Orlando Magic: How they can get back to the playoffs

1. Rediscover their defensive form

The most positive sign of all for the Orlando Magic as they head into the most crucial part of their season, is how they rank defensively. They have built their identity around this, and to start the season were hovering in or around the top five in this category. There was some slippage, but now they are back up to seventh (107.4).

This despite sitting in 19th (113.7) in the last 10 games leading up to the All-Star break, as horribly offensive play coupled with a regression defensively lead to them going 3-7 over that period. At this stage last season the Magic were able to turn to Birch and free agent Michael Carter-Williams to give them the required boost on this end.

Both players are still with the team, and both of their roles have increased since then because of injury too (when they are not out injured themselves, as has been the case for Carter-Williams). So they must now look to different ways to not only turn the tide over the next 10 games, but ensure they finish the season as close as possible to the top five in this category.

Center Mohamed Bamba is where they should be looking as somebody who can make a difference. With Isaac going down, he was expected to step up and expand his role, and while that hasn’t happened he has shown some improvements defensively. The Magic have an excellent defensive rating of 101.4 when he is on the court.

The problem is how bad they are offensively when he is out there, as the 101.6 offensive rating they post would be the worst in the league by some distance if taken as the team’s average for the season. We know they are a poor offensive team, and it would not be a bad idea for head coach Steve Clifford to double-down on going all out defensively more often.

Vucevic has turned himself into an average defender, and yet never gets the credit for doing this. If he could bring some more of this, then between himself, Birch and Bamba, the Orlando Magic would have an interior presence for 48 minutes every night. They have to stop playing Vucevic and Birch together though, as this is clearly not working.

Luckily some teams with designs of getting a high lottery pick lie in wait, and if the Orlando Magic can clamp down on them, then perhaps their poor offensive play will still be enough to scratch out some wins. They’ll have to hope it is, because flipping the switch defensively is what they will be hoping leads them back to the playoffs once more. It is their best chance of doing so.