Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Top 5 Orlando Magic lineups to try this season

By Harrison Brown

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 31: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket against Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on October 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 31: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket against Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on October 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next

Injuries have hurt the Orlando Magic’s rotations to start the year. This seems inevitable as the last several seasons for Orlando they are consistently not healthy.

The team is deep though and president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has constructed a roster that is interchangeable with multi-positional players.

This type of team allows Coach Jamahl Mosley to experiment with different lineups which gives flexibility but also can be difficult to properly manage.

Figuring out rotations to optimize efficiency has been an issue and Mosley will continue to adjust who plays on the floor together to determine where there is cohesion.

The Orlando Magic are still building their lineups and rotations for the season. So far Jamahl Mosley has found some lineups that work and others he may need to scrap.

So far this season, the Magic have had some lineups that work. But there is still a lot that is theoretical about this team. Orlando is still seeking to discover its best lineups, assuming the roster is fully healthy. The Magic have struggled to shoot and rebound so far through the beginning of the season as these are my two areas of focus when constructing these lineups.

Wendell Carter’s absence has led to Orlando’s inability to rebound defensively as they are currently 22nd in the NBA in that category. This should adjust once he is able to return, but the team still needs to focus on boxing out and securing a rebounding pocket around the basket.

Group rebounding is so important when there is not a dominant rebounder on the court and the Magic have been lackadaisical in their effort to prevent offensive boards.

Similarly, shooting has been a concern since J.J. Redick was traded.

Heading into the season there are a few consistent shooters on the roster. Lineups can be constructed that can keep the team afloat in an attempt to match other teams who ultimately have better shooting.

Orlando will need some of their younger players to develop their long-range abilities if this team is ready to take the next step.

The Magic have looked strong during large portions of the early season but also have seemed particularly lost on offense.

There is an over willingness to make the extra pass or create for a teammate which is demonstrative of the job Coach Mose has done unifying this team.

The extra pass is unfortunately not leading to open shots, as the team is 26th in assists per game, but leading to turnovers instead.

This lack of discipline handling the basketball is translating into easy transition points for the opposition.

Orlando is shaking off the rust of the new season with expectations that no one on the team has felt since joining the organization.

I tried to evenly distribute the five lineups I selected. Each of the top 10 players in the rotation is featured at least twice with none exceeding three times. I wanted to provide options without simply changing just one or two players in any given unit.

Here are some lineups that will be fun for Mosely and fans alike.

Home/Magic News