By John DentonNov. 6, 2015
ORLANDO – Considering the success that the Orlando Magic have had defensively with Dewayne Dedmon in the game, they want to see the center bring the same intensity and physicality to the starting lineup that he had before as a backup.
But Dedmon knows there’s one area of his game that he absolutely must adjust now that the Magic are looking to him to be their front-line center for the foreseeable future, starting tonight when Orlando (1-4) faces Toronto (5-0) at 7 at the Amway Center.
With starting center Nikola Vucevic sidelined indefinitely by a bone bruise in his right knee, the Magic need Dedmon to play big minutes and keep playing the stellar defense that has been his trademark the past two seasons. However, Dedmon must correct his propensity for picking up fouls so that he can stay on the floor for his team.
“I go in every game trying to stay out of foul trouble, but some games are better than others as you can see,” Dedmon said. “That’s something big that I have to try and do. When I’m out there the (defensive) numbers are low, so the more time on the court the better.”
As for those defensive numbers, they are markedly better for the Magic with Dedmon being the 7-foot pogo stick that they need to protect the rim. In Dedmon’s 66 minutes of playing time this season, the Magic are allowing just 85.9 points per 100 possessions – a dramatic improvement over Orlando’s overall defensive efficiency of 99.2 points per 100 possessions.
Dedmon was inserted into the starting lineup for a stretch of games late last season and he had a similar effect on the Magic’s defense. In Dedmon’s 845 minutes last season, foes scored just 98.5 points per 100 possessions – by far the best defensive rating of any Magic player.
“They were last year and they are now, but not unlike any team that has a rim protector and the numbers are going to be better when that guy is in the game,” said Magic coach Scott Skiles, whose emphasis all throughout training camp and the preseason was improvement on the defensive end of the floor. “(Vucevic) has played, in general, much better team defense this year. It’s no knock on Vooch to say that Dewayne protects the rim better. He’s just that type of player.”
Dedmon will need to continue to be a superior defensive player if Orlando is going to end an unsightly losing streak against the Raptors, who are one of just two undefeated teams remaining in the NBA. The Magic have dropped 11 straight games to Toronto. Orlando lost to the Raptors four times last season, three of them coming in heartbreaking fashion. The last time the Magic beat the Raptors was March 26, 2012.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey raved about the growth of a Magic team that has lost all four of its games by five or fewer points this season. Two of those defeats – to West powers Oklahoma City and Houston – came in overtime and caught Casey’s attention.
“I’m not looking at (Orlando’s) record because they are a hard-playing team and they’re record is not indicative of how good this team is and how hard they play,” Casey said. “Scott’s doing a heck of a job of getting them to play hard, play together and play with a purpose. They’ve just come up on a bad side of the draw in some of these games. We’ll have our work cut out for us and we need to come in with a business-like approach.”
Vucevic sent a scare into the Magic on Wednesday when his right knee buckled and he crumpled onto the floor in pain. Initial tests showed no structural damage in the knee and a MRI and a subsequent evaluation on Thursday showed only a bone bruise. The 7-footer, who has averaged 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks through five games, was relieved that the damage wasn’t much worse in his knee.
“It was a relief. I knew it wasn’t ligament damage or anything, but we just wanted to make sure. It’s just a bone bruise, but it looked bad the more that I watched it on video,” said Vucevic, who was walking with no assistance needed and wearing a supportive sleeve over his knee. “That’s how bad injuries (often) look because my knee really buckled. So I got lucky – thank God – and I just need to take care of the bone bruise and get back out there.”
Toronto primarily rides the scoring and athleticism of guards DeMar DeRozan (22.2 ppg.) and Kyle Lowry (19.2 ppg.), but the improvement of center Jonas Valanciunas (15.8 ppg. and 10.4 rpg.) has given the team more of an inside punch.
Valanciunas’ physicality on the inside will test Dedmon’s ability to stay out of foul trouble. Wednesday night in Houston, Dedmon had four points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots in 26 minutes, but he fouled out of the game in overtime.
Extrapolate Dedmon’s season averages – 4.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots – over 36 minutes and they jump to an impressive 8.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks a game. However, his foul rate also jumps to 7.1 fouls per 36 minutes, meaning he likely won’t be on the floor for long stretches and that would leave Orlando more short-handed inside.
Dedmon knows he is being looked to now for his defense, but he has to be smart in how he goes for blocked shots and how physical he can be in the low post.
“I definitely notice (the improved defensive numbers when he’s on the floor) and it’s something that I hear all the time, so every time I come out I want to have the same intensity and keep those numbers low,” Dedmon said. “I’m still going to go for the blocks, but I just can’t get the little fouls away from the basket. I feel like I’ve been consistent (defensively) in the minutes that I have been doing it, but there’s just a longer stretch of time that I have to do it now.”
