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5 questions the Orlando Magic must answer in the third quarter of the 2022 season

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jalen Suggs has had a rough start to his career but the Orlando Magic rookie is showing signs of life as he returns from injury. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Suggs has had a rough start to his career but the Orlando Magic rookie is showing signs of life as he returns from injury. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
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Moritz Wagner, Orlando Magic, Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Moritz Wagner has established himself as an irritant in the NBA. But the Orlando Magic have seen a whole lot more. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

5 questions for the Orlando Magic’s third quarter of the season

Will Orlando Magic’s defensive improvement continue?

The Orlando Magic made it clear in training camp they will be about defense. It was probably the thing they worked on the most during training camp. It was a huge emphasis for the team. But it never looked on the court like things clicked.

At times, the Magic struggled to keep their pressure up and find their identity. The numbers back that up.

Through the first half of the season, the Magic ranked 25th in the league giving up 112.3 points per 100 possessions. That is not the sign of a team that is playing well defensively at all.

But there are small signs of improvement.

Through the first 21 games (the first quarter of the season), the team ranked 29th in the league giving up 112.0 points per 100 possessions. But in the second quarter of the season, Orlando ranked 21st at 112.5 points allowed per 100 possessions.

OK, the raw number is worse. The Magic are giving up more points per 100 possessions. But the team looks better compared to the rest of the league. That steady drumbeat as offense started to pick up is. . . something?

The ranks are at least where the Magic want to be. And the numbers are trending in the right direction now.

In the last 15 games, the Magic rank 18th in the league, giving up 111.4 points per 100 possessions. And in January (the last 10 games), the Magic are 10th in the league, giving up 108.8 points per 100 possessions.

What does this all mean?

There is definitely an incremental improvement. That is hard to deny when looking at the numbers or even watching the games. The Magic’s defense is giving them the chance to win more and more.

Orlando has to keep sustaining that and building that as their identity. They want to be a defensive team first. And if this year is about building foundations for who they ultimately want to be, then the defense needs to keep on this general upward trend.

Good defenders in Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac are waiting in the wings. And Wendell Carter’s probable return in Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers should help the team improve its defense.

But this is really about continuing to commit to a defensive identity. And that is something to build on.