ORLANDO – After nearly a week of NBA action, the Orlando Magic – despite losing two of their first three games – are one of the best defensive teams in the league.
That is expected to continue throughout the entire season. This team was built to be elite defensively, and there is no reason to believe that will change.
Currently, the Magic rank near the top in most defensive categories. Here are some key rankings:
- Defensive Rating: #2
- Defensive Rebounding Percentage: #3
- Opponent Points Off Turnovers: Tied #1
- Opponent Second Chance Points: #2
- Opponent 3-Point Percentage: #4
- Opponent Free Throw Attempts: #6
- Opponent Assists: Tied #6
- Steals: #5
In its final 31 games last season – 22 of them wins – Orlando had the league’s best defensive rating, which is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions. For the entire year, they finished eighth in this category. The last time the Magic had a top five defensive rating was in 2010-11 when they won 52 games. Steve Clifford was an assistant coach for the team that season.
So, what does a team’s defensive rating tell us about how good they are in general?
A lot, actually.
Since 2000, only three teams – the 2001-02 Miami Heat, the 2010-11 Milwaukee Bucks and the 2012-13 Washington Wizards – had losing records despite finishing with top five defensive ratings. Three other teams – the 2005-06 Indiana Pacers, the 2014-15 Bucks and the 2016-17 Chicago Bulls – went 41-41. That means 94 of the 100 teams in the top five in this area so far this century posted winning records, with many of them recording over 45 victories.
Another very telling stat is opponent 3-point percentage. Last season, only one team – the Dallas Mavericks – failed to make the playoffs after ranking in the top 10 in opponent percentage from beyond the arc. The Magic finished 10th in this category.
Of course, the Magic are going to have to start shooting the ball better if they want to improve from their 42-win season last year. But, if they do prove to be this good defensively for the entire 2019-20 campaign, there’s a good chance the Magic will ultimately finish high in the Eastern Conference standings.