(All stats and records through Jan. 15; for report cards for all 30 teams click here.)
Offense: 100.9 27th Overall
Defense: 105.8, 20th Overall
W-L | Pct. | GB
17-25 | .405 | 8
Conf.: 9-15
Div.: 4-5
Home: 7-13
Road: 10-12
FRONTCOURT: C
Serge Ibaka has provided some punch, though he isn’t the force he once was around the rim. They could use more from both Nik Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo. Aaron Gordon is still working through his transition to small forward.
BACKCOURT: C
Evan Fournier leads the Magic in scoring but hasn’t proved to be the game changer some expected when he signed that big deal over the summer. Elfrid Payton has played some of the best basketball of his career this season.
DEFENSE: D-
For a team with two should-be-elite rim protectors in Ibaka and Biyombo, and plenty of length and athleticism up and down the roster, they just haven’t performed at a consistently high level this season.
BENCH: C
Jodie Meeks and Jeff Green have been solid. And the always reliable D.J. Augustin remains one of the best plug-and-play journeyman point guards in the league. Mario Hezonjna’s absence from the rotation has been a bit of a head scratcher.
COACHING: D
Frank Vogel was lauded in Indiana for his ability to tinker with the chemistry of his crew and coax them into playing at a high level defensively. But he hasn’t found the same touch with this Magic group, at least not yet. He stepped into a situation that was not going to be easy to navigate and simply needs more time.
OVERALL GRADE: D
Consistency has evaded the Magic through the first half of the season and it could be an issue all season, if they can’t figure out the right roles a roster that lacks ideal balance. Serge Ibaka’s effectiveness alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City inflated his value, to a degree. The same can be said of Biyombo, who played a very specific role in Toronto. Vucevic has taken a step back in his development with the addition of two big men that chew up minutes and the Magic are still grooming Payton for what they hope is a starring role.
The real mystery is what sort of progress Gordon makes in his role at small forward. He’s got everything you want from a physical standpoint but has never played extended minutes on the perimeter until now. He’s the Magic’s best bet for a potential All-Star, even if he’s playing a bit out of position right now.
Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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