NBA week 5 recap: Struggling favorites, Magic ball movement and more

Ball movement aplenty in Orlando

The Orlando Magic have been one of the most fun teams in basketball all season. That sentence is not a typo and the furthest thing from it. New head coach Steve Clifford wasn’t known for his ball movement style of offense during his tenure with the Charlotte Hornets, but he has cultivated one of the best passing teams in the NBA a month into his time with the Magic.

They are fourth in assists per game (26.2) and third in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.91). They move the ball beautifully and always make the extra pass. Point guard remains an underwhelming position for them, but D.J. Augustin and Jerian Grant have done a great job of taking care of the ball and driving and kicking to the open teammate.

Nikola Vucevic remains a massively underrated player. Vuc is one of the last remaining post-move savants and leads the team in scoring with 20.4 points per game. He’s shooting 45.2 percent on 2.8 3-point attempts per game to open up the floor for teammates. With 10.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, Vuc has been an all-around contributor this season. Whether it’s putting opponents in the spin cycle or living in the mid-range, Vucevic has been a treat to watch work.

Aaron Gordon continues to make improvements to his game, shooting 37.5 percent on 4.5 3-point attempts and averaging 17.1 points per game. Evan Fournier is as potent as ever from deep with his usual shifty navigation in the paint. Terrence Ross is averaging a career-high in points (13.8 per game) and 3-point percentage (39.8 percent on 5.8 attempts), including a game-winner.

Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba are increasing playing time and set the foundation for the future. Jonathon Simmons and Wesley Iwundu provide energy on the wings. This Magic team is deep and boasts wins over the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics. Start tuning into the Magic people, they’re a great League Pass watch.