The Orlando Magic have five games left to make the most of their 2015 season. There is still a lot to accomplish even with the year coming to an end.
Well, we have almost made it.
There are only five games left in the season starting with Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. The 77 games seem to have both been interminable and have flown by.
The end of the season can be bittersweet in that way. But there has definitely been a sense that this season needs to end. The Magic have been out of the Playoffs for some time now and have not had much ability to move up or down the draft order. If there was a team playing out the string among the bottom of the NBA, the Magic might very well be that team.
Of course, the Magic are in a long-term rebuild and every game counts. Simply playing out the string only serves to re-enforce bad habits and waste opportunities to get better. Or, at least, that is what the players and team will tell you. This team is young enough that it still has habits to build.
So the Magic are playing for something just a little bit more in these final five games.
Rob Hennigan has long talked about building a culture and nothing creates a losing culture more than packing in games. These are still young, impressionable minds. And with virtually nothing to play for, there is no harm in going hard after any of these five games and trying to ruin seasons.
This is the most of what this five games will be about. What are the Magic’s specific goals as the season comes to a close?
Here is what we would like to see:
Next: Positive momentum into the summer
1. Build positive momentum for the summer
This has been something everyone all over the roster has said for the last month it seems. The season has not gone how the team would like, but they recognize an important summer lies ahead of them and they need to have a good feeling heading into the work that is to come.
It has been a lot of talk without a lot of action of late as the Magic lost 11 of 12 games. Then the Magic toppled the Timberwolves and Bucks on the road this past weekend and the confidence seems to be oozing off the team.
Only one team the rest of the way is not in Playoff contention, so the Magic will have their work cut out for them to get some more wins and salvage that kind of good feeling. Process is not going to be enough to build some momentum. The Magic have to see some results and gain belief that they are headed on the right track.
Tangible results are somewhat meaningful.
The Magic are not on a hot streak like they were in 2006 when they nearly snuck into the Playoffs before their breakthrough in 2007. But it would be hard to argue that particular Magic team did not gain confidence that they could compete on a night-in, night-out basis from that torrid stretch.
Again, this year’s squad is not going to sniff the Playoffs like that team. But a nice stretch to end the season would make everyone feel good going into the long offseason. This organization needs something to feel good about after limping into the offseason the last two Aprils.
And the Magic are ready to turn the corner. There is a hunger to do so. Why not start now? Wins, unlike the last few years, cannot hurt the team. Might as well go out and get them.
Next: Get Aaron Gordon some playing time
2. Get Aaron Gordon some playing time
Aaron Gordon has had a rough season.
He was just getting into a rhythm when his season was derailed by a foot injury. He said resting it was the right idea, but there is no doubt that it has taken him a long, long time to get back into rhythm. It was only a few weeks ago that he said he felt completely healthy.
So the youngest rookie in the NBA is behind the 8-ball, just getting into the rhythm of the season in early April and the season is about to run out on him.
There seems no sense in holding Gordon back now. And Gordon is earning his minutes and earning his opportunity for crunch time minutes.
Right now, it is very hard to quantify exactly how Gordon is playing. His impact is largely on the defensive end. There are still hiccups going on there — he was good against Andrew Wiggins, but tended to foul him a lot too — but his performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo was absolutely solid, showing the potential he has.
It is time for Gordon to get his chance. And get him hungry for a summer of hard work on his offensive game so he can be a bigger contributor next season.
Next: Who is Moe Harkless and Andrew Nicholson?
3. Who is Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson?
Like Aaron Gordon, the Magic are still figuring out what they have in several young players.
This summer and next season are absolutely critical for Harkless and Nicholson’s careers. They are due to become restricted free agents at the end of next season and the payday can be a powerful motivator throughout the summer.
This season has not gone as planned for either of them. Nicholson has come on lately, but hardly enough to guarantee a spot in the rotation for the start of next season. Harkless still has not been able to find a role or consistent minutes.
This would be the time to give him some time to play and continue evaluating him. Both could use this time for evaluation so the Magic can begin fitting them into their future plans . . . or use this as a shiny object to show potential trade partners.
Every minute they are on the floor is valuable for information gathering for everyone. And the Magic lose nothing by showing them off at this point. They lose everything if they keep them hidden.
Harkless especially has to gain some confidence for the summer and feel like he has a place on this roster. Or at least a sense of what he has to work on to find his fit with this roster.
It feels like we have asked this question all season. Now, it seems like an expedient time to definitively understand these two young prospects.
Next: Tobias Harris' showcase
4. Tobias Harris‘ showcase
Well, Tobias Harris, this is your last chance to make your money.
The Orlando Magic have a big decision to make regarding Tobias Harris this summer and Harris has to continue making as much money as he can for his own personal gain. While the market seems to be getting a little clearer, Harris’ role with the Magic has not.
It looks like Harris makes the most sense as the odd man out in the Magic’s rebuild. Although, I think the Magic would be foolish not to offer him the qualifying offer and at least have the chance to match an offer sheet.
Harris has been nothing but a professional this season. He has worked hard and played his hardest. His scoring numbers are up, which is what he is good at. He has made slight improvements elsewhere.
Of anyone, Harris has the most reason to play hard through the finish. It shows his willingness to work hard and his willingness to be a team player and professional. That is the message he has to send the rest of the way for his own career gains.
And doing that is ultimately good for the Magic too. Harris is still a talented player and not someone to just brush aside. He still has a chance to be part of this team’s core. But he has to prove that as much as anyone.
And he has bank to make too.
Next: Make fans believe
5. Make fans believe
It has been a rough season for the team in every way imaginable. More than anything else, it has been a rough year for the fans.
The Magic are in a long rebuild, but the expectation was that there would be general improvement. Clear improvement at that.
This has been hard to see. Especially at home.
There have been several home disappointments and few memories — no game-winning dunks or monumental victories over Playoff-bound teams. The Heat and Bulls losses stand out as a stark sign of how slow the team’s progress has been.
The next three home games are a chance to give fans a reason to buy in. The Magic are doing that by playing hard anyway but some wins in these last three games would be nice for selling tickets. Especially a win Saturday night against the Knicks would send the team out of the Amway Center on a high note.
Highlights for the hype video over the summer and next season.
It has been a disappointing season. There is no way around it. Some positive memories for fans to hold on to would be a great thing for building positive thoughts in the fan base for a critical 2016 season.
Next: Orlando Magic pulling together for final stretch of season