Upon Further Review: Magic Rely On Defense and Post Play

True, the Magic like to shoot the three-point shot. That makes sense, three points beats two points anytime. Like Uncle Luke said, “Shake what yo' mama gave yah..” I digress.

Go back in time to last season's NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. Remember how that ended, 4-1. The Magic shot the lights out from long distance in their only win.

That's the good and bad of relying on the trey. Teams win NBA championships with defense and good inside play. Dagger threes sometimes help close games, but a tough drive to the rim with an added free-throw seals wins. See Vince Carter game three against the Hawks.

Orlando's three-point game gets most of the attention and too much credit. Take another look at the Magic offensive improvement from 15 ft or less in the present playoffs. You will see a team that can win games without great three-point shooting efforts.

Jameer Nelson returned from injury to still find points on drives. Howard can get post-points in the paint like a true big man. Rashard Lewis reverted back to old habits, becoming a deadly weapon from the post.

Even Mickael Pietrus, a guy who never saw a shot he didn't like, has opted to drive or make the extra dribble to get a higher percentage shot.

Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy revisited Vince Carter's ability to post-up earlier in the season. Carter used the rhythm to pull out of a mid-season scoring slump. In game three we see “Vinsanity” driving in the paint, creating fouls, making floaters, and providing facials.

Teams that rely on the three struggle with sub-par teams like the 76ers of last season. Teams with an inside game, sweep lesser opponents and achieve 40-plus point victories.

When the Magic do go to the jump-shot route, defense makes up for misses.

Since last season, the Magic defense has been recognized as one of the NBA's best. The addition of Matt Barnes gives the Magic an extra shut-down defender. Just in case you forgot, Dwight Howard earned his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

Maybe this defense thing has a little bit to do with all of Orlando's success, not just the long ball.

Orlando hasn't allowed more than 100 points to any team in the playoffs. The Bobcats never scored more than 90 points. In game two of the Hawks series, the Magic gave up 98 points—83 points through the first three quarters. Yes, that was only 15 points in the fourth.

Teams go cold, but not that cold. The story after game two revolved around the Hawks fourth quarter collapse. Very few people outside of Magic circles talked about how the defending Eastern Conference Champions clamped down for the final quarter.

The three-point shot will be a part of the current Magic strategy. Smith and Van Gundy made that a part of the teams fabric when putting players together.

When times get hard in the next round, the Magic will fall back on tough defense and the post to pull through.

Yeah, chicks dig the long ball, but defense wins championships.

Remember, diamonds are a girls best friend.