Orlando Magic seeking out the 3-pointers in pace and space offense

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley established at least the outlines of what he wanted his team to accomplish offensively early on in his tenure with the team.

He stated in the plainest and vaguest terms possible that his team would “play with space, pace and the pass” on offense.

It seemed to be a promise to bring a Magic offense that had struggled even to be league average (or outside the bottom 10) since trading Dwight Howard in 2012 into the modern age.

The general hope is playing with so many young players will get the Magic to play at a faster pace and a bit more aggressive. And, more importantly, help them embrace the 3-point revolution that has only gone into overdrive since the 2009 Magic surprised everyone by making the NBA Finals.

Whether the team has improved or not, 3-point shooting will be a key for the Orlando Magic to find success and grow offensively. It is central to what Jamahl Mosley wants his team to do.

That still is a thorny subject. The team has struggled to accumulate quality shooters or develop decent shooters into better shooters. It has been the glaring weakness for the team for nearly a decade.

But to be sure, 3-point shooting is a key to the Magic and their success. And the Magic indeed see the 3-point shot as a byproduct of their offense holding closer to modern tenets.

"“We want to spread the floor,” Gary Harris said after Friday’s practice. “We want to be able to put pressure on the rim. If we put pressure on the rim and draw defenders in, we’ll be able to kick out and knock down threes. If we’re making threes, they will have to pressure us more and give us more opportunity to get on the rim. Continue to put pressure on the defense at all times. Continue to play fast, continue to play with pace and continue to get our teammates involved.”"

These are the basic tenets of any modern offense. The analytics will tell anyone — along with common sense — the most efficient and best shots to take are a layup, a 3-pointer or a free throw.

This is the space part of Mosley’s offensive mantra.

He wants to be able to space the floor and occupy defenders enough to create driving lanes. That in turn forces the defense to make difficult decisions to stop that penetration. Whether they can get back to the 3-point line or the Magic can make them pay for leaving them open will be the question for the offense.

The Magic were not a good 3-point shooting team last year. They were 27th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.3-percent) and 22nd in attempts per game (31.8 per game). Orlando made just 37.0-percent of their spot-up field goals last year (28th in the league) on 21.8 spot-up attempts per game (22nd in the league).

These are theoretically the shots that would be generated by drive and kicks and from the pass. It was a clear area of weakness for the team.

What is important is what sparks the 3-point shot. The Magic, as they did under Steve Clifford, want paint touches. The ball needs to get into the paint before it kicks out.

Three-point shooting seems to be the big emphasis from the Magic when they talk about their offense at this point.

Everything offensively does not exist in a vacuum. One does not simply add 3-point shooting to the offensive arsenal by taking more threes. They want the right kind of 3-pointers — the ones that come at a higher percentage and signal the team moving the ball.

That is the pass part of Mosley’s offensive mantra.

"“It’s the new NBA,” Mosley said after practice Friday. “We want feet-set threes. Everyone talks they want threes. But we want quality threes. We want feet set, open pass, extra pass, knock-down threes. OUr identity when it comes to that are rim, free throws, threes. We want to live at the rim, attack the paint, get in the paint, make your free throws and put pressure on the defense and you want to hit knock-down, wide-open, feet-set threes.”"

That was a big part of the Orlando Magic’s success in Monday’s preseason game against the Boston Celtics.

The Magic’s 3-point shooting was a big reason why it felt like the Magic won the game. They made 17 of 42 3-pointers (40.2-percent) in the game. In reviewing the tape, five of those 17 makes came directly out of a paint touch and only three or four could be characterized as not of those feet-set, spot-up variety.

In other words, Orlando had a very hot shooting night and took advantage of some good spacing and confidence.

They were not so lucky against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. In that game, the Magic made only 11 of 34 of their 3-pointers (32.4-percent). They had only one 3-point make from a paint touch or dribble penetration and four 3-pointers that were fairly categorized as a spot-up chance.

These are all preseason numbers, but the Magic are still finding their way to get the 3-point looks they want.

Harris said the Magic want to get up about 30 3-pointers per game. But a lot of that will be dependent on the other parts of their game. They want to get the ball to their “kill spots” in the paint and forcing the defense to collapse.

The other place the Magic want to generate 3-pointers is through their defense. That is where Mosley said the team was more effective against the Celtics in the preseason opener. Many of their 3-pointers came in transition after getting a stop and they were able to catch the defense imbalanced or in retreat.

Mosley said he felt against the Pelicans, the Magic got sped up a bit too much and the game became frantic. Pace means playing faster and getting into the offense quicker, but it still requires some bit of control.

This is what Mosley is referring to when he talks about pace.

He said the team wants to dictate the pass rather than having the pace dictated to them. And while the game against the Pelicans was played at a relatively slow pace — 96 possessions — the Magic often found themselves playing at a hectic tempo and not getting good shots in transition.

This is a careful balance all high-pace teams have to find. And it is essential to getting quality 3-pointers rather than simply putting up shots for the sake of putting up shots.

Still, the 3-pointer is a point of emphasis for the team as it has become a necessity in the league today.

"“I think the coaches have put a lot of emphasis on everybody doing everything a little bit and feeling comfortable between the lines,” Moritz Wagner said after practice Friday. “You are trying to develop a certain comfort level on the floor. The 3-point line is something that is a very important element in today’s game. The more you shoot it, the better it is.”"

No doubt, the 3-point shot will remain critical for the Magic this year. Their development from deep will be key to their offensive progression.

It is also clear that the 3-pointer is at the heart of what Mosley is looking to do offensively. It will be a key tool for the team.

And probably a bigger sign their offense is working the way it is supposed to.