The Orlando Magic season ended in disappointment with 29 wins. The team did not meet expectations. But there were some bright spots in 82 games to highlight.
The Orlando Magic’s 82-game slog through the 2017 season full of disappointment and frustration.
The team set the bar high, acquiring veterans and investing a lot in free agents to get the team over the hump and into the Playoffs. The Magic believed they had a winning hand. Or at least an identity.
From the first day, the Magic never hid from Playoff expectations. Coach Frank Vogel walked to midcourt during an open practice before the season and asked the fans if they were ready for the Playoffs. The hope was very real for the Magic.
It came crashing down fairly quickly. Orlando gave up 70-plus points in the paint in the season opener against the Miami Heat. Even after a strong first quarter to the season on defense, the team collapsed. They never got themselves back to .500 after evening their record at 3-3 with a three-game win streak.
It was hard to find many positive signs for the team for the long term. There were momentary successes. Like every season, the Magic provided some fun moments in individual games. While the majority of the season was spent lamenting the team’s missed expectations, every once in a while the team would provide a highlight moment and some momentary joy.
It is an 82-game season, and a lot happens in the confines of the year.
Serge Ibaka made his return to Oklahoma City and hit a game-winner in his first game back. The Magic won the season series against the Heat outright for the first time since 2009. Elfrid Payton became a triple-double machine in the second half of the season. Aaron Gordon showed flashes of superstar brilliance with a couple of 30-point games against the LA Clippers.
The season was not all bleak. And there will be a few fond memories the Magic will take with them into the offseason and into the future.
Here are our top 10 games of the 2016-17 season.
January 6, 2017
Aaron Gordon is the great hope for the Orlando Magic moving forward. He is the draft pick that seems about ready to burst out and become a star. At least, he is the Magic’s best chance at a star.
His move to small forward this year had numerous hiccups. It was an experiment the Magic should have run when they did not have the winning pressure they faced this year. The season proved Gordon is best at power forward in the long run. That is where he fits the most offensively.
There was one saving grace for Gordon, and it was shown in the 100-93 loss to the Houston Rockets in January. Gordon can be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. The job he did on MVP candidate James Harden in this game was simply astounding.
Harden ended up scoring just 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting. He had 10 assists still, but that was against six turnovers. Gordon locked Harden down, staying disciplined without reaching or drawing too many fouls. Harden shot only six free throws and missed all eight of his 3-pointers.
The Magic kept themselves in the game largely because of this defensive effort, cutting off the head of the snake for the Rockets.
This was a game that showed all of Gordon’s potential on the defensive end. And just why the Magic remained hopeful he could make a shift to the perimeter. Gordon matched his defense with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
"With the Houston Rockets in town and the challenge of guarding that monstrous offense, the Magic were going to turn to Gordon to cut the head off the snake. Coach Frank Vogel said before the game Gordon was the player he trusted with these primary defensive assignments. It is not something Gordon takes lightly. And that might be the most impressive thing from the 21-year-old Gordon. He does not care for the spotlight that comes from having these marquee assignments — the Magic literally matched him minute for minute on James Harden — he views it as a responsibility."
The Rockets pulled ahead at the end, though. Ryan Anderson got away from Orlando a few times in the third quarter, burying five 3-pointers to help Houston seize control and eventually pull away.
The silver lining was Aaron Gordon, as it seemed to be so often this season. And this was one of Gordon’s finest all-around games. The kind of game that really made you believe Gordon could do so much no matter where the Magic put him on the floor.
December 13, 2016
The Orlando Magic had one of the worst offenses in the entire league all season. From the very beginning of the year, the Magic sunk to the bottom, often ranking last or 29th in the league in offensive rating.
The times when the offense did explode, it was notable. And it was not an opportunity to waste. Especially early in the season.
Entering the Dec. 13 matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, the Magic had scored 100-plus points in just seven of the first 25 games, with just one back-to-back 100-point performance. Orlando accomplished both feats against the Hawks.
The suddenness and depth of the team’s offensive surge in this 131-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks makes it noteworthy.
Orlando shot 58.6 percent and dished out 36 assists. It was perhaps the Magic’s finest offensive performance. So many players had humongous games.
Serge Ibaka scored 29 points and Evan Fournier scored 23 points. But it was the bench contributions that made a huge difference.
