The pieces are there for Orlando Magic, some assembly still required
The Orlando Magic’s season showed glimpses of what the team could be. But was mostly disappointment of a team still incomplete and needing an overhaul.
The Orlando Magic morosely filed through Amway Center on Thursday, the day after their season officially ended. Everyone related to the organization knew this day was coming. It had been ordained for several months now as the Magic had been eliminated from the Playoffs for a while.
That did not make the day any less disappointing. Questions abound about the roster’s future and where the Magic go from here following a 25-57 season.
The common refrain as the team left Amway Center for the final time in the 2015 season: the pieces are there for the Magic to do something great. They just have not put everything together quite yet.
“This group as a whole has potential to get much better,” James Borrego said. “When you look around the league, when Indiana drafted Paul George, they didn’t know they had Paul George. He worked at it, he got better. When Miami drafted Dwyane Wade, they didn’t know they had Dwyane Wade. But he worked, he put in the time and he exceeded everybody’s expectations.
“We don’t know what we have here. The men in that locker room, we don’t know yet. It’s on them to get better and put in the time. The men in that locker room have to get better, and they will.”
Sure, Victor Oladipo established himself as perhaps the best sophomore player in the league this season. Elfrid Payton emerged as a potential point guard running mate with Oladipo. Nikola Vucevic proved to be a capable offensive player and pick and pop option. Tobias Harris improved his efficiency and 3-point shooting, adding a new dimension to his game.
“We don’t know what we have here. The men in that locker room, we don’t know yet. It’s on them to get better and put in the time.” –James Borrego
Of course, Oladipo and Payton still may not be able to shoot. Vucevic became a defensive sieve on pick and rolls. Harris could not move the ball well. The fourth overall pick in Aaron Gordon was hurt much of the season and never quite found his footing.
A lot of things still have to break right and a lot of players have to make individual improvements, along with fitting into the team to make this whole rebuild work at the end of the day. It starts this summer.
It is easy with the age of this team to cling to the glimpses. And there were plenty throughout the season. It is easy with the age of the team to be overwhelmed with the negatives.
The Magic had a lot of opportunities to win more than the 25 games they ended up winning. They cannot get those back and that might be what eats at them most when they look at what was the difference between this disappointment and a winning team.
“I think it’s closing out games,” Elfrid Payton said. “Obviously a lot of games this year, we have been in it until the very end. We just didn’t close out. I think just closing out games is the difference.”
Various reasons were given for this. The team’s age most prevalent among them. There are growing pains that have to occur with every young team. Hunger has to grow from going through the battles from the NBA.
This team has done that. They ahve been through the battles. And have continually come out on the short end of the stick. Some of that was to be expected. But maybe not all of this.
The close games were not the complete issue. There was the coaching change midseason, something not even the veteran Channing Frye had experienced before. There was the second-year player having to take leadership control of the team while still figuring out his place in the league.
There were a lot of elements that made success this season a long shot.
Still, the pieces were still there.
“We can’t be satisfied with our season,” Nikola Vucevic said. “Losing isn’t fun. You can’t be cool with that. We’ve got to change it. Team-wise, we’ve got to play better as a team. We showed glimpses of it during the year when we had two or three games where we played great basketball, it looks great and everything is perfect. And then we had five or six games where it was not good.
“I think we have the potential and the talent and we have what we need to get where we want to be. It takes a lot of work.”
So how do the Magic make these pieces fit this summer to make 2016 the success 2015 was not?
It starts with the team working hard individually this summer, continuing the individual growth that occurred in the 2015 season. That could mean Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris making their star turns to become focal points on offense. It could mean Elfrid Payton learning how to shoot a jumper.
James Borrego said the team needs to spend time together and grow as a unit too. He said he is confident they will put the work in to find that kind of growth.
“Every time we step on the floor, we have to believe we can win,” James Borrego said. “I think we’re starting to feel that. This group feels there is a plan in place to succeed. Our job now is to get better as individuals and as a team. As I said to the group, that doesn’t just happen. You have to go make it happen. Just because we have another year under our belt, that doesn’t equal wins. You’ve got to put the time in.”
Then it comes to hiring a new coach (or keeping the old one). That new coach will have to establish an identity pretty quickly and make it clear what kind of team he is hoping to coach and lead. Expectations from the coach will have to be set.
Then comes the draft and adding another talented youngster to the fold. Followed by free agency and supplementing the roster with veterans to lead the young guys once again.
There is a lot to do this summer.
“It just takes time,” Channing Frye said. “If you look at the second half of the season, we’re competing in every game. I just think it’s that extra little bit, giving a little bit more to your teammates. I think it’s there. I think we need a little more time to gel. to buy into what [Borrego] wanted and to each other.”
If the Magic are truly close, this summer will bring everything into sharper focus. Something that did not happen in the past 82 games.