QUOTE: “I actually learned a lot from being there. It’s totally different. Everything is very intense. You have to play through more stuff. You have a team that’s just locked in on you. They know everything you are doing. You have to learn everything the other team is doing. Just the physicality and atmosphere of playoff basketball is just incredible.” – Markelle Fultz on what he learned from first playoff experience two years ago with 76ers.
ANALYSIS: Even though the NBA playoffs this year will be different than normal with fans not being present, expect each game’s intensity and energy in every series to be the same as always. It will be crucial for Fultz, who will start in Game 1, to match, and perhaps even eclipse, the dynamism that his point guard counterpart, Eric Bledsoe, typically plays with. The Bucks are likely to go under most screens when the Magic run pick-and-rolls with Fultz, so the 22-year-old must be willing to take open outside shots as they become available, which will be more often than not.
QUOTE: “We’re always aware of the constant challenges. We’re aware that the NBA season has ups and downs. We’re aware of that. We’re mentally just built for that. This happens every year to every team one way or another. It’s about how you can handle that. You go into an NBA season prepared to deal with things like this. We’ve done a good job of doing that. I’m sure we’ll handle it well this time around.” – Terrence Ross on team’s resilience coping with injuries/medical issues throughout season.
ANALYSIS: Injuries were a big part of the Magic’s 2019-20 regular season. Nearly everyone missed time at some point. A few are out for the playoffs as well. Maybe what we will learn in the postseason is that these intermittent setbacks made the Magic stronger. To have a chance at upsetting the Bucks, Orlando is going to have to be the tougher, more determined team. Obviously, they will have to outplay Milwaukee in key statistical areas. But also, they will have to outshine the Bucks in categories that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.
QUOTE: “I like it. I think I’m versatile on the defensive end. I think I can guard a lot of positions. So when guys like that are out on the 3-point line, it actually makes it easier just because those guys that were post-up players literally like five, ten years ago and now they’re out on the perimeter. The one thing that’s probably harder is the coverages just because me and Vooch are going to be in certain spots that we aren’t used to.” – Khem Birch on expectations guarding the Lopez twins, Brook and Robin, out at the 3-point line.
ANALYSIS: In case you are wondering how often both Nikola Vucevic and Birch contested 3-point shots during the regular season, here are the numbers according to Second Spectrum tracking data: Vucevic was the closest defender to 207 3-pointers (162 contested), while Birch was the closest defender to 100 3-pointers (80 contested). Opponents shot 37.1 percent from downtown combined with Vucevic or Birch being the closest defender. More tied to what they will be facing in the playoffs against the Bucks: Combined Vucevic and Birch were the closest defenders to 12 of Brook and Robin Lopez’s 3-point attempts this season, with the Lopez twins combining to make five of them.
QUOTE: “His physicality. He looks strong, but it’s a different level when you kind of have to battle it. You got to stop him offensively when he puts his head down and then on defense you have to run into him. His presence on both ends is huge for our team, especially on the defensive end because of his verticality and how athletic he is. He just brings a piece of our backline defense that you have to worry about.” – Gary Clark on Aaron Gordon’s defensive talent.
ANALYSIS: Gordon seems to always rise to the challenge when he’s tasked with defending the league’s top players. He’s actually guarded Giannis Antetokounmpo well throughout his career. The Magic’s 6-foot-8 versatile forward has been the closest defender to 49 of Antetokounmpo’s shots in the Greek Freak’s career, per Second Spectrum. Only 22 of those attempts were made baskets, meaning the reigning league MVP and favorite to capture the award again this season has made just 44.9 percent of his attempts when Gordon was the closest defender. That’s nearly nine percent lower than Antetokounmpo’s career shooting percentage and over 11 percent lower than his shooting clip in 2019-20. Taking it a step further, 44 of those shot attempts were contested by Gordon, with Antetokounmpo making just 19 of them (43 percent).
QUOTE: “It’s all about making the right pass, playing for others. We just have to stay confident. We work on our shots every day and we’re going to get a lot of open looks. If we’re hitting, it’s going to be scary. It’s going to be scary for Milwaukee.” – James Ennis III on taking and making 3-pointers.
ANALYSIS: The Bucks gave up more 3-pointers than any other team in the league, quite shocking considering they ranked No. 1 in defense by a pretty significant margin. The only way the Magic will win this series is by knocking down a ton of threes. It’s just close to impossible to consistently score in the paint against Milwaukee’s stifling frontline defense. From Feb. 10 until the end of the seeding games at Disney, the Magic shot 36.4 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 12.6 3-point makes per game. Meanwhile, in the 17 games the Bucks lost the entire season, opponents combined to shoot 39.1 percent from 3-point distance. In their 56 wins, opponents combined to shoot 34.4 percent from deep.