5 takeaways from the Orlando Magic’s 2021 season
The NBA season has finally come to an end. The calendar will officially turn the page Monday at 6 p.m. when free agency officially begins. The draft is behind everyone now and the new season is in the horizon. There will still be a Summer League in Las Vegas in early August, but the players will see a quick turnaround with training camps set to begin in late September.
There is not much time to dwell on the past. There is a new season to get ready for.
The Orlando Magic are coming off an injury-riddled disappointing season, finishing their year at 21-51 and 14th in the Eastern Conference. The team struggled throughout the year and ultimately called it quits by trading all-star big man Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Wendell Carter, Otto Porter and a couple of first-round picks (one turning into Franz Wagner).
Orlando got lucky in getting the reward of Jalen Suggs with the fifth pick for al lthat losing. But there are still several lessons to learn from the past season.
The Orlando Magic had a season to forget in 2021. As they look forward to brighter days ahead, they will need to remember the lessons of the past season as they plan for the future.
While most fans might want to forget about this past season and move on to the start of the next season, there are some key takeaways from this past year that could indicate what the future of the Magic’s future may hold.
5. The Three Ball Needs Some Work
Basketball is a simple game to most people.
All you have to do is score more points than your opponent in a set period, right? However, the game has transformed into a 3-point shooting extravaganza with the number of attempts and makes increasing every year since 2000, which has led to an increase in points per game for teams throughout the association.
The Orlando Magic ranked in the lower half of the NBA this past season at the 26th spot for three-pointers made even while attempting more than 32 threes per game.
What sticks out most about this statistic is the fact that one of the leaders in both of these categories was Nikola Vucevic before his departure, which draws attention to the need for better guard play from the team.
While the term “live by the three die by the three” might seem a bit cliche, there is an urgent need to fill the roster with more floor spacers who also do not mind playing on the other side of the ball.
The team certainly hopes adding players like Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, both solid 3-point shooters at the collegiate level, will add to the team’s shooting ability. So too do they hope that Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton can develop into more consistent shooters. Chuma Okeke showed some promising signs as a shooter too, especially after he got comfortable on the floor.
There is some hope. But nobody knows just how all the pieces will come together. That is the uncertainty with youth.
With free agency approaching quickly, it would benefit the organization to look into acquiring more two-way players in order to improve their record for this upcoming season.