Magic Sputter in First Week of Season
After an offseason of immense expectations, the Orlando Magic have come out of the gate shockingly flat. With a 1-3 record through the first week, Orlando is 12th in the Eastern Conference, as the team struggles to establish its identity following the Desmond Bane trade in June.
The Magic pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal to drastically improve their offense, a unit that has been in the bottom ten in efficiency since 2012. However, over the first four games, Orlando is 25th in offensive efficiency and 24th in points per game. The calling card of the Magic under coach Jamahl Mosley has been the team’s defense, but even that has been disappointing. In its 136-124 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers (3-0) on Monday, Orlando posted a 137.4 defensive rating, its worst in a game since March 2022. They were first in opponents’ points per game in 2024-2025, but this year they are 18th, allowing nearly 14 more points per game than they did last season. The last time they allowed over 136 points in a regulation game was on March 1, 2023 when Milwaukee scored 139.
The main reason Orlando’s defense has dipped dramatically has been the sudden shelving of forward Jonathan Isaac. The former sixth overall pick was an anchor last season, as Isaac is incredibly long and switchable, able to masterfully defend the paint while also holding his own on the perimeter. This season, Isaac has played 13 minutes total in the first four games, a testament to just how disastrous he is on offense. He shot 25.8% from three last season, and Jamahl Mosley has clearly decided the team should move in a different direction regarding its identity.
To Mosley’s credit, there is a solid offensive team hidden somewhere in their poor record. The Magic just need to execute. Getting to the free throw line is clearly Orlando’s No. 1 offensive strength. It ranks No. 1 in this category, averaging 35.8 foul shots per contest. The key now is to simply make more of them. The Magic are shooting 74.1 percent from the stripe, which ranks 23rd in the NBA. Additionally, through four games, the Magic are shooting just 40.5 percent from the field in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. That is good for sixth-lowest in the league, and they are 1-for-9 (11.1 percent) from 3-point range in this late-game stretch.
Following the Philly loss, Mosley told reporters, “I do believe it’s starting to click. Anything new, any time you add different pieces, it takes a moment to get those pieces to all gel. But it’s such a tight-knit group that they continue to communicate with one another – the things that we need to do, what they see on the floor, and those moments will continue to show and shine.”
The Magic look to get their defensive swagger back as they visit a struggling Detroit offense tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.
Category: NBA, Orlando Magic
