The Orlando Magic’s 2-5 start has been shaped in large part by what’s happening on the defensive end, and the numbers have been rough. Their 116.2 defensive rating sits 25th in the league, with only the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns ahead of them in that category.
There’s still time for the group to clean things up, but the early issues have been hard to ignore. One concern is that Orlando simply hasn’t been disruptive enough.
The Magic have forced the third-fewest deflections and the fourth-fewest steals per possession, and without Jalen Suggs, they haven’t had a steady defender at the point of attack. That has left them without the kind of pressure that can throw an offense off rhythm.
As Matt Hanifan put it, “The Magic’s biggest issue defensively is that they haven’t been disruptive enough. Currently, they have forced the third-fewest deflections and the fourth-fewest steals per possession.
In Jalen Suggs’ absence, they haven’t had a consistent disruptor at the point-of-attack, nor do they have an elite defensive anchor to cover up for many mistakes on the back-line - with all due respect to Wendell Carter Jr.
“There’s a push-pull element. I think the Magic need to be slightly more aggressive with their coverages, but that also puts more strain on the back-line. They have a bunch of versatile defenders, but I think the losses of Suggs, Noah Penda and, to some extent, Banchero have limited its short-term ceiling.”
The problems haven’t stopped there. Orlando’s offense and rebounding have also fed into the defensive issues, and the transition game has been a major leak.
Austin Dobbins pointed to the bottom-tier transition defense and the team’s rebounding woes, while also noting how many clean looks opponents are getting. “The Orlando Magic’s defensive struggles have stemmed from multiple things.
Beyond using the injury and continuity excuse, the Magic’s offense and inability to rebound have harmed their defense.
“Orlando’s transition defense ranks in the bottom 5, while their rebounding ranks last. Then when you look at the advanced statistics, the Magic are giving up way too many easy looks.
25.7% of the time the Magic are allowing wide open (closest defender further than 6+ feet away) shots, that is unacceptable. If the Magic can clean up their effort and defensive intensity, things will improve instantly.”
The injuries are a big part of the picture, too. Orlando has leaned on long guards and dynamic forwards, but the lineup has been missing too many of the pieces that make that approach work.
Anthony Black has missed half of the team’s games, Suggs has also been out for half, and Paolo Banchero has appeared in only two games so far. Jeremy Brener said that absence has taken a real toll: “The Magic have built their nucleus around their long guards and dynamic forwards, but Anthony Black has missed half of their games.
Jalen Suggs has been out for half of their games as well, and Paolo Banchero has only played in two games so far this season.
“Those are some key defensive cogs in the machine, and not having them on the floor is detrimental for Orlando moving forward. The team cannot work without all of its parts, especially its most important one, Banchero. This sample size isn't indicative of what the team can actually do.”
In Other News...
Magic Have A Real Chance If They Win This One Battle
The Magic get a chance to test themselves against a Suns team that has been leaking points on the glass and in the possession game, which is exactly where Orlando can tilt a night in its favor. Phoenix has struggled to finish defensive possessions and has been giving opponents extra cracks at the basket, so this matchup puts a premium on clean rebounding, crisp ball movement and making the first shot count.
For Orlando, the warning signs are familiar enough: turnovers have too often undercut good stretches, and the shooting percentages have not always been kind. The injury report also adds another layer to the setup, with Mark Williams, Jordan Goodwin and Rasheer Fleming all out for Phoenix, leaving the Suns a little thinner as both teams settle into projected starting lineups and try to control a game that could swing on a few extra possessions. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Osceola Closely
The Osceola Magic are set to open their season at home against the Oklahoma City Blue with a familiar kind of intrigue for Orlando fans, because this roster could end up serving as a real extension of the NBA club. Under new head coach Ronnie Burrell, the G League affiliate enters the year with several players tied to the Magic organization, and that means the nightly box scores in Osceola may carry more weight than usual for anyone tracking the parent teams depth and development.
Burrell arrives with a strong rsum, including G League Coach of the Year honors in 2023, along with years of NBA and professional playing experience that should give this group a steady hand. The bigger story for Orlando is how often the roster may overlap with the NBA team, since some of the two-way players are expected to move back and forth as the season unfolds, making Osceola a place where the Magics next wave can be watched up close. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Beat Themselves In A Loss Fans Wont Want To Relive
The Magic had enough good stretches to make this one feel frustrating long after the final buzzer, but the sloppiness in key moments kept them from cashing in on a night when they actually created extra chances. Orlando grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and turned those into 15 second-chance points, yet the game still slipped away during a 117-104 loss to Phoenix in the middle of the teams four-game West Coast trip.
Phoenix got steady production from Devin Booker, who dictated plenty of the flow for the Suns and helped keep Orlando from ever fully settling in. The bigger issue for the Magic was self-inflicted, with turnovers repeatedly handing the Suns easy opportunities and leaving Orlando to wonder how a game with so many extra possessions wound up feeling so out of reach. [Read more 🡒]