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2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Rim Protection and Low Post Enforcers

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Mar 19, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Drew Eubanks (24) scores over LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Drew Eubanks (24) scores over LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Orlando Magic believe they can be a good defensive team.

For the entire season, they finished 18th in the league in defensive rating at 113.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. After their 5-20 start, they eneded up sixth at 113.1 points allowed per 100 possessions.

Defense was always going to be at the heart of what the Magic are trying to do. It may not be the soup de jour in the league with record-breaking offenses, but the Magic have always viewed it as the base for their growth. It is the foundation for what they are trying to build.

There is obviously still a long way to go.

The Orlando Magic’s defense showed positive signs last year. But rim protection remains a key skill the team needs to develop as they prepare to make a playoff run.

Still, as much as the Magic want to own their 29-28 finish to the season — something significant enough to believe in because it was months and months of .500 basketball — they still have to recognize the things that made them 5-20 to start the season. And it was more than just not having any point guards until Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony both returned 20 games into the season.

The Magic have a lot of needs this offseason. On a skills basis, shooting has been the primary need. The Magic were still in the bottom 10 in 3-point shooting and 3-point attempts last year. And that would seemingly loosen the offense significantly. So too will experience to help reduce some of those turnovers.

Orlando’s defense though still has a big weakness that it will need to resolve. It has a few actually.

The Magic were a mixed bag defending the 3-point line, to continue that them. They gave up the third-most 3-point attempts per game last year.

Some of that is because the Magic’s defensive principles put a lot of focus on stopping shots in the paint. But even here, the Magic had limited success.

Orlando gave up 47.6 points in the paint per game, the sixth-fewest in the league. That part of the equation is good. But it led to a lot of 3-point attempts. The Magic had their share of fouls. And when opponents did get to the rim, they found things easier to score.

Orlando finished this season giving up 68.4 percent shooting at the rim, the fourth-worst in the league, according to Second Spectrum. The team gave up just 25.1 field goal attempts at the rim per game though, the sixth-best mark in the league.

It would seem the Magic have the opposite problem as their 3-point issues — at the rim, opponents make the few attempts they get against the Magic whereas opponents miss the many 3-point attempts they get.

This also begins to hint at what perhaps might be an issue when the team gets to the playoffs. Teams will seek out every weakness this Magic team has and rim protection appears to be a hidden weakness for this team.

It is one of the reasons why addressing backup center is such a big need — and to be sure there will be some overlap in this post. But on a skill basis, finding players who can protect the rim and defend the paint are going to be critical to this team’s future success.

The Magic will need to find some players to be that enforcer to find success in the future. And this might be an offseason to look at that need as the team prepares for what they hope will be a postseason run.