Jeff Green proves the catalyst for ailing Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic needed a spark to get themselves moving. They found it off the bench in Jeff Green and rode it to a win.
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Jeff Green was one of the players who voiced his displeasure with the Orlando Magic’s efforts following Wednesday’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He said his team needed to come out angry and that the effort they had just put out to close that road trip was simply unacceptable.
Green has had his own ups and downs this season — he has been as inconsistent as anyone on the roster, a general current throughout his career. But his voice does carry weight. That is the power of a veteran.
And on a team still searching for leadership — coach Frank Vogel said various players had spoken up at various times with other veterans lending support — that message needed to be heard.
Or maybe it did not need to be heard. Maybe nothing needed to be said. Maybe it needed to be shown.
And with the Magic trailing by 10 points midway through the first quarter and struggling to gain much traction defensively and struggling to move the ball well offensively against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Magic needed a spark. If not, this game too would get out of reach — a better team blowing out a listless opponent.
Someone had to be the change. And that change found an unlikely hero in Jeff Green.
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“When Jeff plays like that, we’re a different team,” Aaron Gordon said. “He’s extremely talented. When he’s aggressive and assertive throughout the game, we’re very very good.”
On his first possession, Green grabbed a rebound and took the ball down the floor for a layup. The aggression was somewhat astonishing in a game that had a bit of a slow feel to it. But the play snapped the Magic into focus. Orlando took the lead by the end of the quarter.
And Green remained a catalyst for much of the first half. He scored 18 points in the game, making 6 of 13 shots. He added seven rebounds and had an astonishing +29 plus/minus.
For a player who has faced a lot of scrutiny, he set the tone for the Magic in a game they desperately needed and won 112-96 at the Amway Center on Friday.
“There wasn’t any talk,” Green said. “I think individually we knew what we had to do in order to bounce back from that road trip. I don’t think anybody needed to step up and say anything. As a player, as a team, I think everyone did their part tonight and everyone was aggressive on both ends.”
Green did slow down eventually. But Elfrid Payton picked up the slack with 20 points. And then Aaron Gordon went on his run. And it all added up.
The key, of course, was the defense. The Magic held an opponent to less than 100 times for just the second time since Dec. 6. The Bucks posted a 98.5 offensive rating.
The key to Green was less any energy that came from his or any individual player, but more the way everyone played together. He said players were on the same page throughout the game on both ends.
The team communicated on defense and helped each other to get stops and turnovers. And the team moved the ball on offense with 25 assists on 40 field goal makes. It was a positive sign for the team in light of all it has gone through.
“Day to day work. When you are struggling, you have to commit to your process and commit to your work,” Vogel said. “You work to get better every single day. The focus was good tonight. The urgency and desperation were good tonight. Hopefully, we keep it going.”
Vogel credited Green with leading the charge in keeping the ball moving and not settling for 3-pointers but keeping the ball moving with his drives. The Magic shot 31 free throws, making 24.
It was a strong game. For Green, it was one of his strongest games in some time.
That cannot be enough. The Magic had more energy. It was something the team talked about. But the team has to carry it over now. That has always been this team’s struggle.
The motivation of that biting defeat against New Orleans fades as the win over Milwaukee remains. There is more work to do. Green may not be the guy to lead the charge Sunday, but someone will have to do so.
“We can’t be satisfied,” Green said. “We can’t be content showing it one game. We have to continue to work at it, continue to trust and build off each game. This is a starting point. What happened on the road trip is in the past. We have to work from this game and move forward from this game and get ready for Sunday and continue to bring the same effort.”
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