The Orlando Magic head to Cleveland seeking their first win and trying to tie their pieces together to break through.
Orlando Magic (0-4) at Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1)
Time/TV: 7p.m./Bally Sports Florida
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Line: Cavaliers by 8.5
Tickets: $6-$1,469 on StubHub
Season Series: Tonight in Cleveland; Dec. 2 in Cleveland; April 4 in Orlando; April 6 in Orlando
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 100.1 | 107.5 | 114.9 | 50.9 | 28.0 | 14.8 | 28.5 |
| Cleveland | 96.3 | 116.7 | 104.4 | 56.8 | 29.6 | 16.0 | 25.6 |
OMD Prediction
The Orlando Magic are hungry and desperate for a win right now. The frustration they are feeling is palpable. And that frustration might well be the reason the team finally broke a bit and gave up the ship for their first double-digit loss of the season. The Magic are still working to tie all their pieces together.
There are a lot of good signs to point at for the way the team is operating. They are getting open shots, but missing them. They are solid on defense when they do not turn the ball over, but they still make a lot of young mistakes that make it hard for them to set their defense. Then there is the fouling.
A lot of these miscues are correctible but will take some time for the team to get down and make work. The Magic hoped to have corrected some of them with their scheduled practice Tuesday. The team needs some time to settle in, review, get work on the court and correct these mistakes.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team that is still finding itself, but the team has a clear identity. Donovan Mitchell is carrying the offensive load with Darius Garland out and is very capable of lifting his team to a win on his own. Their defense is solid on the interior and they are feisty defensively on the wings. This is a tough team that is just getting started.
3 Keys To Watch
Rim Decisions
The Cleveland Cavaliers built one of the best defenses in the league last year behind the twin-tower lineup of Jarrett Allen and rookie Evan Mobley. Mobley’s ability to switch onto the perimeter turned him into a defensive terror and transformed the Cavaliers overnight. His matchup tonight with Paolo Banchero is going to be interesting.
The twin-shot blockers the Cavaliers have do a good job protecting the paint. And Cleveland, despite playing a slow pace, can use these blocks to spark easy shot opportunities and catch defenses off balance. It is vital to make smart decisions at the rim and on drives for the Orlando Magic to have any kind of success.
This is part of where the Magic have had some issues but also some hints of success. The Magic are currently eighth in the league shooting 51.6 percent off drives this season on 23.8 field goal attempts per game (12th-most in the league).
They also have 3.8 turnovers per game on drives, the ninth most in the league. So there is the other side of the coin for the Magic. They are good at getting shots off drives and scoring, but they will also turn it over.
Avoiding blocks that lead directly to run-outs will also help. But the Magic have to be smarter and keep attacking the basket.
Pace and Control
The Orlando Magic are a young team and talk a lot about their pace and their ability to play fast. That typically means their ability to move quickly through their sets and to play fast. But the Magic want to score easy baskets too. Especially going up against a Cleveland Cavaliers that likes to play it slow, at least so far this season.
The Magic currently average only 13.3 fast-break points per game this season, 23rd in the league. Orlando has been able to improve its offense simply by getting to the foul line more. The team though has to look for more fast-break opportunities.
That only comes from getting stops and getting rebounds. And getting clean rebounds at that. The Magic have to do a better job at this to get control over the pace of the game and find easier ways to score.
Sophomore slumps
Franz Wagner has been struggling in his second season. He is still averaging 15.0 points per game but is shooting just 41.7 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc. Part of why this has been the case is because he has taken on so much more ball-handling duties. On top of that, Wagner has often had to guard the best perimeter player on the opposing team with Jalen Suggs out.
Wagner has had a lot of responsibility put on him. But Magic fans have gotten their wish. He is on the ball a lot more and taking all the shots he wants. He is going through young player struggles as he expands his role. There are still plenty of good moments despite this.
Evan Mobley has also done well, but is also seeing his role expanded. His scoring average is down to 13.3 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game from 15.0 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. He has gone from 1.7 blocks per game to 1.0 blocks per game this year. His field goal attempts are down from 12.0 per game to 8.3.
For both Mobley and Wagner, this is part of adjusting to new teammates, new roles and new attention. They are not rookies anymore. And they are trying to expand their games while still fitting in with new high-powered teammates.
There is a long season left for both to recover to their rookie-year levels again. And they will almost assuredly get there.
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