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Orlando Magic’s defense is thriving
Nov 18, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Mason Plumlee (22) looks to pass while surrounded by Orlando Magic players during the first half of an NBA game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images|Rick Scuteri/Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Orlando Magic know who they are.
They are not trying to outscore anybody. Three-point shooting is a constant adventure for them. They are not the traditional team that lives at the top of the standings, it seems.
Sure, Franz Wagner is putting up impressive and All-Star-like numbers. They need every single one of those counting stats.
But this is a team built on its defense. That is what defines them. That is their bread and butter.
It is not in the Franz Wagner pull-up jumpers or darts to the rim. It is in plays like the one in the third quarter when the Magic needed some energy and Goga Bitadze blocked Royce O’Neal at the rim leading to a fast-break that finished with Anthony Black feathering one of his career-high nine assists to Wagner for a two-handed jam.
It is in Jalen Suggs chasing down Tyus Jones from behind and sending a shot out of bounds. It is in Tristan Da Silva stonewalling a play as the low man. Or Black darting in for a steal as the Suns tried to get out of the hole.
The Magic’s defense is the attraction, an amorphous and swarming blob of arms and intensity that few teams have found a way to deal with.
“Every night it’s who we are,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Defense travels. Whether we’re making shots or missing shots, we have to make sure we are guarding the right way, defending the right way, communicating the right way. I think defense set the tone early for what we wanted to do, got us some easy baskets. We have to continue to sustain that effort.”
The Magic have now given up fewer than 100 points in six straight games. It is the first defensive streak of that kind since the 2018 season. It is the first time the Magic have had a six-game streak holding opponents to less than 100 points since the 2016 season.
Considering the explosion of NBA offenses, it is a feat worth celebrating and noting. The Magic’s defense has been otherworldly.
Orlando ranks second in the league in defensive rating, giving up 103.9 points per 100 possessions. That trails only the Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
Monday’s 109-99 win over the Phoenix Suns was not even a particularly strong defensive game. Orlando gave up 16 offensive rebounds or 20 second-chance points. The team’s 110.0 defensive rating was its worst since the loss to the Indiana Pacers, their last loss before this six-game win streak.
They still held Devin Booker and Tyus Jones to a combined 35 points and 12-for-31 shooting. Orlando was stifling, willing to bet that other players could not fill in for the injury-depleted Suns.
The Magic have set a high bar for their defense. That is the expectation for everyone to defend at a high level. That is the essential part of the team’s identity.
Especially with star forward Paolo Banchero out, the Magic had to lean on this identity even more. The defense is shining as it always has. That was always how the Magic would not only survive but thrive.
And right now, the Magic’s defense is doing more than any of that. It is a force to be reckoned with.
The Sixers are no longer just bad, they’re cornered
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center|Photo by Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Look, I held off as long as I could, told myself it was only an awkward start. I looked to silver linings, to the tendency that things going wrong for this long tend to right themselves. I looked to the surrounding conditions for clues and when none revealed themselves, I decided to stay positive but now, it’s time: time to talk about the Philadelphia 76ers.
Beyond what Sixers fans know intimately and don’t need reiterated (things are bad), the mood around the franchise is starting to feel closer to cornered than merely frustrated. Last night, after a third quarter collapse against the Heat in Miami, the Sixers held a postgame meeting that lasted over an hour. The game already had a bizarre feel to it, Philly led by 19 before being down 20, and Joel Embiid went from being listed as doubtful to starting. No one on the Sixers roster looked especially comfortable, a trend that’s emerged throughout the team’s first full month of regular season play.
Slipping now to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with a record of 2-11 I still feel the need to double check as I write this, one thing has become abundantly clear — the Sixers don’t have room to hedge.
There’s no scapegoat to pin the team’s shoddy performance on, not this early in the season. Even when healthy, and Embiid, George and Maxey are on the floor together, it’s been for naught. Both the teams wins came in arduous overtime, one without George and both without Embiid. The Sixers win against the Hornets was missing Maxey completely.
Here’s a problem I’ve wondered about since Daryl Morey landed George in what was declared an undisputed win for the franchise and the best move of the offseason — what about Philadelphia’s role players? To clear the books for cap space enough to sign George, Daryl Morey liquidated the team’s working roster — 13 of the team’s 15 man squad became free agents. Tobias Harrias and Nicolas Batum may not be spring chickens in NBA terms, but they provided the mechanical support the Sixers are now woefully lacking. This isn’t the Sixers only problem, that much has been made clear, but it’s a big one.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Biz Former NBA stars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are looking to buy a minority stake in the NFL’s Buffalo Bills (CityTV)
Must Read Knicks forward OG Anunoby says he’s tired of being known for his defensive prowess. (The Athletic, subscription required)
Injury There’s hope that Paolo Banchero could return by Christmas from his torn oblique muscle. Fans are eagerly awaiting his comeback. (Sports Illustrated)
Honor Congrats to Franz Wagner for being named Eastern Conference Player of the Week! His stellar performance is lighting up the court. (Sports Illustrated)
3peat (ICYMI)
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