Simmons starts over Ross
INDIANAPOLIS — With the Orlando Magic mired in an eight-game losing streak and the team’s defense struggling, coach
altered the starting lineup Monday, replacing at shooting with guard
Ross has struggled most of the season on the offensive end of the court. He entered Monday’s game against the Indiana Pacers averaging 9.3 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting. He also had attempted just 8.2 shots per game, his lowest number of attempts since his rookie season with the Toronto Raptors in 2012-13.
“Terrence and I, in conversations, have discussed maybe him being more involved if he comes off the bench, and Simmons has showed me that we’d like to see what we’d look like with him having a bigger role,” Vogel said. “So it fits both players in terms of seeing if we can put them in better positions.”
Ross came off the bench for most of the 2015-16 season with the Raptors, and he felt comfortable in that sixth-man role.
In an interview before tipoff, Ross indicated he prefers the move.
“It’s something I wanted,” Ross said. “We’ve been talking for awhile just to try to switch things up, get different looks with certain things and kind of just find out what else we could use during the year.”
With the second unit, Ross presumably will feel freer to assert himself more.
“Maybe we can see something there where he’s more involved,” Vogel said. “He gets lost a little bit with the first group. Maybe we can change the dynamic a little bit with the first group. You lose eight straight, you’ve got to look at some different things.
“He [Ross] goes a lot of times where he plays the whole first half with zero field-goal attempts or one field-goal attempt. He’s capable of more than that. He’s one of our most selfless players. He’s not really lost. He’s making the right play. He’s just one of the guys that doesn’t force. We’ve got too many guys that force.”
Vogel said he pondered a lineup change for “a couple of weeks” and would have liked to keep Simmons as the sixth man if the starters had been playing better.
“I just want to do whatever I can to help,” Ross said. “We’ve got a lot of good players in here. I just kind of wanted to see where I could make more of an impact.”
From Nov. 11 through Sunday, the Magic ranked last in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 115.6 points per 100 possessions, according to the league’s statistics database.
Simmons is the Magic’s best perimeter defender and is one of the Magic’s toughest players.
Vogel was asked Monday whether the team needs to have better technique, more fight or be more physical on defense.
“All of the above,” Vogel answered. “The scheme’s got to get tighter. The execution of the scheme has got to get tighter. The physicality and toughness — all the things that go into defensive disposition — have to get better, and we’ve got to force the other team to miss shots.”
Before tipoff, a reporter asked Vogel if he thought the Magic felt “desperate.”
“Let’s just say I hope so,” Vogel answered. “I feel that way, the urgency, and that we’ve got to bring it and be at our best. But the way we’ve played of late, it makes me wonder a little bit.”