Orlando Magic icon Tracy McGrady believes that this year's team has the potential to be “one of the better defensive teams” in the league.
McGrady pointed out the culture and identity that Steve Clifford has built with the team last year, as the Magic made their first playoff appearance since the 2011-12 season. The Hall of Famer also observed Orlando is stacked with athletic and tall guys, who can all turn them into one hell of a defensive team.
“Cliff has put his stamp on this team, obviously,” McGrady said, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “He ended the playoff drought, so these guys have bought in. This is a young group, still growing together. I think their identity just needs to be tough, a smart-playing team that’s going to compete every single night, play for one another. You’ve got some athleticism around here. You’ve got height. This is a big-ass team. So your frontline could be 6-10, 7 foot, 7 foot, and that’s athleticism all across the board. So defensively I think they could be one of the better defensive teams in this league with what they have.”
McGrady isn't just basing his analysis on observation. Last year, the Magic ranked eighth in defense with a rating of 107.6. This was a big leap from their defensive rating of 109.4, which ranked 20th in the 2017-18 season.
Magic fans are probably in for a treat this 2019-20 campaign. The drought is officially over in Orlando. The team just needs more time to grow and develop together.
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