What The Orlando Magic Can Learn From Golden State's Greatness

Those in attendance at the Kia Center on Thursday night witnessed history. Stephen Curry treated fans to his 14th 50-point game in large part due to his 12 made three-pointers. Not only did he tie Klay Thompson with three games of 12 or more made threes in a game, but he also passed Patrick Ewing for 26th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

The night was all about Curry. When asked by the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede what the difference was in this game, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley reacted by saying, "There is no aside from Steph, the man had 56 points." It was a tough loss for the Magic, who found themselves up 66-52 at halftime. Curry and the Warriors did what they needed to do coming out of the half to secure a big road win.

They have now won seven of eight games since trading for Jimmy Butler III. You can just feel the energy with the team has shifted; they look rejuvenated, and they're playing with more passion. That's the exact opposite of how one might describe the Orlando Magic's recent play. They've lost 18 of their last 27 games and now find themselves five games back of the Pistons for the sixth seed. Luckily for this young team, there was no shortage of lessons learned from playing against the Warriors on Thursday night.

Importance of the Possession Battle

Mosley talked pre-game about how important it was to "win the possession battle" vs. a team like the Warriors. In the eight games since acquiring Butler for Andrew Wiggins, Golden State is averaging just 11.7 turnovers per game. Before that, they were averaging 14.1 turnovers per contest. That's a significant difference and has led them to a 7-1 record thus far with Butler on the team.

In last night's loss, despite Paolo Banchero's 41-point performance, the Magic did not "win the possession battle." They turned it over 18 times and had just 23 assists. Compare that to the Warriors, who had 26 assists and just 12 turnovers.

Interestingly, the Magic made nine more shots and had a higher field goal percentage (50.6%) than the Warriors (45.6%) in the loss. That goes to show you the importance of taking care of the basketball; it can be the difference between a win and a loss, and it was in this one.

Throughout his career, Butler has prided himself on taking care of the basketball. You don't see that very often in a sport where each team gets over 100 possessions per game. But it's refreshing, and the message permeates through the rest of the team. Here's what Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had to say on the topic when asked about it pre-game by Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Jimmy [Butler] is having an impact on the rest of the guys [when it comes to limiting turnovers]. Jimmy’s play is contagious, the solid decision-making”

- Coach Steve Kerr on Butler’s impact on the Warriors’ play since the trade

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) February 27, 2025

In last night's game, Banchero turned the ball over five times. That's the seventh time this season he's had five or more turnovers in a game. That's 26% of his games played. Butler hasn't turned the ball over five times in a single one of his 33 games this season.

As a team, the Magic have the fifth-worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1.574) and the seventh-fewest assists per field goals made (0.608). The ball isn't moving enough, and they're not taking good enough care of the basketball. It could be a lack of trust from Paolo and Franz Wagner in other guys to make open shots, but regardless, Orlando didn't win the possession battle last night, and they haven't been winning the possession battle in most games in 2025.

Team Identity

Like Kerr said, Butler has impacted the rest of the guys since his arrival. He wants to take care of the basketball, which makes the other guys want to take care of the basketball. In as little as eight games, Butler's impact has been felt in a big way. And that's exactly what the Orlando Magic have been missing lately: a team identity.

I asked Warriors rookie Quinten Post about the difference Butler has made, and you could just tell it was massive:

I asked Quinten Post after tonight’s game about the Warriors renewed sense of energy and confidence since trading for Jimmy Butler

“His leadership, and he’s just another dawg to put next to Dray. Besides his play, the biggest thing is that you’ve seen other players stepping up” pic.twitter.com/zAjxqDhyrf

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) February 28, 2025

Golden State now has an identity, and it starts with the veteran leaders of this team. That message is heard loud and clear by Post and the other guys on the team who feel the importance of practicing what is being preached. The Warriors are going to play fast, knock down shots, but most importantly, take care of the basketball.

Right now, despite having two up-and-coming stars in this league in Banchero and Wagner, the Magic are lacking an identity. Earlier in the season, they were one of the best defensive teams in the league and that set the tone in every game they played. But ever since Jalen Suggs went down with multiple injuries, this team has struggled to find its identity.

With Suggs on the floor, the Magic owned a 20-15 record and held opponents to just 103.9 points per game. Without Suggs, they're just 9-17 and are allowing 108.2 points per game. That might not seem like a significant difference, but it is when you're a team struggling on the offensive end of the floor.

