A thoroughly depleted Magic side came into tonight’s contest against the Rockets with a chance to claim the franchise’s best ever start to a season through nine games. With six players (and four ostensible starters) unavailable either due to injury or injury management, it was always going to be a tall order. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for that projection to be proven accurate.
Orlando’s game plan was obvious from the outset: get it to Nikola Vucevic early and often. Flanked in the starting unit by Dwayne Bacon, Gary Clark, James Ennis and the newly promoted Cole Anthony, the majority of the team’s offense was going to be filtered through the big man, either as the primary scoring option or as a facilitator passing out of the elbow and post.