The Magic Insider

Magic Major Flaw Highlighted in Loss vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic need to make some improvements ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.

Jeremy Brener

Magic Major Flaw Highlighted in Loss vs. Cavaliers
Magic Major Flaw Highlighted in Loss vs. Cavaliers /
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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is coming back down to earth after a 126-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night at the Kia Center.

A 27-point loss certainly is alarming, but a glance at the box score could lead to the reason behind the defeat. The Cavaliers shot 20 of 38 from beyond the 3-point line, good for 52.6 percent from distance. They made nine more 3-pointers than the Magic, which builds the 27-point difference between the two teams.

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Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

While Orlando shot 37.9 percent from the 3-point line, which is above their season averages, the team didn't have someone with the ability to bring them back into the game with their shotmaking.

The Magic is dead last in the NBA with a 34.1 percent clip from the 3-point line this season, but perhaps that could lead to the team's desires at the NBA Trade Deadline, which comes in less than three weeks' time.

Orlando won't take their poor 3-point shooting as an excuse, and coach Jamahl Mosley will always want the Magic to hang their hat on the defensive end. However, adding some 3-point shooting will give the Magic some balance.

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Finding the right player that will improve their 3-point shooting without sacrificing anything on the defensive end will be a challenge, because Orlando wants to maintain their defense-first identity. However, if the Magic wants to push into the playoff picture, finding some shooting is paramount.

The NBA Trade Deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 8.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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