The Orlando Magic were sinking like a ship after the first week. A few wins in a row though has them floating a little bit more now.
Last week, the Orlando Magic were about as low as they could be. They were 0-3 and were nearly blown out in all three games. Things were looking bad for the new-look Magic. They did not look like they could function on either end of the floor.
That will get you pretty low in the NBA power rankings. And the way the Magic lost to the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers certainly did not provide much confidence.
Then last week happened.
The Magic scored a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards all in somewhat similar defensive fashion. They kept the game close and gutted it out with stellar defense in the fourth quarter.
At the very least, it looked like a sign that this thing could come together. Getting back to 3-3 after that terrible 0-3 start showed a lot of fight and grit.
Maybe all those good feelings got knocked down a peg as the Chicago Bulls ran the Magic out of United Center on Monday. That bad team from two weeks ago still exists in some way. So too does the good team.
The teams the Magic beat last week are not the cream of the crop at all. Philadelphia is not likely to make the Playoffs. Sacramento has more talent but is not likely to make it either. And Washington looks like a mess at the moment.
The Bulls were the first real test the Magic had since rediscovering their identity and they failed it pretty miserably.
Even before the Chicago game, it was fair for the league to have a fair amount of skepticism about this team. And that is reflected in this week’s Power Rankings Roundup, even as the Magic returned to .500.