The Orlando Magic spent their 2023 season trying to establish who they would be. In Jamahl Mosley's second season, he was still getting a feel for his new team. Their new star in top overall pick Paolo Banchero was still unproven. They were still mapping out what their future might look like.
But one thing everyone at least believed in part about their new young star was he was not a top-level defender. If the team was building around him, most figured they would have to cover for him on defense.
After the team struggled with injuries to a 5-20 start, the Magic had to find themselves to get back on the right course for their team. They found it on defense with simple directives that the team executed well.
That gave the team the confidence to buy in and deliver a dominant season.
The Magic's breakthrough in 2024 was on the back of the team’s defense. Orlando finished third in the league in defensive rating, giving up 110.8 points per 100 possessions. Considering how bad the Magic's offense was last year, this was the backbone of the team's success.
They played a frantic, intense, pressure-based defense that forced turnovers and deterred shots at the rim. Teams hated playing them because of all the length and energy they played with.
Jalen Suggs made the All-Defensive team for the first time in his career. Almost every analyst called Jonathan Isaac the "best per-minute defender" in the league considering his limited minutes (he was not eligible to make the All-Defensive team).
This was an excellent defensive team with some excellent defenders.
The Magic were one of the best defensive teams in the league and so many numbers back that up. And somehow they spent their offseason getting better on defense—adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who got 11 votes for the all-defensive team.
The Magic do not seem to be going anywhere defensively and could be gunning for the top spot.
What makes their defense so good? These numbers give some clues.