The Orlando Magic knew playing without Paolo Banchero would be difficult. Coach Jamahl Mosley made that fact plain when he said “it sucks” that Banchero is out There was no getting around it even though the games will inevitably continue and players have an opportunity to step up to the plate.
Figuring out their way to win is still the biggest challenge. And the first two games without Banchero have seen nothing but struggles.
The Cleveland Cavaliers blitzed the Magic on Friday for a 120-109 victory, that was not as close as the final score would indicate. The Magic were more energetic in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks. But a 35-18 second quarter by the Mavs buried the Magic in a deep hole again heading to a 108-85 defeat.
The 85 points stood out. The Magic shot 33.3 percent and 19.5 percent from three (8 for 41). They buried themselves in a deep hole by missing shots. That drained their energy on defense. The team looked defeated.
The first two games without Banchero have been disheartening, to say the least.
Losses are one thing. Not competing is another.
The Magic have to find themselves again. They have to find their identity and joy in playing again. Those are essential characteristics of this team. They have been absent as the Magic come to grips with this reality.
Mosley has a difficult task ahead of him, to say the least.
The simplest solution to the team’s woes at this point is to make shots. The Magic have made 19 of 74 (25.7 percent) of their threes in the last two games. The Magic are taking more threes, as they should, but the misses have put them in a further bind.
The quality of those shots might also be different without Banchero to soak up defensive attention.
But the Magic need something more than just making shots. Orlando cannot play the same way it played with Banchero. The Magic need a new identity.
They need to get back to their basics. They need to focus on one thing they can do at an elite level and grow from there.
That should be their defense.
Banchero is an improved defender, but he is hardly a defensive stopper. The Magic have remained a strong defensive team in the rankings, ranking eighth in the league giving up 108.5 points per 100 possessions.
But things have felt off, even before Banchero’s absence. The Magic gave up 117.6 points per 100 possessions against the Cavaliers and 106.9 against the Mavericks on Sunday. They were not bad defensive efforts statistically, at least.
Of course, that includes fourth quarters that were blowouts and inconsequential to the result. The Magic have not been pleased with their defense to say the least. It has not lived up to its top billing.
If Orlando wants to reform itself and get back on track, it has to start with the central tenet of its identity. The Magic have to use their defense as the base for everything. Orlando certainly cannot let poor shooting affect the defense.
If that means the Magic are playing rock fights and low-scoring games, that might be their formula to win.
Orlando is fishing for something right now. It is clear in the lineups Mosley is throwing out on the floor and how he is trying to find a spark to create some energy.
For this team, that starts on defense. It is the simplest and easiest thing that this team can do to get right and give themselves a chance to win.
It is where everything must start for the team as they shift to this new reality.
