Rob Hennigan to Orlando Sentinel: Expectation is to make Playoffs

Rob Hennigan has made the Orlando Magic’s goals this season very clear, if it was not obvious. Success this year for the Magic is measured by the Playoffs.

Rob Hennigan may be voicing what everyone knew anyway.

Here it is though in print.

The Orlando Magic do not have a win total in mind — Scott Skiles last year often talked about securing a winning record as a goal, but that was when 39 wins would get a team in the Playoffs (it turned out it would take 44 wins to make the postseason). The Orlando Magic have only one goal to achieve.

As Magic general manager Rob Hennigan told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, the Playoffs are the only goal and the measure for success this season:

"Orlando Sentinel: What’s a realistic expectation in terms of wins and losses?Rob Hennigan: I think first and foremost our expectation is that we’ll cement an identity for ourselves as a smart, physical, unselfish, defensive-minded team. And we expect to make the playoffs.OS: You’re reluctant to predict a win total?RH: Yes. I prefer not to do that just because I’m not sure how relevant that is. What’s important is getting into the playoffs."

That is certainly what fans and the team want to hear and what they want to be saying entering this season. The Magic have gone four years without a Playoff berth. There is certainly pressure to make sure that does not become a fifth, and therefore the longest Playoff drought in franchise history.

Things have changed for the Magic for sure. Robbins asked Hennigan about a range of issues including how the Magic will adjust to Frank Vogel and the new roster.

As Hennigan said, a big thing for the Magic this year was to gain an identity and to increase competition throughout the roster. Hennigan said for the first time in the rebuild, the Magic should have competition for minutes throughout the roster.

No one though is under the impression that Jeff Green can overtake Aaron Gordon or D.J. Augustin can overtake Elfrid Payton unless something goes horribly wrong. At least, not at this point.

The Magic though do field their deepest team since Rob Hennigan took over as general manager.

Hennigan also cited a big change with Frank Vogel as the atmosphere he has brought, bringing a much more constructive and positive environment to the team. That was certainly not Scott Skiles’ reputation around the league.

The Magic have big ambitions for the upcoming season. And they have to with the investments they have made and changes to the roster they have made.

While the Magic have their Playoff goals, the rest of the nation is sitting and waiting to see what the Magic can do before buying in.

Westgate Casino’s sportsbook in Las Vegas put the Magic’s over/under at 36.5 wins. That surely will not be enough to make the Playoffs in a packed Eastern Conference.

In Marc Stein of ESPN.com’s Training Camp Power Rankings, he puts the Magic at No. 23, two spots down from the end of the season believe it or not:

"Our own Zach Lowe recently tried to make sense of Orlando’s overload of big men and the new arrival — Frank Vogel — who has to sort it all out. ‎It’s really no clearer, two months since Zach’s deep dive, if the Magic can bring a halt to their four-season playoff drought, but we know this much: Vogel’s plan to use Aaron Gordon “like Paul George” at small forward makes it a story worth tracking."

That leaves the Magic with a big uphill climb.

Of course, Orlando is not starting at 13th in the Eastern Conference. They like, everyone else, is starting at 0-0. So all the opportunity is there.

Orlando will focus on itself and get to work to start training camp in what should be an intriguing and interesting season for the Magic this season.

Next: Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Nikola Vucevic

The expectations and goals though are very clear. Make the Playoffs in 2017.