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Orlando Magic Season Review 2016

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Feb 10, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) is congratulated by Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) after making a three pointer as time expires during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) is congratulated by Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) after making a three pointer as time expires during the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic
Apr 6, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) looks to pass during the second half of a basketball game against the Detroit Pistons at Amway Center. The Pistons won 108-104. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Improvement and Frustration

At the end of the day, when looking back at the 2016 season there is one frustration that continually popped up — and perhaps a positive the team is holding onto as a sign of better days.

This young team just could not close a game to save their lives.

The Magic had 23 games with a final scoring margin within five points, one of the tops in the league, and won just eight of those games. There was a stretch in January where the Magic lost three of five games in overtime. Orlando rarely got blown out, but the team also looked shaky and tight in many close games despite Nikola Vucevic’s occasional heroics.

As Sean Guest wrote, the Magic’s close losses, as they continued to pile up, were missed opportunities to add to their record and gain confidence to stay in the Playoff race:

"The Magic put themselves in these opportunities to win games more this year than they had in the past. Orlando can look back at the season and point to themselves and those squandered chances. Undoubtedly though, the close losses are seen with a tinge of regret. The tightness and frustration the team felt late in those games a feeling they do not want to repeat next year."

Looking past that though, the Magic still should look back at their season and believe they played well and accomplished something. It may not have been everything they wanted to accomplish but it was something.

Orlando went from 25 wins to 35 wins and saw improvements both in offensive rating and defensive rating — both the raw number and NBA rank. The team did something it has done very rarely in its franchise history. A 10-win improvement is a big step froward.

"If this is to remain a slow rebuild — ignoring any statements of Playoff goals or anything else — then 2016 represented the biggest step forward yet. This was no incremental improvement, this was a step forward in a meaningful way. The Magic went from 25 wins to 35 wins, defying the Vegas “experts” and preseason predictions. They had a 10-win season-over-season improvement for just the fifth time (I am counting the Magic’s improvement during the lockout-shortened 1999 season) in the their 27-year franchise history."

That improvement means something. Even if it is virtually meaningless or small.

Next: The power forward situation