CHARLOTTE - As the old sports cliché goes, there’s no “i” in “team.”
The Orlando Magic, just based on recent play, clearly understand that. They’ve been having success doing things by committee, and that was key to their victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday when seven Magic players scored in double figures.
Orlando’s reserves have come up huge of late. So much so that over each team’s last five games, the Magic’s bench is averaging the most points with 48.2 per game. They totaled 72 against the T-Wolves, led by Cole Anthony, who scored 20, and Moe Wagner, who had 19.
Not only has the second unit been efficient from the floor during this recent five-game stretch, shooting 52.3 percent overall and 38.6 percent from 3-point range, but they’ve been collectively getting to the free throw line a ton, averaging 14.6 foul shots.
“That second unit – obviously now with (just about) everybody being back healthy – we needed a while to kind of figure it out,” Moe Wagner said. “I think we’ve kind of embraced the randomness and unpredictability of it – playing off of each other and staying calm in the chaos with that group. Everybody can hoop on this team, so it’s not a matter of are we able to do that. It’s more if we and how we stay together when stuff doesn’t go our way. I thought we found a nice rhythm, both offensively and defensively.”
Starting from Dec. 7, which was when the Magic essentially turned their season around, the Magic’s bench has the league’s second-best offensive rating, trailing only the L.A. Clippers by one-tenth of a point. Over those 28 games, in which Orlando won 16 of them, the offensive rating of their reserves is 63.4. They collectively also have the third-best assist to turnover ratio at 1.87.
Over their last five games, Moe Wagner is averaging 16.6 points on 58.1 percent shooting from the field, while Anthony is averaging 15.2 points on 52.6 percent overall shooting and 52.6 percent 3-point shooting.
“Just trying to be more consistent, trying to choose my spots, and just be efficient at the same time,” Anthony said. “At the same time, it’s not just the offensive side. On the defensive end, I try to give the team a boost – whether it’s pressure full court (or) just something to pick the team up to help us get it going.”
Another player making a big impact off the bench is Jonathan Isaac, who’s now played in five games after missing two-and-a-half years while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee. One of his better outings, even though it was again in limited minutes, came Friday in Minnesota, where he scored nine points in less than 10 minutes. He made four of his five floor shots and was instrumental during a key stretch of the third quarter after the Timberwolves cut a once 22-point deficit down to eight.
The 6-foot-10, 230-pounder converted on an AND-1 and drilled a Dirk Nowitzki-esque fadeaway jumper during that crucial juncture.
The reserves continue to step up on nights when the team’s two leading scorers, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, don’t heat up. But based on what Moe Wagner is seeing, it’s not them not playing well. It’s them recognizing what the defense is doing and making all the right plays to make those around them better.
“You have to think of why they don’t have it going,” Moe said. “They are getting double-teamed. Franz is getting blitzed every pick-and-roll. It’s an awareness that these guys (have), even though they may not score as much as they had at the beginning of the season. They are at the top of the scouting report. They are making their teammates better. That’s greatness. That’s the definition of greatness. You are making the people around you better. That’s how good teams win and become better every day … They are making a huge impact on the game, and it’s our job to kind of make it easy for them.”