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Josh Cohen

ORLANDO - The oldest player on the Orlando Magic this upcoming season, as of now, will be Robin Lopez, the 33-year-old center signed by the team to a one-year deal this week. While it’s unclear exactly how new head coach Jamahl Mosley will utilize him, there’s no doubt that the 13-year NBA veteran will bring some much-needed leadership and experience to a squad in the early stages of a rebuild.

Here’s a breakdown of Lopez’s strengths.

Lopez totaled 193 post points in 2020-21 with the Washington Wizards, 11th most in the NBA. More impressive, though, was that he made 67.5 percent of those shots. How remarkable is that?

The 7-foot, 281-pounder is the only player in the last six seasons to score 100-plus post points and shoot at least 65 percent on those attempts.

It was his jump hook that was so lethal. He made 75 of his 116 hook shot attempts (64.7 percent). That was a fairly big improvement from the prior couple years. With the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019-20, he shot just 46.7 percent on hook shots and with the Chicago Bulls in 2018-19 he shot 55.9 percent.

Lopez’s No. 1 strength is his defense, particularly as a backline protector. While he’s a bit slow-footed and will generally get blown past on the perimeter by speedsters when caught in a switch, the North Hollywood, California native excels at obstructing or altering opponent’s shots near the basket.

Opponents last season collectively shot 47.4 percent from the field, two percent lower than those players’ combined season field goal percentage, when Lopez was the closest defender. From less than six feet from the basket, opponents shot just 50.4 percent, nearly 12 percent lower than those players' consolidated season percentage from this range.

His numbers were even better the prior year with the Bucks, as opponents shot 43.7 percent overall with him as the nearest defender and 44.4 percent from within six feet. The only two players in the entire league who had a better defensive field goal percentage from less than six feet out were Milwaukee teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and brother Brook Lopez.

Eleven times throughout the 2020-21 season Lopez was in the game when the Wizards were ahead or behind by five points or less in the final five minutes. Washington went 9-2 in those contests, with Lopez making six of his nine shot attempts and 10 of his 11 free throws in that time.

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Here’s What Robin Lopez Can Bring to the Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Very few rookies finished the 2020-21 season on a higher note than R.J. Hampton, the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for May. Over his final eight games of the year, he averaged 16.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists, all top six marks among rookies during that stretch.

Following the trade to the Orlando Magic from the Denver Nuggets on March 25, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound combo guard showcased his wide range of skills – some refined, others not quite. But importantly, the combination of his raw talent, his love of the sport, his dedication to his craft and the rapid development he showed in little time after joining the team has given the Magic’s management tremendous optimism about his career trajectory.

“He got better. I think he’s going to continue to get better. He’s a worker. He’s very talented,” Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said of the 20-year-old. “I just think guys need reps. They need to know how they fit in. They need coaches and people around them to message them, (saying) ‘like here’s how your role will help us win.’ And the most important thing is that those guys are receptive to hearing that. If they have the talent, if they have the worth ethic, are receptive to hearing that, generally good things are going to happen from there.”

From his shot creating, to his playmaking, to his long-range shooting, nearly every part of his game improved by the time the season wrapped up. But where he excelled the most, by far, was in transition, which isn’t a huge surprise factoring in the physical tools he possesses. He’s fast, flashy, shifty and creative – all key ingredients to flourishing when the game speeds up.

After the trade, 3.4 of the 11.2 points he averaged came in transition. But most impressive was how efficient he was when he went full throttle in the open court. Hampton shot 63.8 percent in transition, best on the Magic in 2020-21.

Of all NBA players who appeared in at least 25 games and averaged at least three transition points per game, only Zion Williamson, LeBron James, Mikal Bridges, Domantas Sabonis and Rui Hachimura shot higher percentages in transition than the Magic’s youngster.

Obviously far away from being a finished product, Hampton has the potential to be an excellent two-way player. If he makes the kind of progress many think he will on defense, specifically by forcing turnovers with his length and instincts, that will increase the opportunities he gets to run out and do damage in transition.

Having a full and normal offseason, which was not the case last year because of all the restrictions due to the pandemic, will be a boost for him and the rest of the team’s young core considering they are still getting familiar with one another.

