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By John Denton

Sept. 30, 2014

ORLANDO -- The first drill of the first practice of training camp for the Orlando Magic on Tuesday was focused on defensive principles.

That was not by mere coincidence. In fact, Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn was sending a pointed message to his players – many of them who are newcomers after an offseason of turnover on the roster – that defense will the primary focus this season. The feeling is that if the Magic can become a significantly better defensive team it will help them mask any offensive shortcomings, make them more competitive in difficult road environs and ultimately allow the team to make significant strides.

Orlando jumped from 26th in defensive efficiency two seasons ago to tied for 17th last season. Of the 16 teams ahead of them in the defensive efficiency ratings last season, 14 made the playoffs. Now, the hope is that Orlando can ultimately be a top 10 defensive team and the team feels that it has the young and athletic personnel to make more progress in smothering foes.

``According to the defensive stats, we’re moving up and we all really think we should be in single digits (in the rankings) this year,’’ said third-year big man Kyle O’Quinn, who led the Magic in shot-blocking last season. ``It’s just going to take everybody to do it. Starting training camp with a defensive mindset that’s really going to let us know where our focus needs to be.’’

The Magic have made moves the past two seasons to address their defense by drafting Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon and trading for Elfrid Payton – three players who were dominant defensive stoppers at the college level. Their ability to pressure ball-handlers, play in passing lanes and push the pace should bring an added intensity to the Magic defense this season. They should fit in well with holdovers Maurice Harkless, Dewayne Dedmon and O’Quinn – players who also specialize in defense.

``We’re going to get after it on that (defensive) end,’’ predicted Oladipo, referring to both training camp and the season ahead. ``It’s going to be fun. We just have to buy into it and do it on a consistent basis. It’s going to be real hard to stop one or two of the guards in our league, but we just have to do a consistent job with our defense. We’re going to have to learn how to play defense without fouling. It’s all a process and I’m looking forward to the process.’’

Vaughn, who played the game under defensive-minded coaches Jerry Sloan and Gregg Popovich, decided to shift the focus more to defense after evaluating the strengths of a Magic roster loaded with athleticism and young legs. He is also a student of the game and he is well aware that some of the most dominant and consistently good teams also rank near the top of the NBA’s defensive efficiency rankings.

Defensive efficiency, a relatively new metric used to more accurately judge a team’s ability to get stops, is derived by computing the number of points allowed per 100 possessions. It takes the pace of play element out of the equation and more accurately gauges defensive effectiveness than merely the number of points given up per game.

The Magic allowed 104.8 points per 100 possessions last season, tying them with Cleveland for 17th in the NBA. To put that into perspective, three teams – Indiana (96.7), Chicago (97.8) and Golden State (99.9) – allowed fewer than 100 points per 100 possessions. The eventual champions (San Antonio) were fourth at 101.1, while the East champs (Miami) were 11th at 102.9 points per 100 possessions.

To add further perspective and show the true importance of the defensive efficiency rating, Magic fans need to look no further than the 2008-09 and 2009-10 teams – two of the most successful squads in franchise history. In 2008-09, the Magic were first in the NBA in defensive rating (98.9 points per 100 possessions) and they reached the NBA Finals. In 2009-10, the Magic were tied for first in the NBA in defensive rating (100.2) and they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

According to research conducted by Fox Sports Florida play-by-play announcer David Steele, 48 of the 50 teams ranked in the top 10 in defensive efficiency rating over the last five seasons have made the playoffs. Only the 2012-13 Wizards and the 2010-11 Bucks missed the postseason after finishing in the top 10 defensively.

Vaughn is well aware of these numbers, and that’s one of the reasons that he planned to opening training camp on Tuesday with a focus on defense.

``Defense is going to be a premium for us from every single guy. In order to get minutes on the floor, (defense) has to be an area that you are dedicated to,’’ Vaughn said. ``So a lot of times, we’ll start the day defensively and let that kind of set the temperament of the day.’’

Vaughn is hoping that with two rangy, cat-quick guards in Oladipo and Payton that the Magic can disrupt opposing offenses with their ball pressure. In the offseason, he impressed upon forward Tobias Harris the need to become a better two-way player and Harris reported to camp more muscular than ever and with improved conditioning. And the coach has instructed centers Nikola Vucevic and O’Quinn the need for them to play more physical and protect the rim if the Magic are going to become an elite defensive team.

``That’s the area where we’re going to try to make the fastest improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 to Year 3,’’ Vaughn said of the defense. ``Being able to be labeled as an elite defensive team, that’s a challenge for our guys. It’s something I look forward to them accepting.’’

Orlando GM Rob Hennigan had an eye toward defense back in June when he drafted the 6-foot-9 Gordon with the fourth overall pick and dealt for Payton, the No. 10 selection. Gordon defended small forwards and power forwards last season while anchoring the best defensive team in the history of the University of Arizona, according to head coach Sean Miller. Payton averaged 2.3 steals a game last season for Louisiana-Lafayette and was named the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year.

Both rookies know that the easiest way for them to crack the Magic’s rotation this season is to relentlessly defend. Gordon said in his first media conference in Orlando following the draft that he hopes to someday win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award, and that mindset hasn’t changed as he heads into his first NBA training camp.

``It starts today, not with the first game that we play, it starts today,’’ Gordon said of his defensive prowess. ``I’m going to show people that I can defend from the jump to the buzzer so that they know when it becomes game time that they can rely on me.

``It’s just a little battle within the war if you can shut your guy down,’’ added Gordon, who held his opponents to 30 percent shooting last season in college. ``You’re not going to shut a lot of people down in this league, but you can make it difficult and frustrate them. If you can make them less efficient then that’s a personal win and a team win within the game.’’

Another big reason why the Magic want to improve their defense: portability. Whereas offense can often be fickle and wane in road games where the crowd is against the opposition, strong defensive principles should stand up whether the Magic are playing at the Amway Center or in a hostile arena outside of Orlando.

The Magic struggled mightily on the road last season, winning just four games away from Orlando. Those kinds of woes are common with young teams, but not with teams that thrive defensively. Vaughn wants tough-minded players who are focused on getting defensive stops regardless of the venue, level of opponent or state of their offensive success from night to night.

``I think it’s a proven concept that if you put yourself in a position to compete defensively every night you will have a chance to win games home or on the road,’’ Vaughn stressed.

Added O’Quinn, echoing the message already delivered to him by the coaching staff: ``What separates you from a loss and a win on the road is your defense. Some nights you are going to put the ball in the hole, some nights you are going to shoot good or shoot badly, but you have to bring your defense every night to give yourself a chance. So we have to make a big jump with our defense this season.’’