Pride Comes Before the Fall: It’s Time to admit the Orlando Magic are bad

The Orlando Magic are struggling mightily under the pressure of this season. It is time to admit this is a bad team and they need to prepare for the future.

18-29.

That is where the Orlando Magic stand now. To be completely honest, the Magic are lucky to have accumulated a record this good with the way they have played this season. Basketball-Reference’s Pythagorean Wins metric has the Magic with a 16-31 record.

For the Magic, an offseason of hope and change has quickly turned into a living nightmare. Now 47 games into the season the message is clear, the Magic are a bad basketball team.

Not only are the Magic bad, but they are one of the worst teams in the NBA — they are 27th in net rating. It is now time for fans and the front office to accept this fact in an effort to once again build toward the future.

The Magic ran a nice streak of luck throughout the season in terms of playing teams when they were very injured or missing a star. In fact, nearly a quarter of Orlando’s wins have come against those teams.

Even more damning is the fact the Magic have only defeated six teams with a record better than .500. The Magic actually own the third worst point differential in the NBA, only the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are worse.

The picture is clear, the Magic are an extremely bad basketball team.

But even though this picture is being broadcast in 4k, it does not seem to be resonating with Orlando’s front office or Frank Vogel. They continue to hang onto Playoff aspirations and ambitions. They are not even trying anything different.

Recently, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported the Magic offered Nikola Vucevic and a first round pick (which we do not know the protections on) for Goran Dragic. This type of move indicates the Magic believe a small shake up can turn this team from a flaming dumpster fire into a mediocre squad capable of fighting for the eight seed.

Indeed, general manager Rob Hennigan told ESPN Orlando’s Scott Anez he believed the team was still a tweak or two away from competing for the Playoffs.

There are multiple issues with this kind of thinking. But, first and foremost, the Magic are not just bad. They are extremely bad.

Adding a player like Dragic does not transform this team into a playoff contender. Dragic does not transform this defense, he might even somehow make it worse.

The offense might get a boost but at what cost? The development of Elfrid Payton? A decrease of Serge Ibaka‘s role? It just does not make any sense. It is a desperation move to win now and save dwindling hopes without thinking beyond April.

Additionally, the Magic seem to be willing to mortgage their future in an effort to sell tickets to an eventual Game Three and Four of the Playoffs where they lose by 20 points per game to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fans feel empty walking away from Amway Center, but hey at least the Magic pocketed the playoff revenue right?

In fairness to Hennigan, he said in several interviews this week that he would not pursue deals that would damage the team’s future. Hennigan said he believes the team’s future is more important than his own. When this Dragic-Vucevic offer was made was not reported. Team needs change — as does the motivation for leaking such deals.

That may not be particularly soothing to a fan base both ready to win now and fearful of the steps the team might take to get there sooner rather than later.

There is not an issue with trading Nikola Vucevic. In fact, it is something the team should seriously consider, especially with some teams who desperately need a big man capable of rebounding or adequate defense at the rim. It is the return that matters.

The Magic need to be looking to add to their young core. Get back to the roots of the rebuild and begin a sort of soft reset.

The Magic still have Evan Fournier, Mario Hezonja, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon and Bismack Biyombo. All guys who are young and have a lot of room to improve. Four of which were involved in a superior season only a year ago.

The next step for the Orlando Magic should be to re-invest in that youth. All the moves they make the rest of this deadline will have that eye on the future.

That likely means the Magic should look to move their best player in Serge Ibaka. He is not likely to resign with the team struggling.

If the Magic lose Ibaka in the offseason for nothing, it will be one of the biggest defeats in franchise history. The Oklahoma City Thunder currently have Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant as a result of the Ibaka trade. The Magic need to attempt to recoup some of that value.

This shift with Ibaka means a bigger focus on Aaron Gordon.

The Magic in an effort to win now moved Aaron Gordon to small forward. That experiment needs to end as soon as Serge Ibaka is traded. This “development opportunity” will have run its course.

Yes, Gordon has done a great job defending the other teams best perimeter player. But offensively Gordon looks lost, either standing in the corner or dribbling aimlessly into an awful shot. If Gordon’s jumper is not falling he is basically invisible as a small forward on offense.

Now whether or not if Ibaka is traded or if Gordon is moved to the power forward, there is something Vogel must do: Admit Jeff Green does not give his team a better chance to win now or in the future than Mario Hezonja.

Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls was about as puzzling a night as a coach could give.

Jeff Green started at shooting guard because he matched up better with Dwyane Wade. The game before that? C.J. Watson matched up better with Klay Thompson. Both players are veterans and might be more stable defensively. But if the Playoffs are out of reach, continuing to play either makes no sense.

While the Playoffs are still technically a possibility, they are growing increasingly slim. And the potential for sticking with these veterans makes less and less sense.

It only gets doubled down because Jeff Green is a mistake-prone player himself. But he has had nine years of NBA experience to learn. Hezonja has had about a year and half of sparse playing time.

Green often looks lethargic, and is not always consistent with his defensive consistency. Green even admitted he was part of the defensive problems against the Chicago Bulls.

Really, what it all comes down to is this: The Magic as an organization from the top need to accept the simple fact this team is not making the Playoff push. The Magic are really bad.

It is time for the Magic to recalculate their current course and begin a soft reset on the rebuild.

Flip some assets in an attempt to build for the future. Invest more playing time and greater roles into the younger group of players.

Next: Orlando Magic should embrace small ball

It is time for the Magic to swallow their pride before it dooms the franchise into the Eastern Conference Sacramento Kings.