The Orlando Magic followed up the win over the Golden State Warriors with a better-than-it-looked-at-the-time, buzzer-beating, overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. But then they laid a stinker in a loss to the Houston Rockets last week. Orlando has seemingly been working to make sure that kind of loss does not happen again.
So after back-to-back wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns where the team held two top-10 offenses to fewer than 100 points. This game is the real test for a young team. Can they bring the same focus, intensity and attention to detail to a team that is on an eight-game losing streak?
They are also one of the lowest-level passing teams in the league. Orlando is 28th with 21.2 assists per game and 29th in the league with a 52.6-percent assist rate. According to NBA.com’s tracking statistics, the Magic are 25th in the league with 264.4 passes per game.
The last thing the team needs to unlock is to turn their driving and paint presence into kick outs to the perimeter for threes — and then, yes, to hit those 3-pointers when they get them.
The Magic are still working to improve their offense and better passing — and reducing turnovers — are the big keys to the team unlocking more of its offensive potential.
On that point then, turnovers remain the biggest X-factor for the Orlando Magic. It will be something everyone continues to monitor and will be a huge determinant for the Magic in wins and losses. That will go double against a point guard like LaMelo Ball and a team like the Charlotte Hornets.
The Magic still rank 29th in turnover rate at 16.6 percent. Opponents score 20.2 points off turnovers per game, the fifth-most in the league.
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This is the biggest difference for the Magic in wins and losses. In wins, the team gives up 15.5 points off turnovers per game. In losses, they give up 22.3. With how close the Magic’s games have been, those nearly seven points per game are the difference between wins and losses.
The Hornets can be a great team at converting on turnovers. Charlotte is forcing a turnover rate of only 14.4 percent as the team’s defense has struggled early in the season.
But the Hornets score 17.9 points off turnovers per game. That will only increase with LaMelo Ball back in the mix. Provided Charlotte straightens up on defense.
In the last two games, opponents shot 5 for 12 when Okeke was defending them, according to NBA.com’s defensive statistics. He added a steal, two blocks and a team-best three deflections. Okeke was getting after it defensively and his presence was key to the Magic netting two wins.