Elfrid Payton finished with 26 points and 14 assists off the bench. Jodie Meeks added 20 points in one of his first games back from an offseason injury. And Jeff Green had one of his better games with 16 points.
The offense did the job even as the defense continued to act like a sieve. But the team stepped up in the end, making a pretty big mark for a team still trying to keep its head above water.
"The most memorable play for the Magic, the game-clinching one, came when the Magic turned the ball over and faced a 2-on-1 fast break. As the Hawks prepared to lay the ball in, Bismack Biyombo blocked it against the glass at the last moment while trailing the play. Orlando pushed it the other way and got Serge Ibaka a short floater. It gave the Magic a 12-point lead with about three minutes to go and put the game out of reach. It was about the only defensive highlight the Magic had."
The Magic were still figuring out if they could play both offense and defense. And the bet still was their defense would be a bigger deciding factor in their season.
This was a game where the Magic were still trying to figure out their defensive slippage. And they still believed they could change it. Until then, Orlando was trying to do its best to win in the meantime.
Orlando gutted this game out in one of the most entertaining offensive games. Albeit one that hid a major problem.
March 31, 2017
The Orlando Magic were playing better toward the end of the season, unleashing their offense more with a more wide open style. Elfrid Payton was on an individual torrid pace, racking up triple doubles seemingly every game.
The Magic were coming off a disappointing and frustrating loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder a few days earlier. Playing the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics on the road was not what the doctor ordered. It was easy to fear the worst.
But the Magic were game to fight in this one. They had control of the game for much of the first half. And Payton was the catalyst as he was for much of the last half of the season.
Payton scored 12 points and dished out 15 assists. But he likely will want one shot back.
In the last seconds, the Magic opted to go without a timeout down one point. Payton got all the way to the basket but missed his layup over Amir Johnson, allowing the Celtics to escape with an 117-116 victory.
Payton got much of the story for his missed shot and brilliant play, falling one rebound short of a triple-double.
But this was another game that showed what Aaron Gordon can become. In the highlight of the game, Gordon scaled Marcus Smart for a dunk in an incredible display of Gordon’s freakish athleticism.
Gordon finished with 32 points and 16 rebounds. Again, an example of Gordon’s burgeoning stardom if he could get consistency.
As was abundantly clear, many of the Magic’s hopes are pinned to Gordon.
"Then with that trademark athleticism, Gordon rose. Up and over Marcus Smart, a bystander in a poster that did not seem possible. Gordon can indeed leap point guards in a single bound. This was Gordon at his most confident. Zooming past everyone to the rim like he needed to get there and like no one could stop him. Stopping on a dime to pull up for a suddenly confident jumper, it hitting the net with that delightful thwack. There have been precious few of these moments where Gordon’s scoring takes over a game. It is when his athleticism seems to find its most usefulness. He would help try to lock down and contain Isaiah Thomas on one end — someone with his size should not have as much success against Thomas’ speed, but yet Gordon slowed him down plenty — and then he would have the size and speed to beat any matchup."
Gordon had more and more of these moments this season. Through the lineup changes and the failed experiments, Gordon still had a strong offensive season. A season where it was clear there was plenty for him to grow from.
This game was a sign of what Gordon can be. He was active on the glass, confident with his jumper and providing highlight-reel plays.
All that was missing was the win.
December 6, 2016
At this stage of the season, the Orlando Magic were still defensive juggernauts. They were just arriving off avenging an early season blowout to the Detroit Pistons, winning their final trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The team had established a shaky identity. Orlando kept scores low, unable to score but stopping everything else in its tracks. The Magic could rely on their defense.
That made this game — the final game in a five-game road trip — an odd outlier. For the first time in five games and the second time in 12 games, the Magic gave up 100-plus points. More surprisingly, they won and kept pace.
This with John Wall on an all-out assault, scoring 52 points. Elfrid Payton kept up his end of the bargain, scoring 25 points and dishing out nine assists off the bench.
The bench just was on a tear this game.
In addition to Payton’s 25 points, Jeff Green scored 20 off the bench, Jodie Meeks added 18 and Nikola Vucevic had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. All four players off the bench scored in double figures.
Orlando withstood the barrage from Wall for an 124-116 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The questions surrounding Payton were at their loudest at this point in the season. Vogel, hoping to add more balance to his starting lineup and inject some more offense, moved Payton to the bench in favor of D.J. Augustin.
