Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors (Feb. 19, 2021): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction
The Orlando Magic continue their homestand with a return battle with the Golden State Warriors. Orlando hopes to build on its defensive progress and find a way to slow down Stephen Curry.
Orlando Magic (11-18) vs. Golden State Warriors (16-13)
Time/TV:
7 p.m./FOX Sports Florida
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2021 Season Series:
in San Francisco on Feb. 11; Tonight in Orlando
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State | 103.4 | 110.4 | 108.8 | 54.4 | 22.6 | 13.9 | 25.3 |
| Orlando | 99.2 | 105.4 | 111.5 | 49.2 | 27.3 | 13.6 | 22.1 |
OMD Prediction
It has been a long time since we could say with any kind of certainty the Orlando Magic are at full strength. Well, they will never be at full strength. But at fuller strength? Sure. Getting Evan Fournier and Al-Farouq Aminu back from injury gave the team what felt like an embarrassment of riches. So too will getting James Ennis back as expected Friday. The Magic might finally have a fully* healthy roster. Or at least it will feel like it.
The Orlando Magic put up quite a fight with just eight players for almost the entire game against the Golden State Warriors a week ago. It still took a heroic effort from Stephen Curry and a 16-0 run to put the Magic away. Orlando has to make sure the team does not turn the ball over and take advantage of its size on the inside. If Nikola Vucevic had shot more efficiently, the Magic would have likely won the first meeting.
41. 110. 38. Prediction. 107
3 Keys To Watch
The Inside Game
The Golden State Warriors’ biggest weakness right now is their lack of size. James Wiseman is still out, although he is expected to be back in the rotation at some point during Golden State’s road trip. Draymond Green missed Wednesday’s game but is listed as questionable for Friday’s game. If he does not play, the Warriors will have to go super small. That should mean Nikola Vucevic gets to feast on both boards and points.
Vucevic is having one of his most efficient seasons in the post for his entire career. He is scoring 0.91 points per possession on post-ups this year according to NBA.com on 5.3 post-up possessions per game. Playing smaller players can be a disadvantage. Vucevic struggled in the post against the Warriors a week ago. But Orlando needs to dominate the inside — both rebounding and giving Vucevic a healthy diet of looks on the block.
Stephen Curry
The Golden State Warriors this year have been all about Stephen Curry. It is a bit reminiscent of the Tracy McGrady-era Orlando Magic teams. Curry is carrying the team to relevancy and the All-Star starter deserves a ton of respect for that. Curry is averaging 30.0 points per game on a 61.4-percent effective field goal percentage. He hit 10 3-pointers in the Warriors’ win last year. And he had a bad game in the Golden State Warriors’ win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
The Magic are going to give up threes to Curry. It is unavoidable. Having James Ennis back to try to defend him and the discipline he brings defensively is going to help. No doubt about this. But Curry is going to get his. The Magic just have to make sure they defend the 3-point line well otherwise. Orlando has done that at points. But things are trending in the right direction.
Signs of improvement?
Coach Steve Clifford said he felt the Orlando Magic played better throughout the team’s West Coast road trip even after the team’s 1-3 record. They seemed to put all the pieces together in Wednesday’s win over the New York Knicks, putting in their best defensive performance since Markelle Fultz’s injury.
The Magic are making some strides. Since the West Coast road trip, the Magic have a 105.6 defensive rating, the third-best mark in the league since Feb. 9. That is a very good sign. In fact, the Magic have a positive net rating (+0.3!) since then. Orlando is now 17th in the league in defensive rating at 111.5 points allowed per 100 possessions. The team has spent much of the season in the bottom 10. So they are climbing.
Next. Orlando Magic find themselves by sharing the load. dark
The offense still needs work — and it was above-average for the team but below-average for the league in Wednesday’s win. But the Magic know defense is the base of their potential run toward the playoffs.