Jeff Turner Q&A: Late season minutes for rookie Gordon are valuable
FOXSportsFlorida.com checks in with color analyst Jeff Turner to get the latest on the Magic. You can follow Turner on Twitter at @JTurnerMagic.
FOX SPORTS FLORIDA: You wanted to see the Magic regain their competitive fire. Is there any specific reason you can pinpoint as to why it returned last week after a stretch where they lost 14 of 17 games?
JEFF TURNER: I think it starts with JB (interim coach James Borrego). Watching him and his intensity on the sidelines ... The last time we talked, we talked about the need for young players to continue to play it out because people are watching and evaluating. There are no minutes on the floor for a player that doesn't have value. And I think the same could be said for the way James Borrego is approaching this thing. He's at the helm of this thing. He's driving them. I think he's made some good moves, and when your leader is doing that, that intensity pours over to all the young guys.
FSF: Speaking of young guys and good moves, Aaron Gordon has gotten a much longer look beginning with the win at Minnesota. Is there anything you're seeing from him now that you didn't before, or is this a case of him doing things well more often with the increase in minutes?
JT: David (Steele) and I talked about this on the air (Friday) night. We're seeing things that we thought we would see when he got more time. Early in the season, you could see flashes of his ability to go get an offensive rebound and fighting to stick it back in, or take it off the glass on the defensive end and bring it the length of the court. For him, these minutes at the end of the season are valuable. He's getting 27, 28 minutes a game, and he's seeing some positives and a few things he needs to work on. Hopefully it gives him confidence going into the offseason that there is a place for him in this league.
FSF: Does it appear to you that Victor Oladipo has replaced Tobias Harris as the go-to guy in the closing moments of tight games?
JT: You look at the games (against Milwaukee, Chicago and Toronto), and he's averaging almost eight points a game in the fourth quarter. And that includes the Milwaukee game where, if you remember, he was struggling. He was 3 of 16 at one point and then made his last three shots, including a big 3 down the stretch. Part of that is he's earning the right to be the closer. JB is giving him a lot of leeway at the end of games. In that Chicago game and even against Toronto, when we need a play, we're running the same play to put it in his hands. He hits a game-winning layup and then a 3 that gave us the lead for a little bit. So he's embracing that role.
FSF: Toronto missed the playoffs five years in a row but has now posted back-to-back division championships. Can the Magic look at what the Raptors have accomplished and pattern themselves in something of a similar fashion
JT: You look at the evolution of a guy like DeMar DeRozan, a guy who was drafted by the Raptors and, five or six years in, is really starting to become a go-to guy on the floor. From a team standpoint, they've got nice pieces, a good young center (Jonas Valanciunas). They play the way this team could play -- high tempo on the offensive end, strong defense. When they need to, they can lock down people. That all remains to be seen in the future, but yeah, that's a good model to follow.
FSF: Going into Saturday night's loss to New York, the Magic ranked 28th in defensive field-goal percentage and 29th in blocked shots. By how much would they need to improve in both categories to become effective? Or is there another statistic that might be a more accurate reflection of defensive progress, like points allowed in the paint?
JT: Under JB, they've really been putting an emphasis on protecting the paint. Part of that, unfortunately, is not being able to close out on the perimeter against good teams that shoot the 3 really well. We've given up quite a few. (The Magic are also 29th in defensive 3-point field-goal percentage.) But what's interesting is being a good defensive team, just like on the offensive end, there needs to be a continuity. A great example is in the Toronto game. DeRozan drives baseline, and Vooch (center Nikola Vucevic) has kind of got him pinned up underneath the hoop but Victor leaves Lou Williams for a second just because he wants to help his teammate -- which is not a bad thing. But with continuity and playing together for a long time, you develop trust where you say, "I trust Vooch. He's going to do his job. My job is to stay with the 3-point shooter." Those are things you learn from playing together.
We can become a better defensive team. If you're looking for a ranking, the defensive efficiency number is a good one. Teams that make the playoffs, you've got to be in the top half of the league as far as defensive efficiency. (The Magic went into Monday night ranked 26th, ahead of only four other lottery-bound teams.) You can look at that number and pretty much say that if you're in the top 16 teams, you've got a shot.
FSF: Last but not least, has Borrego earned the right to come back on more than an interim basis?
JT: I think he has earned the right to have a good, long look and consideration. Whether or not that happens, that's up to the front office. But when you go back to what (general manager) Rob (Hennigan) said when he made the change, one of the main things he was looking for was a competitive spirit among the guys. He wanted to see improvement, and I think we've seen it. So whatever the decision, I think JB has earned a good, hard look.
You can follow Ken Hornack on Twitter @HornackFSFla or email him at khornack32176@gmail.com.
