Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Meeting first quarter expectations

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Evan Fournier, Bismack Biyombo, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards

Dec 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) and center Bismack Biyombo (11) react after a basket during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Orlando Magic defeated Washington Wizards 124-116. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

The Orlando Magic have completed the first big road trip of the season and the first quarter. Things are looking up. But plenty of questions remain.

The Orlando Magic’s season has passed its first milestone. The team has finished the first quarter of the season and finished its first long road trip.

Getting through that at 4-1 and sitting just past the 20-game mark at fourth in the league in defensive rating. Orlando has not only won some impressive victories but have formed a consistent and strong identity. For the first time in five years, the Magic are good at something compared to other teams in the league.

Orlando has plenty of questions. The team is still 10-12 and outside the Playoff race — still a game and a half out of the final Playoff spot, and it is still too early to do any standings watching. The important thing is the Magic are not out of the race at all. And they can still develop and improve in the course of the rest of the season.

Despite the positive outlook toward the rest of the season, there are still problems bubbling under the surface. Questions that still need answering. Particularly on the offensive end.

And much of the Magic’s preseason questions are still left unanswered. The offense is still a huge question mark. No true star has emerged for the team. Aaron Gordon is still stuck in neutral at small forward.

Frank Vogel has already had to shuffle the lineup a few times to find balance in this somewhat mismatched roster. Orlando still has a lot to work on as this season begins its second quarter.

There is a bit more confidence about the Magic’s future at this point than there was two weeks ago. But as the Magic showed in the last month, they are capable of playing superb defense and playing as one of the top teams in the league and are capable of looking hapless and getting blown out. They have often looked like both within the span of a week.

That is where the Magic are at this point of the season. Optimistic, growing, but still facing some questions.

The Orlando Magic Daily staff got together to discuss the season’s first quarter.