ORLANDO – Becoming a top 10, maybe even top five, defensive team as soon as this season is a priority for the Magic, apparent from this summer’s activity.
Hiring Steve Clifford, known throughout the league as a tough-minded, defensive-oriented coach, drafting college’s most prolific shot blocker in Mohamed Bamba, re-signing the versatile Aaron Gordon and acquiring lockdown defenders, Jerian Grant and Jarell Martin, in separate trades gives Orlando a solid defensive foundation.
The groundwork, actually, started a year earlier, when the Magic selected Jonathan Isaac and Wes Iwundu in the 2017 draft and then signed one of the more tenacious and resilient players in the entire league, Jonathon Simmons.
Although each player on the Magic, regardless of experience, will be expected to play hard-nosed defense, every team typically has one particular lineup that jells best on that end of the floor.
Here are the five that I project will be the Magic’s best defensive lineup in 2018-19:
PG – Jerian Grant
As documented earlier this summer, the 25-year-old is one of the better guards throughout the league when it comes to evading ball screens and contesting shooters on the perimeter. Perhaps the former first round draft pick's best stat from last season was that opponents shot just 22.7 percent from the field when he contested those shot attempts after going over a screen.
SG – Jonathon Simmons
One of the most impressive defensive performances this decade occurred about a year-and-a-half ago in the playoffs when Simmons, then with the Spurs, filled in for the injured Kawhi Leonard and shut down James Harden.
SF – Jonathan Isaac
It’s one thing to have incredible length – the Bronx, N.Y. native might still be growing – but supplementing a towering frame with smooth footwork and outstanding instincts is what separates Isaac from most other players his size. The 20-year-old is like a seasoned chess player on defense, often accurately anticipating his opponent’s next move.
PF – Aaron Gordon
When he was selected fourth overall in 2014, the Magic felt like they landed the best two-way player from that draft class. Fast forward four years and that judgment appears to have been spot on. As he continues to add more offensive pieces to his repertoire, the soon-to-be 23-year-old has serious DPOY potential. In 2017-18, A.G. thrived defending stretch fours and fives, limiting Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka and Lauri Markkanen, for example, to under 30 percent shooting from the field when he was the closest defender.
C – Mohamed Bamba
Prior to this past June’s NBA Draft, Bamba, with his record-setting 7-foot-10 wingspan, was compared heavily to Rudy Gobert, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Although it will take time – and a lot of hard work in the weight room – to match (or exceed) Gobert, the 20-year-old from Harlem, N.Y. has the tools and drive to transform into one of the top enforcers in the entire league. It’s encouraging, too, that he recorded more blocks than fouls in his one-and-done year at Texas.
Stay tuned to OrlandoMagic.com as we will have more lineup projections leading up to the start of the season.
Note: The contents of this feature have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic and do not reflect the opinions of the Magic’s Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.