The 2016-2017 NBA season is barely 10 games in old but the good, the bad, and the ugly teams are starting to reveal themselves. There are other teams vying for the NBA’s worst team; but the Magic, for many reasons, are the most uninspiring team in the NBA.
Orlando Magic: Pure Ugliness
Advanced Stats
The Magic are one of the worst teams in the NBA according to a variety of advanced statistics. According to Basketball Reference’s simple rating system, a statistic that takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule, Orlando is 29th out of 30th in the Association. The Magic are 28th in offensive rating and 17th in defensive rating. In terms of pace, the Magic are 26th. Even worse, the Magic are dead last in true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage.
The Roster
The Magic’s roster isn’t the worst in the NBA, but it’s easily the most head-scratching. Jeff Green has been given up on by three teams and yet the Magic still signed him this offseason. The Magic already had Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic on the roster and still signed Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, crowding their front court with ill-fitting pieces. Gordon, a natural PF, is now playing SF and it doesn’t make much sense.
Elfrid Payton is the only reliable option at point guard and he can’t shoot. Payton has started 21% from three and has 0 offensive win shares. Evan Fournier (17.2 PPG/2.5 RPG/3 APG) is probably the best player on the Magic. Fournier is a good NBA player, underrated by most casual fans but only because casual NBA fans probably don’t know who he is. Fournier would be a very good fourth option on a team but when he is your best player, your team can’t be very good. When Green has played the sixth most minutes on the team, your team can’t be very good. After Gordon, Mario Hezonja, an ultra-athletic shooting guard from Croatia, offers the most potential on the team and plays the ninth most on the team.
Entertainment
The game of basketball is at its most entertaining when a team gets up and down the court. Only four teams in the NBA play slower than the Magic. The NBA game is built around floor spacing and the three-point shot. The Magic are 23rd in three-point percentage at just over 32%. They don’t have a single player who shoots at least two threes a game. The Warriors are the most entertaining team in the NBA because they run, third best pace, and can shoot, fourth best percentage from three. The Magic are the anti-Warriors. Teams are going small, running and shooting threes, and the Magic are big and can’t shoot.
The History And The Future
The Magic have averaged 25 wins over the last four seasons; only the 76ers have been worse. The 76ers however have a clear plan, building a team around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Magic may have a building block in Gordon, but not much else to write home about. The 76ers have tanked over the last several years, but at least they have a plan, unlike the Magic. They have not drafted well or done well with free agents. The Magic haven’t been relevant in many years and will remain irrelevant if they don’t deviate from the path they’re on.
Main Photo
