Orlando Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley Believes In Defensive Potential

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley thinks his defense can be one of the best in the league.

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is confident in his defense, and thinks it can be one of the best in the league in the half-court. 

"When we're in the half court, we're one of the I think will be one of the toughest teams to score on because of our length because of our size, our ability to communicate," Mosley said.

Despite not winning a ton of games during the regular season last year, the Magic's defense was nowhere near as bad as its offense. Offensively, Orlando ranked towards the bottom of the league in most metrics, but it was able to hold opponents to 114.0 points per game, which ranked middle of the pack defensively. 

The Orlando Magic drafted Jalen Suggs with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 Draft out of Gonzaga.  / © Nathan Ray Seebeck, USA TODAY

While it's not eye-popping numbers, it is an encouraging start from a young team that projects to be good defensively. 

The Magic's top two players are forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Banchero stands at 6-10 with a 7-foot wingspan and is one of the stronger power forwards in the NBA. Wagner isn't the most athletic wing but stands at 6-9 and has shown the ability to hold his own defensively. 

In addition to Banchero and Wagner, Jonathan Isaac has been one of the best defenders in the NBA when healthy, but he hasn't been able to be counted on to do that in the last three years of his career.

The guard rotation also features solid defenders in Jalen Suggs, who has been one of the best in the league despite his small stature, and Markelle Fultz who is one of the more athletic players in the NBA. 

It will be on Mosley to use his players effectively in the half-court and create a stifling defense, but he has the pieces to do so. 

Orlando will open the 2023-24 regular season at home on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. against the Houston Rockets.