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5 Magic Things to Watch in 2016-17

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John Denton
Sept. 26, 2016

ORLANDO – After a long, but busy offseason, training camp for the new-look Orlando Magic is set to begin on Tuesday at the Amway Center. With that in mind, here are five pressing issues to watch out for as the revamped squad begins a push that it hopes will end in the playoffs in the spring:

1. Hi, nice to meet you, my name is …: With a new coaching staff, led by Frank Vogel, and seven new roster players – 13 if you count the non-roster invitees – the Magic are loaded with new faces at virtually every position. One of Vogel’s primary missions of this training camp is to build chemistry, togetherness and trust on a team where there is so much unfamiliarity. Team building has always been one of Vogel’s strengths as a coach (See: Indiana 2010-16) and he’ll have his work cut out with a Magic roster that has been turned inside out.

Orlando GM Rob Hennigan was aggressive and active this offseason, improving the roster with every means possible. The Magic pulled off trades to get Serge Ibaka, Jodie Meeks and C.J. Wilcox, they signed Bismack Biyombo, Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin in free agency and they drafted center Stephen Zimmerman.

Now, it’s the job of Vogel, to take that group and turn it into a cohesive unit that can come together quickly and thrive in all situations. Holdovers such as Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja already have a chemistry, but they too will be adapting to a fourth coaching staff in three years.

This Magic squad clearly has enough talent and experience to be successful. Now, it’s chemistry that could be the make-or-break factor in this season getting off to a solid start.

2. Playoffs or bust: Hennigan, Vogel and others in the Magic organization haven’t shied away from the fact that the primary goal of the season is to get the organization back in the postseason.

Orlando last made the playoffs in 2012 when, coincidentally, it was eliminated in the first round by Vogel’s Pacers. The rebuild following Dwight Howard’s defection was often a rocky one, but now the organization feels that it has the talent, experience and coaching to be a playoff contender once again.

Various computer models and bookmakers have the Magic projected to win just 36 games and miss the playoffs again. However, Orlando feels it can defy those odds and be one of the true surprise teams in the NBA.

Defending champion Cleveland is a lock to make the playoffs, but the East is otherwise up for grabs. Boston made big improvements and could push the Cavs, but others such as Toronto, Miami, Charlotte, Atlanta and Chicago suffered major losses over the summer. Other teams, such as Orlando, New York and Indiana, drastically re-tooled their rosters, making the battle for playoff spots in the East a battle every night.

3. Let’s be Frank: The NBA world was stunned last May when Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird made the decision not to retain Vogel, who had led the team to the playoffs five times in his 5 ½ seasons in Indy. Bird and Vogel remain friends today, and the breakup was merely Bird’s philosophy that teams need a new voice every three-to-four years.

Indiana’s decision proved to be a boon for the Magic. Soon after his departure from the Pacers, Vogel had interviews with five different teams. He ultimately decided on the Magic because of the franchise’s strong ownership, its wealth of talent and the opportunity to live in Central Florida. (Vogel grew up in New Jersey a block from the beach and admitted he was living close to the salt air again.)

Vogel prides himself as a confidence-builder and he’s thrived in large part because of the strong relationships that he’s built with his players. He’ll be more teacher than drill sergeant in Orlando and the hope is that his style will bring out the best in the Magic’s young talent.

That style has allowed Vogel to post a 250-181 career record and a 31-30 playoff ledger that includes two trips to the Eastern Conference playoffs.

4. DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!: The Magic made strides defensively last season and then they went out and added some major upgrades on that end of the floor that should make them downright dominant defensively.

First, Vogel was brought into the mix and he will submit his impressive abilities as a coach who demands stingy, hard-nosed defense. In Indiana, his last five teams all finished in the NBA’s top-six in field-goal percentage allowed and all six of his teams were top-10 in total defensive efficiency.

Ibaka and Biyombo will give the Magic two elite-level shot blockers to keep the likes of LeBron James, John Wall and Dwyane Wade away from the rim – a major problem in years past. At the end of games, the Magic can potentially put a lineup of Biyombo, Ibaka, Green, Gordon and Payton – five defensive stoppers – on the floor to frustrate foes.

5. Where will the scoring come from? Sure, the Magic are loaded with top-notch defenders, but there are major question marks about whether or not this squad has enough scoring and outside shooting. Another foot injury to Meeks – he is likely out until at least mid-November following surgery – didn’t help matters as they relate to the team’s 3-point shooting.
Vucevic and Fournier were two of the team’s top three scorers last season and the Magic will need each to take on more of a scoring role now. Fournier shot 40 percent from 3-point range in what was a career year last season, while Vucevic – the NBA’s top shooter from 15-19 feet last season – has worked to expand his shooting range to the 3-point line.

Ibaka said that he is motivated by being in a role where he is looked to more as a scorer instead of the complementary position he had in Oklahoma City where he was asked to play off of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Also, Ibaka has expressed an interest in being more of a pick-and-roll player who crashes to the rim for lobs and offensive boards as opposed to being a pick-and-pop player who settles for 3-point shots.

Where the Magic can make the biggest strides offensively is with more growth from youngsters such as Gordon, Payton and Hezonja. All three worked extremely hard this offseason on their jump shots, their mid-range games and their ability to create plays off the dribble. Gordon and Payton will be dared to shoot by the opposition and if they can knock down perimeter shots at a solid percentage they will make the Magic offense much more diverse and powerful.

Hezonja gained great confidence and improved skill by spending most of the summer playing for a Croatia squad that reached the Olympics. The Magic have such faith in Hezonja that part of the Victor Oladipo trade was centered around freeing up more playing time for the 6-foot-8, 225-pounder. Hezonja proved himself to be an exceptional passer and a plus shooter as a rookie, and the belief is that he will only be better this season now that he is more familiar with the NBA and living in America.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.