201718stats

Josh Cohen

ORLANDO –    We’ve seen tremendous growth from Mario Hezonja over the last two months. Injuries to several of the Magic’s starters increased his playing time beginning in late December and he’s taken full advantage of the opportunity.

So, what has changed besides more minutes, hard work in the gym and in practice, and boosted confidence?

For one, Hezonja is really figuring out the NBA game, which is heavy on pick-and-roll sets. In fact, Hezonja leads all Magic players in field goal percentage (and effective FG percentage) in pick-and-roll situations when he is the primary ball-handler (58.8 percent).

More interesting, he ranks second in the entire league in pick-and-roll FG percentage among players who have appeared in at least 40 games and attempted at least 30 shots out of the pick-and-roll.

Hezonja also is the Magic’s second best spot-up shooter behind Evan Fournier. He’s shooting 47.3 percent from the floor in these situations.

Just like we’ve seen with Aaron Gordon since he shifted back to the power forward spot, Hezonja is so much more athletic, agile and active than most fours around the league. Most opponents have a really hard time keeping up with him, which explains why he’s shooting 77.8 percent (14-of-18) so far this season when he cuts to the basket. He’s eluding defenders with ease, giving him a clear path to the basket on many occasions.

Hezonja’s shooting numbers have improved across the board from last season. One of the most appealing facets of Hezonja’s offensive repertoire is his ability to make shots from really deep. As recent as five years ago, a shot taken two or three feet behind the 3-point line was typically disparaged. Now, with Stephen Curry proving that making long range shots is a practiced skill and a true talent, more players are trying to extend their range even further because of how difficult it is to defend.

With that said, Hezonja has become one of the league’s most dangerous outside shooters because of his range. He’s one of only 22 players in the NBA this season shooting 40 percent or higher from 25-29 feet out with at least 100 attempts from this distance.

Check out a few plays from Hezonja during the Magic’s game against the Hornets:

a-deeper-look-at-mario-hezonjas-improvement

A Deeper Look at Mario Hezonja's Improvement

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic made 17 3-pointers against the Pistons on Sunday, have knocked down 10 or more in 22 of their 31 games and currently rank 10th in the NBA in 3-point percentage (37.1 percent).

The 3-point shot is more valuable now than ever before. Coaches are designing more plays that help create open looks from long distance and players are spending more of their training sessions working on the 3-ball.

There was a time, not too long ago in fact, when many basketball heads felt excessive outside shooting was a cause of failure. They said teams that relied on the 3-ball would burn out.

Especially with how successful the Warriors have been the last few years, that theory no longer exists. That’s not to say it isn’t important to work the ball inside or make hard cuts and drives to the basket. Those are still critical facets for every team.

However, it seems safe to say that no team can sustain long-term success in today’s NBA without dependable 3-point shooting. It’s essential to force defenders to go over screens and to close out on shooters. It’s also beneficial having a center, like Nikola Vucevic, who can consistently bury threes. Opposing big men, as a result, are pulled away from the basket.

Currently throughout the league, 66 players are shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range with a minimum of 30 attempts. Just four seasons ago, only 37 players who shot at least 60 times from downtown for the entire year made 40 percent of their tries.

The stats also tell us that the Magic’s players are working hard on their perimeter shooting. Nearly every player on the roster has seen their 3-point percentages go up from last year. Here’s a table that shows the percentages each of these players shot all of last season from 3-point range and what they are shooting so far this year.

nearly-every-magic-players-3-point-shooting-improved-from-last-season

Nearly Every Magic Player's 3-Point Shooting Improved From Last Season

ORLANDO – The Magic are a far more efficient team when their ball movement is sharp and when they play selflessly. In all nine of its wins so far this season, Orlando has dished out at least 20 assists.

In Wednesday’s victory over the Thunder, every starter had at least two dimes and nine players racked up at least one assist. It says a lot, too, when a team’s starting center leads the way in this category. Nikola Vucevic recorded seven of Orlando’s 28 assists, exhibiting his excellent court vision and high basketball IQ.

This team was built knowing team chemistry and synchronicity were utmost important. It’s critical for everyone to buy in and realize they will only be successful if they all trust one another.

Despite their recent nine-game losing skid, the Magic rank fourth in the NBA in assists (24.0). They haven’t let their struggles on the defensive end or any of their poor shooting nights interfere with their offensive identity.

Crisp ball movement and unselfishness are key, as Magic Head Coach Frank Vogel says, to form proper habits.

“The assisted-shot is a higher percentage shot than the unassisted-shot, the create-your-own shot,” he said. “It’s just a fact, leaguewide, not just us. It’s the game of basketball. When you play with the pass, you are more efficient.”

The Magic’s soaring assist totals stretch far beyond just making shots, too. Style of play is a major factor. In today’s NBA with floor spacing so crucial, teams need to be effective in the drive-and-kick game.

Orlando has taken the fourth most shots in the NBA when the attempt derived from a drive and kickout and it is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc on these plays.

magics-ball-movement-among-best-in-league

Magic's Ball Movement Among Best in League

MEMPHIS – You probably know by now that the Orlando Magic are currently the league’s hottest 3-point shooting team. They knocked down another 16 triples during Monday’s win in New Orleans and have made 11 or more in five of the team’s first seven games.

What you may not already be aware of, though, is perhaps an even more important 3-point shooting stat. The Magic rank No. 1 in the NBA right now in opponent 3-pointers made (7.4 per game) and opponent 3-point percentage (27.8%).

This is significant for a collection of reasons. For one, it tells us the Magic are doing an excellent job running opponents off the 3-point line and/or contesting shots on the perimeter. Frank Vogel emphasized during training camp that he wanted this team to be more meticulous when it came to guarding the arc. They’ve clearly listened and complied to this point.

