The Orlando Magic’s mantra for the 2022-23 season was made clear by coach Jamahl Mosley on the finish of final season.
“The one factor we’ve talked about with these guys is the muse is ready,” Mosley mentioned after the Magic’s 2022 season finale. “Now it goes into the little issues, the tiniest of particulars that they've to grasp of what we’re making an attempt to do. Leveling up yet another.”
The outcomes counsel the Magic did.
Their 12-win enchancment from final season (22-60 to 34-48) was probably the most within the Japanese Convention and the third-most within the league behind Sacramento (48-34 this season after going 30-52 in 2021-22, an 18-win enchancment) and Oklahoma Metropolis (40-42 after going 24-58 final 12 months, a 16-win enchancment).
The Magic went 29-29 of their closing 58 video games after beginning the season 5-19 primarily due to accidents.
However in what methods did the Magic degree up and enhance probably the most?
An evaluation of their 2022-23 season:
Protection
Mosley has mentioned it from the start: the muse of the Magic’s success should come from the defensive finish.
Orlando took a big step in changing into the defensive-minded staff it needs to be.
The Magic completed 2021-22 with a defensive ranking (factors allowed per 100 possessions) of 112.1, which ranked nineteenth within the league. Their defensive ranking of 111.3 of their closing 46 video games final season ranked tenth.
Of their 29-29 stretch from Dec. 5-April 4, once they had been eradicated from postseason rivalry, the Magic had a defensive ranking of 112.8 — the league’s sixth-best mark. They completed the season with a 113.7 defensive ranking for No. 18 within the league.
Orlando sustained high-level defensive play for an extended interval of the season.
The Magic confirmed development in limiting pictures contained in the paint and contesting 3-pointers.
A subsequent step can be permitting fewer open 3s and being simpler with altering pictures contained in the paint.
Clutch
The Magic’s improvement by way of how they dealt with clutch conditions — when the scoring margin is inside 5 factors with 5 or fewer minutes remaining in a recreation — was obvious.
Orlando went 13-20 in video games that featured clutch minutes final season. Their 33 video games that includes clutch conditions had been tied for the fourth-fewest.
The Magic performed extra clutch video games this season at 44, tied for the ninth-most within the league.
They went 19-25, barely higher than final season, together with 16-14 after Dec. 5 — when guards Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz had been not taking part in on a minutes restriction after getting back from accidents.
Taking part in in these sorts of video games helped the Magic study extra about what it takes to win at the next degree.
Free throws
The Magic made important strides in attending to the free-throw line.
They'd a free-throw price (the variety of free throws they made per 100 discipline aim makes an attempt) of 17.5% final season, which was the league’s fourth-worst mark, based on Cleansing The Glass.
Orlando completed the season with a free-throw price of twenty-two.6%, the league’s fifth-best mark. It was the primary time they'd a top-10 free-throw price because the 2009-10 season.
Rookie ahead Paolo Banchero, who averaged 7.4 free-throw makes an attempt, helped the Magic considerably on this space. However a number of gamers confirmed an improved skill to get to the road.
This text first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Electronic mail Khobi Value at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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