Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Magic Lacking Defensive 'Pressure', Says Coach Jamahl Mosley
ORLANDO - Coming into the month of March, the Orlando Magic became one of the league's best defenses. However, they have been anything but since the calendar turned.
The Magic is 2-6 in March, a mark that has all but knocked the team out of the play-in tournament. The reason behind that? Allowing 116 points or more in every loss, including Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley explained his reasoning for why he believes the Magic has struggled on the defensive end.
"I think it all starts with our ball pressure," Mosley said. "When we were at a very good clip, we were getting into the basketball. We were dictating what teams were doing vs. letting them be comfortable in their sets, getting back to picking up full court, pressure on the ball in the pick and roll, being more consistent with how aggressive we are early on."
And the numbers back up what Mosley is saying. According to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic was 7th in the league in defensive rating from February until December, but the team now ranks dead last in the last eight games.
The sudden drop in defensive rating does coincide with Jonathan Isaac's adductor injury that has forced him to undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season, but he played in just 11.3 minutes per game in 11 appearances. Isaac's loss is definitely a contributor to the team's poor defense, but it isn't the entire issue. As a whole, the team has struggled defensively, and it's likely going to be why the postseason won't be in the cards for Orlando this year.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.
Follow The Magic Insider on Facebook.
Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.
Want even more Orlando Magic news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