And every player is doing their part. Take a look at opponent 3-point shooting percentages when these Magic players are the closest defender:

Teams that excel at defending the 3-point line usually make the playoffs. Over the last three seasons, 14 of the 15 teams that ranked in the top five in opponent 3-point percentage advanced to the postseason.

The Magic’s defense hasn’t been perfect. They rank last in protecting the paint. Opponents are averaging 53.4 points inside against Orlando, which comes as somewhat of a surprise with how long and athletic they are up front. They are also struggling to limit opponent second chance points (rank 29th).

With the offense cooking the way it has and with the team making strides on the defensive end, though, there’s reason to believe the Magic can correct those deficiencies.

Here’s a look at a couple of defensive possessions from Monday’s win in New Orleans that highlight the Magic closing out and contesting 3-point shots.

stats-you-need-to-know-defending-3-pointers

Stats You Need to Know: Defending 3-Pointers

The Magic rank #1 in 3-point percentage and #2 in 3-pointers made per game

Orlando knocked down 35 threes combined during its recent two-game road trip and then got hot late from downtown in the win over Brooklyn on Tuesday. Aaron Gordon appears to be a much improved outside shooter, as he made all five of his 3-point attempts in that victory. Nikola Vucevic sank six from beyond the arc a few days earlier against the Nets.

The Magic rank #2 in assists and #10 in assist percentage

The Magic have been very unselfish, patient and entrusting. They are sharing the rock and spreading the floor. Even without Elfrid Payton, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury, Orlando’s playmaking has been impressive. Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Jonathon Simmons have all shown their abilities to facilitate.

The Magic rank #4 in pace and #6 in PIE (player impact estimate)

A goal for this season was to play up-tempo and accommodate the strengths of the core of this team. The Magic have done exactly that, as they have the second highest offensive rating in the league and are averaging 88 field goal attempts. Among players who have appeared in at least four games so far, Vucevic ranks 13th in PIE.

The Magic rank #1 in shooting between 20-24 out and #5 within five feet

Shot distance is very important, as most basketball analytic gurus will tell you. The Rockets have flourished in recent years because of their philosophy to reduce mid-range jumpers. The Magic have adopted a similar approach, at least in the early going. Orlando has been very efficient, shooting nearly 67 percent within five feet of the hoop and a league-best 52 percent from 20-24 feet away.

This is a very important stat because Orlando was one of the worst in this category in each of the last five years. The aggressiveness of Fournier, Gordon, Simmons and D.J. Augustin has really helped this team initiate more contact on drives to the rim. The Magic are also shooting it well from the stripe (83.7 percent).

stats-you-need-to-know-key-offensive-strengths

Stats You Need to Know: Key Offensive Strengths

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic held the Dallas Mavericks to just 33 percent shooting from the field in Thursday’s preseason victory.

The Magic usually win when they limit their opponent to lower than 40 percent shooting. In fact, Orlando went 23-4 over the last two seasons combined (12-1 in 2016-17) when this happened.

The Mavs made 29 percent of their 3-point attempts – although the Magic would have probably preferred to run them off the 3-point line more. Dallas launched 41 shots from long distance.

Defending the perimeter (closing out, contesting and running opponents off line) more effectively is a major point of emphasis. In nine of their 29 wins last season, the Magic confined the opposition to under 30 percent from beyond the arc.

Orlando was also solid on the interior against Dallas, which accumulated just 24 points in the paint. The Magic had seven blocks, including two each from Jonathan Isaac and Khem Birch.

When they play a more intimidating style, the Magic are far more dangerous.  They were 5-4 last season when they swatted away eight or more shots.

It is critical for teams to consistently contest shots. It’s such a simple and obvious aspect of playing good defense and yet it’s also remarkable how vital it is to be an elite defensive team.

Here’s a breakdown of opponent FG percentages when teams contested and didn’t contest shots in 2016-17. These teams were selected at random to illustrate the differences.

stats-you-need-to-know-defensive-fg-percentage

Stats You Need to Know: Defensive FG Percentage

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic shot just 36.4 percent from the field in Monday’s preseason game in Memphis. Obviously, that’s not an ideal percentage for any team.

However, what was impressive was the number of assists they accumulated in relation to how many shots they made. The Magic totaled 26 assists, which is fairly remarkable considering they connected on just 32 shots (81 percent). Last season, 58 percent of the Magic’s made buckets were assisted.

It helps that the core of this team have been together for a while and that all five starters are very familiar with one another. There was one play, specifically, that really stood out and exemplified optimum team chemistry.

It happened around the four-minute mark of the second quarter. All five Magic players touched the ball and the unselfishness that ensued was something that led the entire bench to stand up and applaud.

Evan Fournier whipped a cross-court pass to Elfrid Payton who deliberately waited for a defender to close out on him. Then, Payton swung it to Terrence Ross and it became textbook offense from there. Ross kicked it over to Aaron Gordon, who drove, avoided the charge and dropped it off to Nikola Vucevic for the dunk. WATCH:

It was encouraging that it wasn’t just one guy facilitating. Fournier had five assists, Payton dished out four and Jonathon Simmons, D.J. Augustin and Wes Iwundu each racked up three dimes.

All of this selflessness helped set up several highlight plays. The Magic tallied 10 dunks and nine of them came assisted. They had four alley-oop jams as well.

Here’s a look at how many shots some of the Magic’s players made and then how many different teammates assisted on those buckets.

stats-you-need-to-know-magics-assist-percentage

Stats You Need to Know: Magic's Assist Percentage

none

ticketmaster

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.