The Neighborhood Bully 266 Report post Posted December 9, 2016 After two straight wins, the Charlotte Hornets look to continue their winning ways as they host the Orlando Magic for the first time this season. The Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic square off Friday in the first of four match-ups between the divisional rivals this season. The Hornets won last year’s season series 3-1. Orlando is currently sporting an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 99.9 which ranks 28th in the Association. The Magic depth chart is home to a lot of young players with the physical tools to succeed but has yet to put it all together. Orlando’s lone offensive threat is big man Nikola Vucevic. The large Montenegrin plays with remarkable finesse as well as an equally notable lack of force. Vucevic combines a highly refined low post game, reminiscent of former Hornet Al Jefferson, with a deft touch in the mid-range. Having a center who can stretch out to15-18 feet is especially crucial to the Magic this year, as they’ve struggled to put out lineups that provide even a modicum of space to operate in. Outside of Vucevic, the Magic have virtually no offensive threats, save for maybe Evan Fournier. The 6’7″ Frenchman is a fine player who would make a great third or fourth option in a good offense. However, Fournier is probably Orlando’s best creator off the bounce. Containing Fournier and should be no trouble for MichaelKidd-Gilchrist and company.fensive Keys After struggling early on, the Magic have become a top ten team in terms of efficiency. The Magic defense is anchored primarily by big men Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo. Ibaka has faced some age-related decline this season, but he is still nimble enough to chase stretch big men around the perimeter. Ibaka has gotten a hand on just a little more than 4.5% of opponents’ shots in the last season and a half or so. Compare that to his numbers from 2010-2014, when he blocked nearly 7.5% ofopponent field goal attempts. Ibaka is clearly no longer an elite shotblocker despite remaining a terrific defender. Orlando has overcome this lack of elite shot blocking by forcing opponents to take suboptimal shots. Teams take11% of their shots from 10 to 16 feet against the Magic, the 7th highest rate in the league. More importantly and impressively, just 27.7% of shots taken against Orlando come from three-point range, third fewest in the league. Essentially, the Magic are forcing teams to score points from the areas it ismost difficult to do so. The key to breaking down such a defense is consecutive actions. A well-coached squad can easily handle the first sequence of screens and movements. Defensive rotations and help patterns have been rehearsed enough that they become instinctual. Subsequent actions force the defense to operate from a configuration the defense is not accustomed to, leading to trouble. Continually forcing a defense to rotate, switch, and help will eventually open up cracks somewhere, creating an avenue of attack for the offense. y Most of all, the Hornets must be careful not to overlook the Magic. All the makings of a classic trap game scenario are present. Charlotte is undeniably a more talented team than Orlando. A matchup with the defending champion Cavaliers is set for the next day in Cleveland. Step number one to winning any game is to remain engaged. The Hornets must avoid defeating themselves Friday night. http://swarmandsting...rlotte-hornets/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheNameIsOrlando 310 Report post Posted December 9, 2016 Free NBA League Pass this weekend for those who don't already have it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HardCutting Franz 51 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Kemba always has great games against us , gonna be hard without vuc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barnettej 263 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Anyone want yo say any encouraging words to Green, im like 7 rows from him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barnettej 263 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 That Zeller dunk will be on espn Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheNameIsOrlando 310 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Anyone want yo say any encouraging words to Green, im like 7 rows from him. Tell him to pass the *****ing ball on fast breaks lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HardCutting Franz 51 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Going to be a long game again :svgsad: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CTMagicUK 1,476 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Sometimes we run really smart offense that takes advantage of what we have despite our limitations. Other times we look lost for 24 seconds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magicman28 295 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 We desperately need a scorer. Our offense comes to a halt a lot because of this weakness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soul Bro 1,419 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Our best addition this offseason was Vogel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Franchero MVP 391 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Ugly first half Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soul Bro 1,419 Report post Posted December 10, 2016 Payton is so much better off the bench Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
