2015 NBA scores: The Magic are arriving way ahead of schedule

Newly hired Scott Skiles is taking Orlando along quicker than expected by finding the right mix for his roster loaded with youth.

by Tim Cato

Dec 4, 2015, 2:00 PM UTC

Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

The hottest team in the NBA ... well, it’s still Golden State, who haven’t lost. You knew that. But riddle me this: who’s the second-hottest team? The only other team with a winning streak more than two games?

Say hello to the Orlando Magic, who have won five in a row and eight of their last 11. On Thursday, Orlando knocked off the Jazz 103-94, who had come so close to knocking off the aforementioned Warriors on Monday. The Magic did it impressively, trailing slightly heading into the fourth quarter before pulling away down the stretch. And they scored 103 points against a strong Utah defense, albeit one without Rudy Gobert.

The surge isn't a surprise because Orlando is without talent, but because it's coming too early. Whether the Magic can sustain their current playoff ranking -- No. 5 in the East -- is another question, but at least for the moment, they're one of the teams you just have to deal with. Part of it is Evan Fournier's explosion from nowhere to become the team's leading scorer, helping prevent an over-reliance on Nikola Vucevic that plagued the team for times last year (and hurt even more in his absence). An improved defense -- almost a guarantee when they nabbed veteran head coach Scott Skiles, who is known for his hard-nosed approach -- has them playing feisty, too, even to the point where they're currently in the top 10 of defensive rating.

Yet with three starters and two more key reserves all under the age of 24, Orlando seemed to still be a ways out. Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja can't even legally drink, not yet -- they're both still 20. Young players are notoriously inconsistent and Orlando is no different. The solution, then, is actually rather obvious: throw a couple quality veterans into the mix.

Channing Frye and Jason Smith are far and away the team leaders in net rating this season, meaning Orlando consistently outscores opponents with them on the floor. Neither are averaging particularly impressive figures, but Smith's plus-16.4 and Frye's plus-12.7 show their worth in stabilizing the adolescent core. Friday wasn't the best example, with Utah's bench making them pay, but there's no doubt that much of the Magic's success stems from their ability to anchor a trio or quartet of young players oozing talent with a long-time, glue-guy veteran who just knows how to make it all work.

The result is this five-game winning streak and hope that Orlando does have the pieces they need. Make no mistake: the Magic are still far from their peak. That’ll happen several years down the road if all goes according to plan -- a gradual acceleration until they’re suddenly one of the teams to beat in the East. To achieve that, sometime in the next year or two, the Magic may end up trading away someone -- Victor Oladipo is a good guess, or perhaps Fournier, if others grow into more natural scoring roles. Right now, though, the worst thing Orlando could do is to mess with a good thing. Let it ride. See how far it will take them. Ignoring the cheat code Warriors, the Magic are the hottest team in the NBA, playing basketball as good as nearly anyone. That alone is something they never could have expected beginning this year.

3 other things we learned

Dwyane Wade still isn’t done

I mean, he's getting closer, let's not kid ourselves, but old man Wade has found a good balance with his rest and play in Miami. On Friday, he closed for the Heat, including a pair of free throws to go ahead 97-95 and take a nationally televised clash against Oklahoma City. A final line of 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting is mighty impressive for the 33-year-old, even if his son only decided it was "alright."

Good luck, Toronto and Indiana

These are the two teams that have realistic chances to knock off the Warriors before they reach their Christmas Day showdown with Cleveland. On Saturday, Golden State travels up to Toronto for a matchup against the Raptors, and on Tuesday, it's Indiana that the Warriors will have to navigate through.

I'd feel more bullish about Toronto having a chance if they hadn't lost Jonas Valanciunas for a month or so. Indiana feels like they have a realistic shot, because with their new style, they can drop down and run pace for pace with Golden State. Plus, Paul George may be just the type of guy who can shadow Curry all night and be frustrating enough to get him off his game.

But on Thursday, both those teams lost in uninspiring fashion -- the Raptors to the Nuggets and the Pacers to the Trail Blazers. For teams that need to be nearly flawless to knock off the current NBA kingpin, performances like that simply won't do.

Kawhi Leonard is a wrecking force of nature

There's not much to say here beyond his stat line: 27 points, eight rebounds, 9-of-13 shooting and seven three-pointers. I'd say you could feel the proverbial torch being passed from Tim Duncan to Leonard, but there's no need, because you can SEE it.