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BOSTON — While there could be similarties between Orlando and Boston, the differences are stark.
Some see them. Others don’t.
After three regular-season meetings with the Magic winning twice, a first-round playoff series between the Magic and Celtics that starts Sunday will settle it.
Orlando, which went 41-41 in the regular season for No. 7 in the East, faces a tall order against the defending champion, a 61-win team that’s the No. 2 seed.
There are forwards (Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner vs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) who can do everything, guards up top to jumpstart elite defensive units (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope vs. Derrick White), two first-time head coaches under 50 (Jamahl Mosley, 46 vs. Joe Mazzulla, 36) and a physical style of play that features a slower pace than most in the league (Magic slowest, Celtics second).
The Celtics represent what the Magic want to become one day — champions — and they’re following a similar path based on roster construction and approach to the the game.
“The size of our wings, the versatility of each one of our guys being able to play multiple positions both offensively and defensively … the physicality that they bring to the table … those are a lot of the similarities that we both possess,” Mosley said this week.
Most of his players feel the same way.
“They’ve got a lot of guys on the team, but they have two main guys and we’ve got two big dogs on our team as well,” veteran guard Gary Harris said.
Added second-year pro Anthony Black: “Four of, probably, the best players in the league … Our team is built similar in ways.”
Not all of them agree.
“No, not really,” Banchero said. “I’d be interested to know why they say that. We are a different team than them. We have a lot different play style than them on both sides of the ball. I’m not sure why anyone would say that.”
While it’s not farfetched to connect the dots between the Magic and Celtics, Banchero’s viewpoint isn’t wrong, either.
Boston attempted (48.2) and made the most 3-pointers (17.8), finished the regular season with the second-best offensive rating (119.5) and posted the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio.
Orlando attempted 35.3 triples (23rd) and made the fewest league-wide (11.2), finished the regular season with the fourth-worst offensive rating (108.9) and posted the fifth-worst assist-to-turnover ratio.
Where Tatum (26.8 points) and Brown (22.2) have one of the top supporting casts in the league (four other players average double-figures, including Sixth Man of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard), Banchero (25.9) and Wagner (24.2) don’t.
The duo makes up half of Orlando’s double-digit scorers and the other two — Jalen Suggs (16.2) and Moe Wagner (12.9) — are done for the season with injuries.
“We’re just trying to figure out how to knock them off their rhythm,” said Harris bout Boston, which has six players in the rotation shooting above 35% from distance.
Although the Magic pride themselves on the defense (109.1 rating was second-best) so do the Celtics, whose defensive rating was fourth-best (110.1).
Of course, there’s one other glaring difference.
Boston won a championship with majority of the same roster last season. The Magic haven’t won a playoff series in 15 years.
“It’s great for this organization and this community to have an opportunity at that,” Mosley said about the drought.
Added Harris: “Fifteen years is crazy. I didn’t even realize that.”
The Celtics didn’t play more than five games in their four best-of-seven series en route to a title last season.
Jeff Weltman, Magic president of basketball operations, will have a clear view on exactly how far away his team is from being championship level when this series is over.
They’re not favored, but can they at least be competitive?
“These guys have been prepared for that. They understand it,” Mosley said. “They know exactly what we’re working towards, but you start with one game, focusing on that and playing 48 minutes of Magic basketball.”
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
Magic at Celtics
When: 3:30, Sunday, TD Garden
TV: ABC
Continue reading...
Some see them. Others don’t.
After three regular-season meetings with the Magic winning twice, a first-round playoff series between the Magic and Celtics that starts Sunday will settle it.
Orlando, which went 41-41 in the regular season for No. 7 in the East, faces a tall order against the defending champion, a 61-win team that’s the No. 2 seed.
There are forwards (Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner vs. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) who can do everything, guards up top to jumpstart elite defensive units (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope vs. Derrick White), two first-time head coaches under 50 (Jamahl Mosley, 46 vs. Joe Mazzulla, 36) and a physical style of play that features a slower pace than most in the league (Magic slowest, Celtics second).
The Celtics represent what the Magic want to become one day — champions — and they’re following a similar path based on roster construction and approach to the the game.
“The size of our wings, the versatility of each one of our guys being able to play multiple positions both offensively and defensively … the physicality that they bring to the table … those are a lot of the similarities that we both possess,” Mosley said this week.
Most of his players feel the same way.
“They’ve got a lot of guys on the team, but they have two main guys and we’ve got two big dogs on our team as well,” veteran guard Gary Harris said.
Added second-year pro Anthony Black: “Four of, probably, the best players in the league … Our team is built similar in ways.”
Not all of them agree.
“No, not really,” Banchero said. “I’d be interested to know why they say that. We are a different team than them. We have a lot different play style than them on both sides of the ball. I’m not sure why anyone would say that.”
While it’s not farfetched to connect the dots between the Magic and Celtics, Banchero’s viewpoint isn’t wrong, either.
Boston attempted (48.2) and made the most 3-pointers (17.8), finished the regular season with the second-best offensive rating (119.5) and posted the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio.
Orlando attempted 35.3 triples (23rd) and made the fewest league-wide (11.2), finished the regular season with the fourth-worst offensive rating (108.9) and posted the fifth-worst assist-to-turnover ratio.
Where Tatum (26.8 points) and Brown (22.2) have one of the top supporting casts in the league (four other players average double-figures, including Sixth Man of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard), Banchero (25.9) and Wagner (24.2) don’t.
The duo makes up half of Orlando’s double-digit scorers and the other two — Jalen Suggs (16.2) and Moe Wagner (12.9) — are done for the season with injuries.
“We’re just trying to figure out how to knock them off their rhythm,” said Harris bout Boston, which has six players in the rotation shooting above 35% from distance.
Although the Magic pride themselves on the defense (109.1 rating was second-best) so do the Celtics, whose defensive rating was fourth-best (110.1).
Of course, there’s one other glaring difference.
Boston won a championship with majority of the same roster last season. The Magic haven’t won a playoff series in 15 years.
“It’s great for this organization and this community to have an opportunity at that,” Mosley said about the drought.
Added Harris: “Fifteen years is crazy. I didn’t even realize that.”
The Celtics didn’t play more than five games in their four best-of-seven series en route to a title last season.
Jeff Weltman, Magic president of basketball operations, will have a clear view on exactly how far away his team is from being championship level when this series is over.
They’re not favored, but can they at least be competitive?
“These guys have been prepared for that. They understand it,” Mosley said. “They know exactly what we’re working towards, but you start with one game, focusing on that and playing 48 minutes of Magic basketball.”
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
Up next …
Magic at Celtics
When: 3:30, Sunday, TD Garden
TV: ABC
Continue reading...
