X-Factor #3: Defensive improvement
Last season, the Orlando Magic ranked in the bottom ten of the league in opponent points per game, per ESPN. In the 2017-18 campaign, Orlando surrendered 108.2 points per game. Opposing teams shot the ball on average at a 46.8 percent clip from the field (and 36.2 percent from deep). For the team to overachieve and surprise people, the defense has to improve. Adding an athletic rim protector in rookie center Mohamed Bamba is a good start as it forces teams to respect the Magic’s frontcourt defense. Length is never a bad thing, and Bamba has that and more.
He had the longest wingspan ever recorded at the NBA Draft Combine, which bodes well for Orlando’s defense. It could also allow him to hold his own in pick-and-roll situations.
Trading away Elfrid Payton will hurt the backcourt defensively, meaning that D.J. Augustin, Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, and Jonathon Simmons must step up. Small forward Wesley Iwundu is an intriguing option that Clifford could utilize in a smaller role. The team’s athleticism gives them a prime opportunity to improve this aspect of the game, but if the Magic are looking to make it to the promised land, it starts with team defense and better play off-ball.
