Jacque Vaughn wanted to set a tone Tuesday.
Vaughn scheduled a defensive drill for the first drill of the Orlando Magic’s first practice of the new season.
The team must improve defensively if it’s going to be more successful that it was last season.
“It’s going to be a premium for us from every single guy,” Vaughn said. “In order to get minutes on the floor, that has to be an area that you’re focused [on] and dedicated to. A lot of times . . . we’ll start the day defensively and let that be kind of the temperament of the day.”
The emphasis on defense may stem in part from the team’s perceived deficiencies on offense. The Magic ranked 29th in the NBA in offensive efficiency last season, averaging 99.3 points per 100 possessions, according to the NBA’s official statistics database. During the offseason, the team traded away its leading scorer, Arron Afflalo, and its leading assist producer, Jameer Nelson.
This season’s Magic should be better defensively at the point of attack. Rookie point guard Elfrid Payton should be a significant upgrade defensively over Nelson, and rookie small forward Aaron Gordon should improve the Magic’s defense on the wing.
And better defense could produce easy scoring opportunities.
“We’ll be able to defensively dictate some things, and hopefully that’ll spur our ability to run and get out offensively,” Vaughn said. “We’ll be a team that’s dedicated on the defensive end of the floor.”
In Vaughn’s first season, the Magic finished 25th in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 106.7 points per 100 possessions.
Last season, the Magic improved to 18th in the league, limiting teams to 104.8 points per 100 possessions.
The adage “defense wins games” is accurate.
Last season, the Eastern Conference’s top seven teams in defensive efficiency qualified for the playoffs.
“That’s how you grind out wins: playing ‘D’ on the road,” guard Victor Oladipo said. “So we’re definitely going to have to do a great job of that.”
Challenging Payton
Payton faces a kind of double-whammy in the weeks ahead. As he transitions into the NBA as a rookie, he’ll also be playing one of the NBA’s most difficult positions, point guard.
How much responsibility will Vaughn give Payton?
“I only can see what he can handle if I give him a lot to handle,” Vaughn answered. “So what we will do is see where his mind is, how much he’s able to grasp and get guys in position.”
Visiting Fournier
Over the summer, Vaughn traveled to Grenada, Spain, to watch new Magic swingman Evan Fournier play for France during the first week of the FIBA World Cup.
It meant a lot to Fournier.
“I really appreciated it,” Fournier said. “You feel like they care about you and they want you to do good. So it was great to meet him and talk about basketball and just life in general. I thank him for that.”
Layups
* The Magic practiced once Tuesday.
* In the minutes before Tuesday’s practice, Gordon was asked if he was excited for his first NBA practice. “I’m pretty excited, man,” he said, smiling. “You only get one first day of training camp. I’m excited, but I’ve just got to remember to breathe and play basketball.”
* The team is scheduled to practice twice Wednesday.
jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.