“I think it will be very useful,” Hampton said. “I feel like I’m a leader on this team and I want to win. To win games, we all have to come together as a collective unit. You will see a lot of growth with a lot of the young guys that we have, including myself. It will be good for us to have a full offseason and take it to the next level when the season comes around next year.”

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R.J. Hampton Thrived in Transition After Joining Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Through 32 seasons of Orlando Magic basketball, 23 left-handed players have come through the organization. The most recent is Ignas Brazdeikis, who appeared in eight games with the Magic to close out the 2020-21 season after signing a pair of contracts in May.

Waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on April 8, the 6-foot-6, 221-pound forward averaged 29.3 minutes of action with the Magic, second most on the team after he arrived.

Perhaps most interesting is the 11.1 points he averaged, as that at the moment is the third best scoring average by a left-handed shooting Magic player ever.

The top two in this category are Cuttino Mobley, who averaged 16.0 points in 23 games during the 2004-05 season, and Chris Gatling, who during the 1999-00 season averaged 13.3 points in 45 games. Gatling was an All-Star a couple years earlier while playing for the Dallas Mavericks.

Born in Kaunas, Lithuania before settling in Oakville, Ontario, Brazdeikis is a unique case as he’s a lefty shooter but is right-hand dominant for dribbling and passing.

He was a second round draft pick in 2019 after starring at the University of Michigan for one season. The 22-year-old was actually one of three former Wolverines who wore a Magic jersey in 2020-21. Moritz Wagner, like Brazdeikis, signed with the club late in the year and Jon Teske, a 7-foot-1, 265-pound center, was in Orlando for training camp and the preseason before helping the Lakeland Magic win the G League championship at Disney.

Jeff Turner, who played for the Magic from 1989-1996 and is currently the team’s color commentator on Bally Sports Florida, is the franchise’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists and games played among lefties. He is also the only lefty to play for the Magic in more than two seasons.

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Interesting Stat on Orlando Magic Forward Ignas Brazdeikis

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Magic's All-Time Scoring Leaders

LOS ANGELES – If you are a basketball player and looking to improve your shooting form, I recommend taking a close look at D.J. Augustin and his sweet shooting stroke. Augustin, who jumped back into the Magic’s starting lineup following the Elfrid Payton trade in early February, has impeccable mechanics on his jump shot.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Augustin is one of the best 3-point shooting point guards in the league. He’s been so good from beyond the arc that over the last nine games he ranks first in the NBA in 3-point percentage among players who have taken at least 40 shots from long distance.

During this recent stretch, Augustin has shot 23-of-41 (56.1 percent) from 3-point range. He’s been particularly automatic from above the break, where 22 of his made threes have come from. For the season, Augustin is shooting 42.6 percent on the long-ball, which is his second best mark of his career. The last time he shot this well was in his rookie season with the Charlotte Bobcats when he buried 43.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Augustin is an extremely good spot-up shooter. In fact, he has one of the best spot-up effective field goal percentages (67.9 percent) in the NBA. The only point guards with better EFGs this season are Chris Paul and Jose Calderon. However, Augustin has taken more spot-up jumpers than both Paul and Calderon combined.

On occasion, Augustin will shake his defender, usually with a nifty crossover dribble, and pull-up from downtown. He made two threes in this fashion during Monday’s game in Utah.

For a team to be successful in the NBA today, it’s essential for the starting point guard to be a reliable 3-point shooter. Stephen Curry, obviously, is head and shoulders above the competition in this category. Yet, as crazy as it sounds, Augustin has a better 3-point percentage than Curry so far this season.

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D.J. Augustin Among League Leaders in 3-Point Percentage

ORLANDO – Sometimes the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. That was the case on Saturday when the Magic outlasted the Grizzlies.

Jonathan Isaac didn’t score in 18 minutes. We know he’s still trying to figure himself out on the offensive end. Isaac’s defense, though, which has been admirable since the day he arrived in Orlando, was extraordinary.

Perhaps the most compelling stat from Orlando’s second straight win was Isaac’s defensive field goal percentage.

In the second half, when Isaac played most of his minutes, the Grizzlies shot 2-of-9 from the floor when the prized rookie was the closest defender (5-of-13 for entire game). In nearly all of those instances, Isaac either blocked or altered the shot attempt.

