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Orlando Magic: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

By Luke Duffy

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 18: A shot of the Orlando Magic hallway during media availability on July 18, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JULY 18: A shot of the Orlando Magic hallway during media availability on July 18, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images /

3. Magic lead the league in defensive rating

The Magic are considered a competent defensive outfit, and that thinking only intensified when head coach Frank Vogel as hired before last season. Yet the team could only manage a defensive rating of 108 last year, which put them at 24th in the league.

That number figures to improve this year, and with good reason. In Payton, Bismack Biyombo and Aaron Gordon, the team has players who can make it difficult for opponents to beat them.

Biyombo is a brick wall who patrols the paint, Payton is a long and crafty nuisance and Gordon, while not consistent on that end yet, at least has the athleticism to stay with all kinds of players.

Even Nikola Vucevic, long thought of as an offensive big man with little defensive chops, owned a higher defensive win share (3.1) than Biyombo (2.1) last season.

Simmons and Isaac only figure to make the team even better on that end, with the knowledge of Simmons from his time in San Antonio and the versatility of Isaac bound to come in handy.

To ask this roster to lead the league in defensive rating is asking more than a lot. But given how baskets look like they could be once again difficult to come by, why not make that the aim?

Look out for Khem Birch (when he’s with the team) and Shelvin Mack to make a small, but notable, contributions in this area as well.

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