As we head towards the start of the 2015-16 season, New Orleans Pelicans fans are mostly concerned with the way the Pelicans are adjusting to a new system. While that is the most important question for the Pelicans right now, there are also 29 other teams in the NBA with questions and the answers to some will directly impact the Pelicans. With that in mind we decided to go around the league and do Q&A sessions with a blogger for each team in the league. For our second installment of the day we are joined by Hardwood Paroxysm writer and Fansided’s Orlando Magic Daily editor, Philip Rossman-Reich to talk Orlando Magic.
1. Orlando was one of the few teams in the league worse than New Orleans on defense last year. Both have the pieces to be better and now have new head coaches. Do you expect a big improvement from the Magic?
Philip: I am expecting a big improvement from the Magic defense. A lot of that is Scott Skiles. Everywhere he has gone, he has transformed his team’s defense into a top-10 defense, believe it or not. The Magic will get there eventually because they have a lot of defensive pieces and Skiles builds a good defensive scheme. His results speak for themselves.
Even in the short time Skiles has been in charge of the Magic, there has been increased accountability. He has used this time to try to break habits and sort of douse water on the reality this young Magic team was living in for three years. The team needs that kind of discipline and focus to turn the corner.
How good the defense can become? That is a harder question to answer. Expectation is certainly there again — really for the first time in many of these players’ careers. If they cannot do it now, then the Magic either need to rethink their identity or move on from some of these players on the roster.
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2. Orlando was barely below New Orleans in threes made per game last season with 6.8. Does that improve this year as seemingly every team in the league moves towards pace and space and launching threes?
Philip: The Magic have one issue when it comes to 3-pointers — they do not have a ton of three-point shooters. Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris have improved, but defenses do not respect them yet. Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon are still working with a shooting coach on improving some fundamental parts of their forms.
But another problem was that not only do the Magic not have a lot of shooters, meaning defenders are not respecting them as much, they are also not getting a ton of three-point shots either. So Skiles is working to increase the attempts the Magic put up in addition to making more.
I think players will get better at three-point shooting. Victor Oladipo improved from 32.7 percent to 33.9 percent last year and Tobias Harris bumped up from 25.4 percent to 36.4 percent. So there is improvement to be made. Skiles is going to look to get them more shots from beyond the arc through ball movement more than anything else. It will just be about knocking them down.
3. New Orleans moved a bit ahead of schedule last season thanks to injuries allowing them to make the Western Conference playoffs. Does Orlando need something similar to happen or can they make the playoffs in the East on the strength of only their own play?
Philip: I think the Magic can make the Playoffs on the strength of what they have. It will not be easy though. There are maybe one or two Playoff spots in the East that are questionably open (certainly one) and a lot of teams capable of taking those spots. A lot of people seem to think the Celtics will take a step back. The Nets should finally succumb to the mediocrity trap.
But the Heat will almost certainly take one of those spots in the Playoffs and the Pistons, Pacers and Knicks will have something to say. Winning that eighth seed will not be easy.
Really, everything Orlando is building toward and trying to accomplish is based on how much guys already on the roster improve. If Victor Oladipo makes that star turn or Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic bump up to an All-Star level, then this Magic team should be the surprise team of the league. That is not all likely to happen. But if everyone continues to improve the Magic can get into the Playoff conversation and give themselves a chance.
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4. Anthony Davis is leading the next wave of stars but who exactly is going to be in that group with remains to be seen. Do you think Victor Oladipo gets to that level?
Philip: I think Victor Oladipo can. He has that athleticism and natural talent and exuberance to do it. He is certainly more than capable of taking that leap. He began showing signs of that after the All-Star Break, when he averaged 20.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game. That sort of sounds like the start of something, doesn’t it?
It is just about consistency. Some people do not like to look at post-All Star stats on teams out of the playoff race. But Oladipo played with an increased confidence and took the opportunity to produce. He was a big reason for the Magic upsetting the Rockets and the Bulls late in the season with his 30-point games.
A lot of what the Magic are doing is tied to internal improvement. They are invested in this core and they need to see it out and make a decision. Oladipo is a big part of that. He was the only pick the Magic made after “winning the Lottery” so to speak.
5. What are the expectations for the Magic this season? What would you consider a successful season?
Philip” The expectations internally are to compete for the Playoffs deep into the season. Publicly, they want to make the playoffs outright. Those are really ambitious goals for what is essentially the same 25-win team as last year.
The Magic are trying to accomplish what they wanted last year. They need to be competitive and in the playoff race deep into the season — certainly past the All-Star break. Seeing a 10-win improvement to 35 wins would be a great success and show this core is growing into something. That is the most important thing. This group needs to show enough promise and results to get people believing they are ready to compete in the East and attract some free agents to bolster them.
Next: Chris Manning Talked Cleveland Cavaliers With Us
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