Isaac is a rare find. He has supreme length. He’s now grown to 6-foot-11 and has a wingspan of about 7-foot-2. He’s also very athletic and sprightly, which helps him guard more explosive opponents on the perimeter. Isaac just simply has a knack for hindering shots on the defensive side of the floor with his excellent anticipation, timing and instincts.

For a team to be elite defensively, they must guard the pick-and-roll well. When on offense, teams generally look to get slower-footed opposing bigs switched onto their ball-dominant wing players. With a player like Isaac, though, that advantage is taken away because he has the ability to keep pace, both laterally and vertically, with agile perimeter players.

The other thing that really stands out about Isaac and his defensive prowess is his precision when he challenges a shot. He almost always goes straight up on his contests and he rarely leans in or gets fooled by a shot fake.

Here’s a look at a few defensive plays from Isaac during the Magic’s victory over the Grizzlies.

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Jonathan Isaac Altered Nearly Every Shot He Contested Against Grizzlies

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic are playing their best basketball since they were 6-2 to start the season and then 8-4 shortly after. With wins over the Timberwolves and Celtics and near upsets against the Wizards and Cavaliers in their last four games, results are shifting in the Magic’s favor.

So, what has dramatically changed? There are a few things that stand out. For one, as we discussed a few days ago, the Magic are moving the ball exceptionally well. Over the last seven games, they rank third in the league in assists.

Orlando’s off-the-ball activity has been impressive. During this recent stretch, the Magic have accumulated the sixth most assisted cutting layups in the NBA (38).

The most glaring stat of them all is points in the paint, as Orlando ranks first over these last seven games. The Magic have been ultra-aggressive when attacking the basket, and they have done an excellent job not settling for too many contested jumpers.

What’s also interesting is that although the Magic aren’t forcing opponents into a ton of turnovers, they are taking advantage of miscues when they happen. Orlando has averaged 19.3 points off turnovers since Jan. 6.

It’s been ignored for a while, but Elfrid Payton leads all starting point guards in field goal percentage this season and he’s shooting 63 percent from within 10 feet of the basket.

Payton is one of the craftier finishers in the game, and he has a reliable floater when he gets in the paint.

What has been a struggle for the Magic the past month is their 3-point shooting. Over the last 15 games, Orlando is shooting just 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

If they can combine their terrific ball movement and unselfishness with more dependable outside shooting, the Magic could transform into a mighty offensive team the rest of the season.

Check out a couple plays from this recent road trip that illustrate the Magic’s outstanding movement:

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Last 7 Games: Magic Rank First in Points in the Paint

BOSTON – One thing that has been generally consistent throughout this season has been the Magic’s willingness to play through the pass. Head coach Frank Vogel and his staff have done a terrific job preaching the importance of unselfishness and solidarity, which is often a challenge when you have mostly young players trying to prove themselves.

Over the last six games, the Magic rank second in the NBA in assists (27.2). For the season, they are tied for seventh in this category, averaging just over 23 per game.

What’s also impressive about this is that it’s not just one player racking up all the assists. Like in Cleveland where LeBron James is a chief distributor or in Oklahoma City where Russell Westbrook stacks up on dimes because he has the ball in his hands so often, some teams rely on one, or maybe two players, to facilitate.

With the Magic, it’s usually by committee. We’ve seen Nikola Vucevic dish out 10 assists in one game, which was part of his first career triple-double, and we’ve seen as many as seven players record at least two assists in the same game.

By sharing the ball as much as they do, the Magic create a lot of open looks on the perimeter. They are hot and cold with those attempts, as evidenced by their roller coaster shooting the last several games. But, all you can ask for is to generate good scoring chances and hope enough guys can get into a rhythm.

Orlando is a very good drive-and-kick team. It ranks sixth in the league in most made drive-and-kick 3-pointers and is shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc on these plays. Elfrid Payton, D.J. Augustin and Jonathon Simmons, specifically, are each very effective at collapsing a defense and finding open teammates on the perimeter.

Check out a pair of plays that illustrate this:

While they only have one win to show for it, the Magic have actually been outstanding on the offensive end of the floor during these last six games. They rank second in points in the paint, sixth in points off turnovers, eighth in second chance points, and ninth in fast break points.

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Last 6 Games: Magic Rank Second in Assists

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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.