Orlando Magic need to learn the power of effort

The Orlando Magic lost the chance to build momentum and once again suffered a devastating loss, raising questions of effort all over again.

The Orlando Magic had talked about building momentum and keeping things moving toward the end of the season. They closed the game out expertly to defeat the Chicago Bulls. It seemed like the team was ready to turn the corner.

They just had to do it consecutively. Orlando should have been desperate for a win streak.

So much for the Magic building momentum. The Magic suffered the third-worst loss in franchise history, losing to the Charlotte Hornets 121-81 at the Spectrum Center on Friday.

Once again, the Magic were left puzzled and disappointed. Disappointed especially because of the seeming lack of effort. Orlando suffered its ninth loss by 25 points or more and its sixth loss by 30 points or more. This was only the first since the NBA Trade Deadline and the changes to the Magic’s roster and style.

But the blowouts are commonplace. And even this “improved” team is susceptible to this Magic team’s greatest weakness and flaw.

It has the propensity to play without effort and get embarrassed.

It really should not be this way.

This is still a young team, after all. They should be playing with plenty of energy. They were coming off of a win and playing confidently. Orlando seemed poised to return to, at least, a .500 team. The Magic have everything to prove to end the season. There is no reason for a letdown.

Instead, the Magic came out flat. They recovered, but only for a brief moment. And then the bottom fell out after halftime.

The Magic came out for the second half like they were resigned to losing. Charlotte ripped off a 63-41 second half, shooting 63.2 percent and making just four of seven 3-pointers. The Hornets had a gaudy 145.6 offensive rating in the second half.

Orlando did not just play poorly, the team provided no resistance at all.

Orlando Magic

The Magic have talent. But talent is not enough. It takes heart and desire. Sometimes it comes down to who wants it more.

The Magic as a team were lethargic the entire game Friday. They did not look like the re-energized fast-breaking team of the past two weeks. It was like no one wanted to be there. There was no energy.

Coach Frank Vogel lamented after the game the lack of competitive spirit, as he often terms it. This game was more than the Hornets’ red-hot shooting and the Magic’s poor shooting. It was about the Magic finding a way to fight back through all of that.

"“They were red-hot and we were ice-cold, and sometimes the game goes that way,” Vogel told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. “But you’ve got to show some competitive spirit when you get down, to respond to runs, and we didn’t have any of that tonight. It’s been a problem with this team, and I was disappointed in that part.”"

The margin of victory raises further concerns because this is the fourth loss of over 30 points this season. They got down big in the first quarter and basically gave up. They showed no competitive spirit.

This is something to keep an eye on because the concern with a rebuild is whether the players begin to accept losing. The Magic want to build a winning culture to avoid apathy setting in as much as they want to build hope.

This was a bad loss. It was just one loss. As long as they learned from it and do not repeat the same mistakes, then it was a net positive.

But the timing could be worse with the Cleveland Cavaliers coming up next on the schedule. They could play well and still get blown out.

Their mental strength will be tested in the next few days. It is okay to make mistakes just do not repeat them.

The unfortunate part for the Magic is that these problems have persisted throughout the season. They seem to go much deeper than initially anticipated.

Next: Grades: Charlotte Hornets 121, Orlando Magic 81

The Magic have to make sure this is the last time they see such a lifeless effort as the one they saw Wednesday.