The Orlando Magic traded away future assets for the opportunity to win now. Money was spent on free agents and a new coaching staff, but the playoffs are no guarantee.
Ask an Orlando Magic fan if they think the team is ready to make the leap from annual lottery team to playoff-bound team and the answer will likely be a confident yes.
Can you blame them?
The Magic did everything they should have done this offseason to give the fan base immediate results.
It all started by hiring a well-respected and winning head coach in Frank Vogel. The Magic later traded for a fringe All Star in Serge Ibaka. They lured a talented, young center in Bismack Biyombo away from a perennial playoff contender in the Toronto Raptors. They targeted key veterans to build leadership on and off the court and re-signed key players to lead the next era of Magic basketball.
Oh, and one of their young players got valuable Olympic basketball experience under his belt.
Sounds like a winning formula, right?
There are no guarantees though. The Magic might very well have done all that, made the right moves and still miss the Playoffs. There are some serious questions still to ask.
Here are a few obstacles the Magic could face that could prevent a post season berth.
Next: Team Chemistry