Orlando Magic Daily
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Orlando Magic Daily Podcast Episode 60: The sky is not falling with Keith Smith of RealGM

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Nov 16, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) celebrates after scoring against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Amway Center. The Magic won 89-82. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) celebrates after scoring against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Amway Center. The Magic won 89-82. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Orlando Magic’s early season has been full of frustration and maybe a dash of hope. The team has been uneven and we discuss what happens next.

The Orlando Magic have somewhat stumbled into a 5-7 start to the season. “Stumbled” might be strong. The team is 5-7, after all, and statistics suggest they should be worse.

That is about where everyone suspected the Magic would be at this point in the season. They say you cannot make the Playoffs in the first month of the season, but you can certainly miss them in the first month.

They say you cannot make the Playoffs in the first month of the season, but you can certainly miss them in the first month.

The way they have gotten to 5-7 though has led to some concern. Plenty of concern. It has everyone racing forward to think about the future in this all-important season.

There remain plenty of signs for concern with this Magic team. The team has struggled mightily on the offensive end. And, until this week, the defense was far from elite — it was, in fact, one of the worst in the league.

The early returns on all the changes the Magic made are that the pieces do not fit well together. There is still some growing to do, but something still feels a bit off. Those issues might get addressed later in the year.

For now, the Magic have to make due with what they have got. And what they have got has proven good enough in some respects and really bad in others.

Figuring out this roster remains a difficult task to undertake.

But undertake it we did. With the season now underway and some things becoming a little clearer with this Magic team, we sat down with Keith Smith of RealGM and FanRag Sports to discuss the early season and where the Magic may go from here in the latest episode of the Orlando Magic Daily Podcast.

On This Episode

  • Do the Orlando Magic’s wins mean anything even if they are not winning convincingly?
  • What other lineup options are there for the Orlando Magic? Was the Jeff Green decision the correct one?
  • What is wrong with Mario Hezonja and why is he out of the rotation?
  • How do the Orlando Magic get Nikola Vucevic more involved and bump up his offense?
  • How do the Orlando Magic find shooters? How do they fine-tune their rotation?
  • Opportunity and tests coming up in the schedule
  • What might the Orlando Magic’s trade deadline strategy be?
  • Do the Orlando Magic push all in for the Playoffs in the trade market, or do they settle in the middle again?
  • What does the Orlando Magic’s free-agent situation look like?
  • Are the Orlando Magic still on track for the Playoffs?

Next: Shooting the key to ending Magic's offensive woes

Be sure to follow Keith Smith on Twitter @KeithSmithNBA and check out his work at RealGM and FanRag Sports.

Be sure also to follow Locked On Magic on Twitter and like our page on Facebook. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, AudioBoom, Sticher and TuneIn.