Yes, the Magic haven't had this bad of a start since the 1991-92 season when they started 0-6. Yes, the Magic offense
looks like your high school basketball team - maybe the high school team runs it a little smoother - but this is no time to
panic Magic fans.
With the loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, the Magic have
started the season 0-3, dropping two games at home to open the season in addition to their loss on the road Saturday, and the
team faces two more road games - at Houston and Oklahoma City - before their next home game against Cleveland on November 13.
Things have started to look bleak for the injured Magic early in this season as they can't seem to get themselves in the flow.
But wait, how many games have they played? 3 out of 82. The Magic haven't even played four percent of their schedule.
Radio analysts always say after tough early season losses that the NBA season is not a sprint, but a marathon. I think that we
learned that well last season when the Magic started off 13-6 and finished 36-46.
Magic fans have to realize that there are still a lot of games left to be played this season. A 0-3 start is nothing to
panic about, especially considering the positives the Magic have displayed in the games played thus far.
The Magic's defense and rebounding has ranked near the bottom of the league since the
Doc Rivers' era. So far this season, the Magic have not allowed a team to
score more than 95 points - just think about how many games the Magic would have won last year if they just did that. The Magic
have also outrebounded all three of their opponents this season.
True, the defense still needs some improvement - mainly players taking more responsibility for keeping their own man in
front of them and the interior play needs to improve - but you can definitely tell that the players trust each other a lot more
than last season and seem more willing to dig in and play better defense for four quarters than they were last season.
Additionally, Steve Francis has kept his turnovers down and
has developed into a much better team player. Last season, Magic fans got to watch
Steve Francis dribble down the court, keep the ball for the entire
shot clock without penetrating or making a pass and most times, turning it over or taking a contested and forced shot.
This season, it is clear that Francis has bought into Brian Hill's system. At least for now. Francis is dishing the
ball out more efficiently, averaging 6.7 assists per game through the first three games. His turnovers are down to 2.67 per
game, well below both last season's turnover average of 4.06 per game and well below his career turnover average of 3.20 per
game.
Francis has stepped up and become a team leader so far this season in keeping the offense moving. Though the offense
isn't producing the points it takes to win; it is a good beginning. Coach Hill even wants Francis to be more selfish in the
offense.
Another goal for the Magic this offseason was to work
Dwight Howard into the offense more. While Howard hasn't nearly
produced at the level expected, Howard has seen his fair share of touches in the offense in these first few games. Howard, in
his second season, is still learning how to demand the ball in the post and be effective against some of the stronger big men
in the NBA.
Fans shouldn't be too worried about the slow start for one more reason. The Magic have had to face an
uncharacteristically high amount of injuries at the early part of the season. While the Magic were playing successfully during
the exhibition schedule, Coach Hill was able to create a set rotation that involved
Grant Hill.
Without Grant, the Magic are missing their team leader and a stabilizer in the offense. Hill, like Francis, has the
ability to create his own shot and improvise when the offense breaks down, something that
Hedo Turkoglu and
DeShawn Stevenson are just not strong at. The Magic are also
missing Keyon Dooling, who is another three point shooter and
defender. Dooling's return will add more depth at guard and allow Francis to get more time on the bench so he can be more
effective later in games. Mario Kasun, who had a very good offseason in
Europe, will also add depth up front for the Magic.
Despite all the positive signs that we can decipher from these losses, the Magic still have the glaring problem of
generating offense. Getting Dooling and Hill back from injury will help, but winning is still the goal and injuries are a
reality of the NBA.
The Magic's offensive problems are simple. Right now they are too much of a jump shooting team and defenses are focusing
on keeping Francis from penetrating the lane. Without Hill in the lineup and with Turkoglu being the only major outside threat,
the Magic's offense is going to struggle to score a lot of points.
They will need Dwight Howard to step up his scoring, which
will improve as the season continues, and they need the bench players, Stevenson, and Turkoglu to be efficient from the outside
as well as develop the ability to create their own shot.
Early season records are nothing to worry about. The past two seasons, the number four seed in the Eastern Conference -
the Miami Heat in 2003-04 and the
Chicago Bulls last season - started the season off 0-10. As a fan, you wouldn't want
to see the Magic go that far without a win, but it proves that some little thing, such as getting a player back from injury, can
turn a season around.
The Miami Heat haven't started much better than the Magic and they are still
expected to compete in the Eastern Conference, even without
Shaquille O'Neal in the lineup. What is most important for the Magic
is that this losing does not continue for an extended period of time - i.e. 18 games in a row.
In the early parts of the season, the Magic should continue to work on improving and learning their new offensive and
defensive system. There are still 79 games to go and a lot of things can happen in that time. As all NBA fans know, it is better
to start 0-3 and improve throughout the season than to finish 0-3 and lose out on a playoff spot.
