5 reasons Frank Vogel can lead Orlando Magic to NBA Playoffs

3 of 6

May 30, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel reacts as he walks off the court during the first half in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

4. East experiences higher playoff turnover than West.

Another great advantage of coaching in the Eastern Conference as opposed to the Western Conference in the NBA is that the East experiences greater playoff turnover annually than in the West.

From 2015 to 2016, four teams different teams made the NBA Playoffs out of the East that didn’t qualify the year before. The Heat, the Charlotte Hornets, the Pacers, and the Detroit Pistons replaced the Chicago Bulls, the Washington Wizards, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Brooklyn Nets in the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder made the 2016 NBA Playoffs after missing out on them in 2015, replacing the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference.

Will four teams again miss the NBA Playoffs out of the East that qualified for them in 2016? Probably not that many, as the NBA doesn’t experience as much playoff turnover as either the NFL or NHL, but there is a reasonable chance that at least two to three teams in the East that made the NBA Playoffs this spring won’t be back in 2017.

That leaves the Magic with two-to-three in seven chance to claim a playoff spot should they experience significant growth under Vogel in year one in Central Florida. Keep an eye on teams like Toronto, Indiana, and Charlotte, as three Eastern Conferences team Vogel’s 2016-17 Magic squad could conceivably replace in the 2017 NBA Playoffs.

Next: 3. Higher upside in back court than with Pacers.

Home/NBA