How Banchero and the Magic contain Kawhi and New-Look Clippers

The 29–26 Orlando Magic visit the 27–29 Clippers in Los Angeles.

The Clippers will be without Darius Garland, Bradley Beal and John Collins, while Kawhi Leonard has been listed as questionable.

Orlando will be without its franchise two-way cornerstone in Franz Wagner for at least three weeks, but will have everyone else available on the roster.

How will the Magic contain Kawhi if he's out there and adjust if he's not?

3 Keys to a Magic Win

1. Contain Kawhi if available

Kawhi shoots over Paolo — Mar 29, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

If Kawhi Leonard is playing, the first, second, and third option on the gameplan is containing Kawhi Leonard.

Kawhi has been on an absolute tear at an All-NBA level pace this season, coming off another lights out performance with 31 PTS against the Lakers despite the loss.

Shutting down a superstar of Leonard's magnitude is nearly impossible as is, let alone when he's feeling the hot hand like this.

Orlando "can't stop him, they can only hope to slow him down" by selling out on Kawhi with multiple defenders using long tall arms straight up, throwing different coverages at him and hoping the team's sporadic defensive energy frustrates him enough to lead him into making a few mistakes.

With Franz out, this is a tougher task than normal, but at the end of the day making any role player on the Clippers beat you with an open shot is better than Kawhi taking about any shot, even a contested one; sell out hard.

2. Play Magic Basketball: tough defense, fast offense off turnovers

Jevon Carter defense — Feb 19, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) loses the ball between Orlando Magic guard Jevon Carter (2) and forward Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Clippers are 3-2 in the past two weeks with the 11th-best point differential while the Magic are 2-2 in that span despite posting the 5th-best point differential, mostly thanks due to a blowout of the Kings.

Those overall rates split up into Orlando having the 5th-best defense and 11th-best offense in the last two weeks with the Clippers posting the 9th-best defense and 15th-rated offense.

Losing Harden and not seeing Garland immediately will have cram up the offense short term, making life a little tougher for a roster full of play-finishers, even with Mathurin's sparkplug scoring off the bench.

The Clippers will need to create good shots thorugh Kawhi if he's out there, and without him, it might be the Mathurin show.

Orlando racked up fives straight games with 10+ steals until the loss to Phoenix; the Magic must rev up that turnover-forcing defensive energy to get out and run and score easy points, even on a second night of a back-to-back.

3. Make Mathurin beat you with the pass, not the shot or the foul

Mathurin speaks — Feb 19, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin (9) is interviewed by FanDuel Sports Network reporter Jaime Maggio after the game against the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bennedict Mathurin is a talented bucket-getter who can walk onto any team and get points.

While his athletic gifts and scoring prowess is clear, his decision making as a primary option can be streaky enough for Orlando to take advantage of by treating Mathurin as a main scoring threat to stop with full closeout denial defense – no shots, contest everything, keep him away from the rim without fouling, run him off the line, force him to be a passer or take tough twos.

Orlando can get away with double teaming any Clipper who gets hot on a night where Kawhi's not out there because of the lack of firepower elsewhere to make you pay. No Kawhi means doubling Mathurin or any Clipper that heats up being a reasonable strategy; make the role players on this team beat you.