Orlando Magic embrace positionlessness and maybe find their future

There was a fair amount of handwringing entering Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets.

The news that Cole Anthony would be out with an oblique injury on top of injuries to Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs left the team without a traditional point guard. For an offense that has struggled to move the ball and initiate its sets and movements, lacking an organizer at point guard seemed like a death knell.

A stressed-out defense would have to carry all the weight and Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would be pushed into the uncomfortable role of leading the offense, as valuable as that experience might be in smaller doses.

This seemed like a time to simplify things. Try and find ways to more carefully confine and define roles. Perhaps stick to something more traditional and comfortable.

Starting R.J. Hampton, who came into the league as a point guard but has struggled at times as a playmaker in his young career, seemed like the way to go.

This has been a season of experimenting and exploring so far. The Magic are not about to stop that — for better or for worse. They decided instead it was time to lean into their biggest strength. Their length and versatility for their size.

Why go smaller when the team could go bigger? Starting Bol Bol felt like an idea so crazy, it just might work.

But what it did was the first time this season the Magic truly became positionless. It was the first time this season Orlando embraced the weirdness and skill of its roster.

The Orlando Magic embraced their size and positionless style to get their first win. What they might have showed was a glimpse of their future as their team continues to develop.

Perhaps that is all the Magic really needed to break through, at last, defeating the Hornets 113-93 at Amway Center on Friday night.

The Magic’s starting group of Terrence Ross-Franz Wagner-Paolo Banchero-Bol Bol-Wendell Carter posted a plus-minus of +18, scoring 39 points in 15 minutes. The group had a 130.0 offensive rating and 67.7 defensive rating to set the tone in the Magic’s best defensive game of the season (they gave up a season-best 93.0 points per 100 possessions).

The addition of Bol to the lineup added a bit of unpredictability. But utlimately, led to the team embracing the style they had been trying and struggling with for so long.

"“I think he did a really good job,” coach Jamahl Mosley said of Bol Bol’s addition to the lineup after Friday’s game. “His ability to make decisions, put the ball on the floor in transition and protect the rim, the things we are asking him to do. Playing extremely hard and doing different coverages, I thought he did a very good job for us.”"

A Magic team that was struggling to switch and be disruptive defensively finally seemed to have everything click into place.

Aside from some dump-down possessions to Mason Plumlee when Terrence Ross was switched onto him, Orlando completely flummoxed Charlotte. The Hornets could not get into the lane and create kick-out opportunities.

It helped that the Hornets missed some open shots. But surely some of that too was because they knew the Magic and their long arms were lurking. Bol is already establishing a reputation for blocking jumpers and even 3-pointers on closeouts.

This is what a switching defense is supposed to do.

It blocks any dribble penetration by exchanging size for size and keeping mobile players on the perimeter capable of getting stops and forcing tough jumpers. Or better yet, keeping players on the perimeter.

Orlando has not been great at communicating these switches. A moment of hesitation is enough for a guard or wing to get downhill especially when a center like Carter is on the switch.

That is where the Magic have been most of the season. Their rotations have not been crisp, their switches have been slow to create some of these attacking lanes and their closeouts as they fan back out to the 3-point line have been late.

That all changed Friday. This was the ideal for what the Magic wanted to be on defense. And that bled into their offense where their versatility was on display.

"“I think it was our best defensive game of the year by far,” Banchero said after Friday’s game. “Having Cole go down, had to throw Bol in the lineup, we wanted to switch everything 1 through 5. We knew this was an explosive offensive team. If we weren’t locked in, they were going to put in a lot of points. We just had to be locked in. We communicated all the switches really well and made it hard for them to get good looks off.”"

The Magic have been a collection of long arms and supposed versatility for a long time. They have spoken about how they want every one of their players to be able to playmake and work every aspect of the game — including guards setting screens.

This was the first game that vision seemed to crystallize.

It did not matter who brought the ball up, because they were getting stops consistently the Magic could move quickly up the floor and straight into their offense with anyone in the lead. Every position was interchangeable.

This is how this offense is supposed to work. It is meant to be a free-flowing string of attacks and dribble handoffs and cuts from all sides and all sizes. Everyone is meant to be capable of playing all aspects of the offense.

That is what this team envisioned. That is the future this team wants to create and develop.

Orlando burned off 12 straight points to end the second quarter to build a 21-point halftime lead. This came with rookie Paolo Banchero showing off all of his playmaking skills on his way to a career-best seven assists.

"“I think he was good,” Mosley said of Paolo Banchero’s passing after Friday’s game. “I think the one thing he continues to do is pick up as things go on. He is learning, he’s slowing it down, he’s understanding it knowing the pace of the game. He’s doing a great job of communicating. It goes back to his ability to trust his teammates and his teammates are trusting in him.”"

Banchero took over most of the organizing and ball-handling duties and proved to be a handful defensively.

Orlando had a season-high 28 assists showing how quickly the team can move the ball and find gaps in the defense. At least, the Magic seemed able to take advantage of its length and find a rhythm at long last.

Banchero was able to take advantage of the smaller players on him, drive to the basket and dish to open players and cutters. Orlando found its mismatches and attacked them perfectly.

Whether this is something the team can repeat — the Hornets themselves were playing without two of their lead guards in Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball — is still up for debate. Teams now have tape on what this jumbo lineup for the Magic can do. Orlando is still young and fresh enough that they have not shown they can repeat it.

That is the task — the “leveling up” — for the Magic. They need to build on this success and build consistency.

Orlando though showed a glimpse of what it envisioned.

Necessity is the mother of invention. To some extent, Orlando had to embrace its length and versatility fully. The team had to lean into the skills and talents on its roster. The thing that makes the roster so promising and unique.

Is this the future for this team?

Part of it may well be. The things the Magic showed are the things they want to build on. As a proof of concept, it was the best way for the Magic to get their first win. They put their whole versatility on display.

Perhaps they put their future on display.