Orlando Magic
Projected Win Total: 40.5
Despite a modest 42-40 record last season, the Orlando Magic became a completely different team on Feb. 1. Across 30 games they amassed a 21-9 record, tied for third-best in the league with a top-10 offensive rating a defense ranked No. 1 in efficiency.
Steve Clifford is exactly the coach Orlando thought Frank Vogel would be.
Looking up and down the roster, the Magic aren’t overwhelmed with talent after some early trepidation that fostered their slow start, the players bought into a system that had them give a consistent effort at the defensive end.
The point guard situation remains a mess. D.J. Augustin was serviceable last year, but he doesn’t measure up to his contemporaries. At this point, just seeing Markelle Fultz on the court again would be considered a win, independent of what he may bring to it.
Orlando did nothing to solve these woes in free agency, which is sure to make life difficult against the revolving door of elite point guards in the NBA.
https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1146495289064398848
Jonathan Isaac, Al-Farouq Aminu and Aaron Gordon make up a stifling defensive trio along the wing. They’ve got above-average length and quickness to make all types of switches.
If any or all begin to hit 3-point shots consistently, it will do wonders to an offense that surprisingly ranked 11th in percentage last season.
30 games is not a small sample size, and the Magic were quick to re-sign two pillars of their success in All-Star Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross.
They’ve found a defense-first identity and have embraced it wholeheartedly as evidenced by the signing of Aminu over more offensive-minded perimeter options. It might not be pretty, but it’ll be enough for at least 41 wins.
Prediction: Over