Category Archive: Analysis
Apr 09
Orlando’s screen the screener action
Although the team has not always executed — the Orlando Magic rank 27th in offensive efficiency — the system that rookie head coach Jacque Vaughn has put into place is exciting as a concept. He’s used a ton of off-ball movement all season. The primary shooter in those sets was J.J. Redick, but as we …
Apr 05
Meet the Magic’s small forward of the future
Photos by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images One of the bright spots during a post-Dwight Howard rebuilding season, in which the Orlando Magic have lost 59 of their first 76 games, is the play of rookie small forward Maurice Harkless. He was one of the players brought over from Philadelphia in the three-team mega-trade …
Mar 19
The emergence of Tobias Harris
The haul the Orlando Magic got in the J.J. Redick trade from the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline, which brought in Tobias Harris, Beno Udrih, and Doron Lamb, is looking better and better by the game, highlighted by the strong play of Harris. After being buried on the bench in Milwaukee, he’s finally getting meaningful minutes in …
Mar 11
Andrew Nicholson and Nikola Vucevic showing promise
One of the most encouraging parts of this season for the Orlando Magic has been the play of two young big men — namely Andrew Nicholson and Nikola Vucevic. Despite being so inexperienced, both have shown nuanced offensive games that give hope for the future. Each has their own specialty on this side of the …
Mar 04
Orlando’s effective hi-lo set
The hi-lo is one of the most complex sets in basketball. On the surface, it looks like a simple pass between two big men, but it needs perfect timing and chemistry. Lately, the Orlando Magic have been running an interesting iteration of the hi-lo. Let’s go through it step-by-step. Things begin with a guard handling …
Feb 22
Did the Magic get enough for J.J. Redick?
Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images The one big move that most fans and analysts expected the Magic to make before Thursday’s trade deadline came down to the wire, but general manager Rob Hennigan sent J.J. Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks, along with Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith, in return for Beno Udrih, Doron …
Feb 14
The Magic’s two rising stars
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images Over the weekend, the NBA announced that Magic rookie forward Andrew Nicholson would replace injured Pistons center Andre Drummond in the Rising Stars Challenge, joining Nikola Vucevic as the other player representing the Magic at All-Star Weekend in Houston. While this event is, needless to say, entirely meaningless, …
Feb 06
Anatomy of a losing stretch
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images As Noam Schiller noted on Tuesday, a big reason for Orlando’s recent losing stretch is because they’ve regressed badly defensively. The Magic went from having a top 10 defense in the first month and a half of the season to having one of the worst defenses in …