Did the Magic get lost trying to play faster?

With the arrival of Desmond Banewe expect a lotOrlando this season, which is directly targeting the Top 4 in the East.

The problem is that after five games, the Magic have just one win on the clock, opening against the Heat. Since then they have fallen to the Hawks, Bulls, Sixers and finally the Pistons…

But the method may be even more troubling than the result. From arrival to Jamahl Mosley on the bench, the Florida franchise thus built a clear identity, with an offense that was certainly limited, which imposed a slow pace, but a physical defense, the second best in the NBA last year, never pleasant to face.

Play fast… but to what end?

Except that since the reboot, the Magic have decided to play a lot faster…and can no longer sustain defensive duels. After the loss to Detroit, Orlando is only the 23rd NBA defense at the start of the season!

“By playing fast, we will inevitably concede more points, simply because it speeds up the game and has more possession”, explained Paolo Banchero before the game against the Pistons. “But I think we need to be smarter about how we play fast. If we play fast without scoring, it’s not ideal. Purpose is more important than speed. So we can play fast, but if there’s no direction…”

Against Detroit, the frustration was palpable, especially among Franz Wagner or Paolo Banchero. Like this first possession where the Magic set up a very complicated play system… to simply serve up their powerful wing with a low post, who ends up losing the ball with help from Tobias Harris.

But for Jamal Mosley, the problem doesn’t come from the offensive rhythm the team wants to find this season.

Pride!

“You talk about defense without a foul, but we didn’t do it. I don’t know if there’s a reason behind it. We didn’t do it. We held our hands. We took risks. We made mistakes.” cursing the coach. “We didn’t defend well. 135 points is too much. We have to be in place and defend. There’s no other way to say it. I could tell you everything that happened during the match, the rotations… But we just have to defend. Show pride in defense. We have to be in place, in position and want to defend the opponent without worrying about what’s going on in the offense.

And in this meeting against Cade Cunningham’s troupe, the technician refuses to hear the rhythm excuse.

“The pace was extremely slow. No, we have to stand up, defend and show pride. 64 points conceded in the racket, and it starts with 17 turnovers leading to 26 points on the counterattack…”

The good news is that Magic continues its “journey” to Charlotte Then Washington etc Atlantanow without Tree Young. The ideal layout for finding defense bases… and a smile?