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Orlando Magic Third Quarter Review: Answering the big questions

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Feb 25, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) defends during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) defends during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard, Atlanta Hawks
Feb 25, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) defends during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

The third quarter to the Orlando Magic’s season ends with the team changing identities (again) and still searching for consistency.

As the Orlando Magic reached the midpoint of the season, there was a sense of desperation. The team was slipping from the Playoff race and seeking to regain an identity the team had apparently lost from the first quarter.

The benefit of that moment was there was still time. Deficits could get made up and there was enough optimism to believe a turnaround could still happen.

Nearly a month and a half later, that hope is all but gone. The Magic passed the trade deadline and had to give up a key player in Serge Ibaka. The team is not giving up on its playoff dreams, but the chances of it happening are very small. The focus is now on playing better to build a foundation for next season.

The Magic did not turn things around in the third quarter of the season. For every sign of progress Orlando made, the team seemed to take another step back. The Magic never could build momentum. Orlando has not won consecutive games since Christmas. And that is no way to make a Playoff push.

The third quarter of the season saw all of Orlando’s struggles and difficulties continue. The Magic posted a league-worst 98.6 offensive rating (98.6) and the 13th-worst defense (108.2) in the league in the last 15 games. The Magic had the worst net rating in the last 15 games.

Statistically speaking, Orlando was the worst team in the NBA the last 15 games, the majority of the season’s third quarter.

These are all not good signs. And plenty of reason why the Magic needed to shake things up even if it was not just a matter of recouping an asset for Serge Ibaka with his impending free agency.

The trade deadline dominated conversation through the season’s third quarter. What the Magic had to do there was going to set the path for the rest of the season.

And so here the Magic are heading to a fourth quarter of relatively meaningless games. The only meaning they have is in the potential momentum it builds for next season and the clues to whether the Magic have something to build for next year.

This is a forward-looking set of games to close the season once again.

The Magic seem to be playing better of late going small. The Magic’s transition-based offense is showcasing the athleticism more, but there are still holes. The defense seems to be more connected, but have struggled to sustain it for 48 minutes once again.

At the beginning of the third quarter of the season about a month ago, I asked some questions the Magic needed to answer. With the third quarter to the season ending, let’s see how the Magic answered those question.