It felt like the theme after every game was the effort on the defensive end. At one point last season, Cole Anthony said when he's on the bench, he's watching how hard Jalen plays on the defensive end and how that made him want to go out and guard. Whether purposefully or not, the tone was set by Suggs and it was abundantly clear the message permeated throughout the rest of the team.

The Raptors were coming off a game where they had 44 assists and just 7 turnovers

Tonight, the Magic turned them over a season-high 23 times, so I asked Cole Anthony and Paolo Banchero about this team’s defensive effort

“We strap up” said Anthony, while Paolo talked about being… pic.twitter.com/cCIt6B89n8

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) November 22, 2023

You don't have to be the team that has the fewest turnovers, shoots the highest percentage, or plays at the fastest pace. But what you do need is a team identity. At the end of the day, win or lose, what can you, as a team, hang your hat on? Without Suggs in the lineup, the Magic are struggling to find their identity.

Paolo Banchero's Rise to Greatness

Banchero is great. Everybody knows that. But there are some things he can work on. Draymond Green alluded to that in his post-game press conference on Thursday night.

Draymond Green on #Magic forward Paolo Banchero:

"I have been a Paolo fan since he was at Duke. He is a special, special player, but if I am honest, he has so much more he can do. I think he has so much room to grow. I believe Paolo is one of those young guys that [if] he…

— Mason Williams (@mvsonwilliams) February 28, 2025

In that same response, Draymond told reporters he believes Paolo has a chance to be one of the "faces of the NBA." You can feel it. A 41-point performance by Banchero was overshadowed by Curry's historic night, but it wasn't lost on Draymond. He didn't specify to reporters how exactly Paolo needed to grow, but I'll take a stab at that.

First and foremost is decision-making. Since returning from his oblique injury, Banchero is turning the ball over 3.2 times per game. During that stretch, he's averaging just 4.7 assists. That's not a great assist-to-turnover ratio for a 6-foot-10 guy being asked to double as a ball-handler. Jimmy Butler isn't quite 6-foot-10, but he's still a high-usage player who doesn't turn the ball over often. Paolo can learn from a guy like that.

Second, his demeanor on the floor. Not always, but sometimes, you can see and feel the frustration on Paolo's face. This one's not an easy fix, and it will come with time and experience in the league. Yes, you should hold your teammates accountable for their mistakes, but showing your displeasure isn't always the right approach. Stay calm, stay poised, and continue to lead by example.

Paolo told Cole to pass the ball 😭 pic.twitter.com/Wy6DyIJlVr

— Be Magic Or Be Gone!  (@BeORLMagic) February 28, 2025

Third, and a little more X's and O's based, Banchero needs to develop more touch around the basket. He's great when he gets to the cup, with a field goal percentage of 64% in the restricted area this season (per NBA.com). However, he's shooting just 40% in the paint outside the restricted area. It's been the same story in each of his first three seasons, where Paolo is shooting less than 40% in the paint outside the restricted area.

But all is not lost; this is a place where improvement can happen and will happen over time with practice and reps. Take his teammate, Wagner, for example. Wagner is shooting 46.6% in the paint outside the restricted area this season. Before this season, he was never over 42% in any one season. And he's averaging a career-high 25 points per game because of his more efficient scoring.

There are other examples of bigger ball-handlers who are smooth operators around the basket. Jaren Jackson Jr. shoots it at 52.3% in the paint outside the restricted area. But it wasn't always like that for JJJ. In his fourth NBA season, that number was at just 38.4%. He's taken his game to the next level as a result. It's the same with Pascal Siakam. He's at 53% this season in the paint outside the restricted area. Four years into his career, that number was at just 37.8%. Like JJJ, he's playing some of his career's best, most efficient basketball.

Overcoming Adversity and Becoming Great

Banchero and this Magic team are poised for greatness in the future. But to be great, you must overcome adversity and learn from your mistakes and shortcomings. Orlando has overcome numerous injuries and hardships this season, but all is not lost. They're still in the playoff hunt, and they can learn valuable lessons from teams like the Golden State Warriors along the way.

Magic fans, there's a bright future ahead for this team. Stay the course and enjoy the process along the way.

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