Orlando Magic’s struggle to hold onto leads holding team back
By Seth Arora
What It Means
Usually, the simplest explanation is the right one.
The Orlando Magic lose leads and lose them more often than the team retains them. Those surrendered advantages make for a maddening experience for fans and the team, to put it mildly.
The explanation is simple: Orlando’s offense is just not good enough. Plain and simple.
The Magic have a very low offensive ceiling. For the team to build a big lead, a lot of things have to go right. For the team to keep or build a big lead, virtually all of those same things must continue to go right for an entire contest.
Instead, what usually happens is the now-familiar offensive drought, where it seems like the basket might as well be on the surface of Mars.
Even with good defense, teams start making shots — typically from long distance — and if you cannot continue pressing the gas by making shots of your own, leads evaporate in no time.
On top of that, the Magic have had to contend with several injuries to key players for much of the season. The lack of stability in the rotation leads to worsening talent and chemistry issues on a team needing a lot to go right for quality offensive performances, even with all of their players healthy.
The recent trend showing the Magic’s ability to withstand the opposition’s punch to retain victories is certainly encouraging. But, the Magic must improve their offensive potency if the organization really wants this alarming characteristic to disappear like so many of its leads.
Next. Orlando Magic need Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier to lead. dark
If not, the Magic fan’s now-patented Frustration Groan will simply give way to apathy.