5 adjustments the Orlando Magic must make to get their first win

5 adjustments the Orlando Magic must make to get their first win

Shore up the defense

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the season so far has been how poor the Orlando Magic’s defense has looked through the first four games.

Orlando sits at 23rd in the league in defensive rating giving up 114.9 points per 100 possessions in the early season. Stats are still settling in and the Magic have been fairly inconsistent on that end — but especially terrible in the last two games.

Some of that is the turnovers and the mistakes the team has made that have led to easy baskets. But a lot of it is because the team just has not taken and executed its defensive system particularly well.

For a team that has talked all offseason about being a good defensive team and has a ton of defensive talent on top of that, this start has been really disappointing. Orlando has just struggled to get on the same page.

Some of it is that lack of communication.

The team has not been clean in executing any switches it is trying to do. That has left the team exposed some to drives to the basket as the team figures out where to go next — they will send two to the ball, leaving a man open. Teams have been able to exploit some of this confusion to get into the paint which is what leads to the fouling, kickouts and 3-point shots that have killed the Magic all year.

Some of it has been a lack of aggression and confidence.

The Magic’s 3-2 zone especially has become susceptible to this. The New York Knicks especially were able to flash a player easily right into the heart of the zone and then pick their pass to find an open shooter. Orlando’s zone defense just has not looked aggressive in using its length to deter penetration.

There is a ton of defensive talent and Orlando has had some really positive defensive moments (even against New York on Monday when the team gave up only 19 points on 31.8-percent shooting in the final quarter). The talent and the pieces are all there.

But like so many other things, the team has not put them together.

What this team ultimately really needs is a shot of confidence. That will help them play more aggressive and assertively and fulfill their expectations and potential. The team still seems to be figuring a lot of things out.

They play with that tentativeness. And that is probably the biggest thing that needs to change to turn things around.