When the Orlando Magic entered the offseason, they knew they needed to make some drastic changes on offense.
To be the kind of team they wanted to be -- competing for championships and at the top of the Eastern Conference -- they could not be languishing near the bottom of the league in offensive rating anymore. The Magic have finished in the bottom 10 in offensive rating every season since Dwight Howard's departure in 2012.
That could not stand any longer.
Adding shooting was a necessity. The team felt it did that by acquiring Desmond Bane in the blockbuster trade in May.
They added some coaching help too with the hiring of Joe Prunty. That brought with it an emphasis on playing faster and some new tactical ideas -- many have played out with late-game situations that have delivered for the Magic.
Everything would still come down to execution.
Part of Orlando's offensive turnaround this season -- from 27th in the league at 108.9 points per 100 possessions last year to 11th in the league at 115.0 points per 100 possessions -- is how much better the Magic are at protecting possessions. They have suddenly become one of the best teams at not turning the ball over.
This year, Orlando is seventh in the league with a 13.8 percent turnover rate. That is a stark difference from the team's 14.7 percent turnover rate last year, which ranked 20th in the league.
Orlando has not ranked in the top-10 in turnover rate since 2021, Steve Clifford's last season with the team (turnovers were a major emphasis with him and his methodical offense). The Magic have been 20th or worse in every year of Jamahl Mosley's tenure with the team.
This is a significant turnaround for the team and a big part of why the offense has changed so much.
"Honestly, I hadn't really noticed that. It's great because it gives us a shot every time down," Jonathan Isaac said after shootaround Monday in Toronto. "That gives us the best opportunity to, one, limit breaks and limit transition, and obviously more chances at scoring."
What is incredible is that the Magic have reduced their turnovers all while increasing the number of possessions they play at. Orlando's emphasis on pace would seemingly mean accepting turnovers as they got comfortable.
Bites at the apple
The Orlando Magic have slowed down some since the breakneck days of the early part of the season, as much as necessary to help the defense find its footing. But they are still playing at the 14th-most possessions at 101.6 possessions per 48 minutes.
All that means, the Magic are getting more shots (an increase in offensive rebounds have also led to more bites at the apple).
So much of the Magic's defense is about preventing teams from getting threes and taking as few bites of the apple as possible. The Magic have taken that philosophy to their offense. They want to maximize their chances to get shots up and use their possessions.
Last year, Orlando averaged 85.8 field goal attempts per game, the second-fewest in the league. This year, the Magic are averaging 88.9 field goal attempts per game, 23rd in the league. Orlando has always been good at getting to the foul line and lead the league with 28.8 free throw attempts per game.
The Magic's offense works when the team gets downhill and to the basket. And it works more efficiently now because they are not bleeding possessions.
Even from a raw total, the Magic are sixthin the league wtih 14.0 turnovers per game. There are lot of individual players to thank for that uptick.
One of the few ways teams broke through the Magic's offense last year was by scoring off turnovers -- giving up 17.3 points off turnovers per game, good for 13th in the league. This year, Orlando is giving up only 16.1 per game, third in the league.
Orlando signed Tyus Jones for his assist-to-turnover ratio. For all the struggles he has had this year, Jones is back to second in the league with a 7.90 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Magic run a lot of their offense through Paolo Banchero. He has struggled in a lot of areas, and his assists have not taken a meaningful jump. But he is turning the ball over at a career-low 2.5 turnovers per game.
Franz Wagner is averaging 1.8 turnovers per game, the fewest since his rookie year. Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane are both averaging a bit more than 2.0 turnovers per game, but are in line and slightly down from their averages last year.
Guarding against mistakes
Turnovers still happen. Mistakes are part of the game. It is simply limiting them.
That will always be a concern. And the Orlando Magic, in their injured state, are still a bit concerned with protecting the ball and protecting possessions. Especially now that their shooting has taken a downturn.
Orlando has tightened up in that time. In the last seven games, the team is third in the league with an 11.3 percent turnover rate and gives up a league-low 13.3 points off turnovers per game.
The Magic have found this to be a key part of their identity and something they can generally rely on (last week's loss to the Golden State Warriors was a massive aberration with 18 turnovers for 21 points off turnovers).
The Orlando Magic face the Toronto Raptors to open a three-game road trip on Monday. The Raptors are fourth in the league, forcing a 16.2-percent turnover rate. Protecting the ball is vital to the team's success.
"They just love to get out in transition and try to turn you over," Paolo Banchero said after shootaround Monday. "They play kind of run-and-jump defense. We have to be ready to take care of the ball, run our stuff and get clean looks on offense."
This is not a game for the team to be lax. And if the Magic want to win, they need to keep their turnover numbers down.
Orlando still needs to improve its shooting and ball movement. The Magic still need to get comfortable with a pace they can control. There is still some evolution to come with this offense -- especially as the team gets healthy.
But the biggest thing that has changed to set this team up for success is the ability to protect possessions a whole lot better. That has unlocked more opportunities to score.