Houston, we have a problem. Yeah, it’s an overdone cliche, but when is it not fitting to tie that quote into any problems going on in the Houston area? For the Rockets, it appears that things are not all too peachy at the moment. Despite both another MVP-caliber performance by James Harden and another hard-fought
Orlando Magic
The Raptors took no chances with fate sneaking up on them, emphatically finishing off the Magic in Game 5. Game 1 in this series brought the Raptors a home loss, a disappointing scoreless performance from Kyle Lowry, and a host of bad memories from their last few playoff washouts. From the tip of Game 2,
Previewing the first-round series between the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic with shot charts, assist maps, offensive style charts and expected win probabilities. Shot charts In the first season without DeMar DeRozan and Dwane Casey, the new-look Toronto Raptors have ripped off another excellent season, finishing with 58 wins. Following an increasing trend from the
After a slow start, the Raptors regained their focus defensively and closed the game in dominating fashion, blowing out Orlando and moving one step closer to advancing in their pursuit of a title. Things looked promising for the Magic early on in Sunday’s Game 4 in Orlando. Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon were hitting shots,
TORONTO, CANADA – APRIL 16: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors handles the ball against the Orlando Magic during Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 16, 2019 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or
The Orlando Magic went toe-to-toe with Toronto Raptors and used a late push to steal Game 1 on the road. After Pascal Siakam made a driving shot and gave Toronto a six-point lead with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Inpredictable’s live win probability model gave the Magic just a 9.7 percent
ORLANDO, FL – APRIL 19: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic during Game Three of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this
The first round of the NBA Playoffs provides infrequent upsets – especially since 2003 when the first round was extended to a best-of-seven series (from a best-of-five). Per the usual, this year has its share of favorites in the driver’s seat. For example, it’s a fair assumption that the Celtics, Rockets, Trailblazers and Bucks will
Last year in this space, we introduced a metric called Wins Above Age-Derived Expectation, or WAADE. It measures exactly what it sounds like: how many more wins an NBA team actually gets than you would have expected them to based on their minutes-weighted age. In introducing the metric, we highlighted several teams that stood out
We’re finally entering the homestretch of the 2018-2019 NBA season. Every team in the league has either five or six games left in their season. With such little time left, the playoff picture is almost all but formed. The top eight teams in the Western Conference have all clinched playoff berths. What remains to be
Welcome to The Whiteboard, catching you up every morning on what’s good around the NBA. Find The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you by email. It’s the penultimate Wednesday night of the NBA season. The home team, the Orlando Magic, is fighting far harder than they should probably
Last year, this writer started his tenure with Basketball Insiders writing about who had the best case for Coach of the Year. One year later, we’re revisiting the same discussion. This time, with an entirely new slate of candidates. The Coach of the Year Award produces one of the most fascinating races in the NBA
There’s an uneasy grin etched onto Nikola Vučević’s lantern-jawed face as he gingerly walks down to the floor of the Bojangles Coliseum. The process isn’t normally an easy one for a 7-footer with size way-too-big shoes, and it’s made more challenging as smaller humans scramble around him. But it’s the All-Star Weekend and Vučević has
In recent campaigns, the importance of a good, reliable bench unit has soared out the window as the rise in superteams grew larger. This is not to say that the Golden State Warriors regret not having a consistent Sixth Man of the Year contender in their second unit because, well, their back-to-back championships speak for
Welcome to The Whiteboard, your daily source for the previous day’s best NBA content from around the internet, plus an original column. Catch The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Somehow, someway, the Orlando Magic was the NBA’s hottest team heading into
Throughout the week, Basketball Insiders has released post-deadline rankings on teams in various divisions around the NBA, and next up is the Southwest Division. The Southwest is incredibly diverse this season. It features a team that is gunning for the NBA Finals, teams that can’t decide to what extent they want to tank and everything
Markelle Fultz, whose jumper has made him an object of scorn in Philadelphia, should form a mutually beneficial partnership with Orlando, who got him at little to no risk. The weirdest domino of the 2019 trade deadline fell when Philadelphia traded Markelle Fultz to Orlando. Fultz’s value at this point largely stems from his prior
The Orlando Magic were an afterthought among the big movers on NBA trade deadline day, but they might’ve turned their franchise around. Thursday before 2 p.m. Central time was a mad-house in the NBA. Teams were wheeling and dealing, especially teams in the Eastern Conference, and all the major moves seemed to be over and
Remember when the consensus with the NBA Trade Deadline was that it was going to be pretty boring with more buyers than sellers? Those were some good times, because a lot has changed since then. Suddenly, the Grizzlies decided to end their golden age of basketball, Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks divorced and rumors are swirling
For every young player struggling to actualize an imposing pre-draft expectation, there are occasional spurts of brilliance, just enough to keep the believers going without really creating a consistent impact. Nearly two seasons into the Jonathan Isaac experience, that’s the best way to describe his journey. When the Orlando Magic drafted Isaac sixth overall in
With trade season approaching, there are several vets on bad teams just begging to be dealt. We look at the top five candidates. As we near three weeks and counting until the NBA’s trade deadline, we’re about to enter silly season. Aside from the five teams that have been content to lose early and often
The NBA provides the masses great drama during nearly every month of the year — February, for many reasons, is no different. Aside from the All-Star Game-related festivities, the trade deadline is always a popular period of time for the frenzied onlooker. On the surface level, the notion of asking whether the buyers will buy
The NBA provides the masses great drama during nearly every month of the year — February, for many reasons, is no different. Aside from the All-Star Game-related festivities, the trade deadline is always a popular period of time for the frenzied onlooker. On the surface level, the notion of asking whether the buyers will buy
Grit-and-Grind is unfolding, and it’s unfolding fast. After a blistering 12-5 start to the season, the Grizzlies are falling hard in the standings. The team has only won seven of its last 27 games – good for a record of 19-25 – which has them placed currently 14th in the bloodbath that is the Western
Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba hosted a block party on Sunday. Ever since Dwight Howard left, the Orlando Magic have been trying to find a suitable replacement down low to resurrect their defense from the ashes. Nikola Vucevic isn’t a defensive presence, and the acquisitions of Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo backfired. The Magic may
The new Magic coach, Steve Clifford, brings in a philosophy that tells his team not to take risks. That makes him a risky hire, but also makes the payout even higher if he does work out. Often when a team starts with a new coach, there’s not all that much that you know about them.
It’s almost January and the 2018-19 NBA season is nearly halfway over. And while lots of attention is already being paid to Zion Williamson and the 2019 NBA Draft class to-be, let’s look back to June and the 2018 NBA draft and grade the rookies on their performances thus far, while making an educated guess
CHICAGO – MAY 18: Anfernee Hardaway #1 of the Orlando Magic moves the ball against Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 1995 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on May 18, 1995 in Chicago, Illinois. The Orlando Magic defeated the Chicago Bulls 108-102 and
Twenty-two…the age of possibility. After a year spent reaping the rewards of finally having a valid ID (and downing the Excedrin that comes with it), it’s when you begin to get to work. The world is your oyster; the possibilities, endless. It is a beginning, and the end is nowhere in sight. Just don’t tell
The Orlando Magic are looking to flip center Nikola Vucevic for some assets and draft picks. This should catch no one by surprise in the Magic Kingdom. For the past three seasons, it seemed that the one common thing around the Orlando Magic — other than losing — has been trade rumors surrounding Nikola Vucevic.