on the road. That could truly make or break their season.