That move did not help the defense — nor really the offense — but it felt justified considering Payton’s continued struggles on both ends. It was clear the lack of spacing with the Magic’s two bigs in the paint. Payton was not nearly as aggressive getting to the basket as he would become later in the year.
There was still a lot of feeling out and growing this team needed to do. And the Magic needed to figure out how to get the most out of Payton.
This game served a reminder of exactly what Payton could do when he was playing at his best.
"Payton proved in just a half’s work exactly what makes him a special player for the Orlando Magic. Still a player who makes the Magic better when he is playing at a high level. One that can take the Magic’s to a higher level when his offense is working because of his playmaking ability. His career high quickly fell in the second half as Payton finished the game with 25 points, leading the Magic to a 124-116 win over the Washington Wizards. Payton shot 9 for 12 from the floor, making all three of his 3-pointers and all four of his free throws. Payton was about as perfect offensively as he could be."
Payton’s play remained inconsistent until the Magic traded Serge Ibaka and downsized their offense, spreading the floor more for Payton to attack quickly off the dribble and get to the basket.
The defense never returned after this game. This win proved to be the last moment of true hope for the team. Orlando scored and won a nice road game to end the road trip. But their defense was never the same, giving up 100-plus points in the next nine games and 21 of the next 22 games.
The defense was never the same again.
December 14, 2016
Even into mid-December, the Aaron Gordon experiment at small forward was still uncertain either way. Yes, the Orlando Magic’s defense was killer, running roughshod through the league. It looked like that part of the plan was working perfectly. There was no reason to believe that part would not work.
The offense? The offense was a struggle. And Gordon seemed to be struggling a lot too. Heading into the Dec. 14 game against the LA Clippers, Gordon was averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 41.5 percent from the floor. The offense was not agreeing with Gordon at small forward. The questions about where he fit only grew.
Then Dec. 14 happened. Gordon looked like a different player.
Going up against the smaller Austin Rivers, or sometimes even J.J. Redick, Gordon dominated. He scored 33 points on 13-for-21 shooting, making four of his eight 3-pointers. He added seven rebounds for good measure.
This was Gordon’s coming out party offensively. A game that made it seem like he could do anything with the ball in his hands and that the experiment could indeed work.
The matchup advantage was clearly the reason why Gordon had this breakthrough game. He had a similarly strong performance — 28 points on 11-for-17 shooting — in the game in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Gordon clearly had a learning curve when it came to playing the small forward position. Often times he would try to do too much, believing he needed to play like a Paul George rather than doing what he does best.
Gordon’s overall shooting and scoring were better this year. But it came largely when he kept things simple. When he attacked quickly and confidently, he was deadly. When he dribbled around aimlessly or seemed to be probing, this is when he got himself in trouble.
Gordon needed to attack quickly and simply to experience games like this.
"Gordon became the go-to guy. He became the reliable offensive option and the defensive stopper. This is what Gordon can be at his very best. This is who the Magic drafted when they looked at this young player full of potential. This two-way player capable of burning a team on either end with his agility and speed, creating mismatches in his favor on both ends against anybody. The process has been slow, but Gordon is beginning to realize who he can be. Incrementally, Gordon is finding his fit in the NBA and shining with the Magic."
Of course, the Magic did not come out on top. Austin Rivers scored 25 points, hitting clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as he escaped the defense. And the Clippers were able to pull away for the win.
It was another frustrating glimpse at how good Gordon could be, how the Magic were misusing him and how the team simply could not get over the hump and get wins.
For one night, everyone believed Gordon could indeed become a star.
March 29, 2017
Russell Westbrook has gone on a tear through the NBA this entire season. It is more than him simply averaging a triple double, becoming only the second player in league history to accomplish that feat (at least since they began tracking assists, blocks and the like). Westbrook was a tour de force.
In the game before the Oklahoma City Thunder traveled to Orlando, Westbrook singlehandedly erased an 11-point deficit to get the Thunder a road win. He had that ability to take over a game and get a win by sheer force of will.
This is what the Magic were playing when the Thunder rolled to town.
Victor Oladipo‘s return might have been a big deal earlier in the season, but this game was all about Westbrok. The crowd was alive and enraptured with every movement Westbrook made.
The final result? It was not kind to the Magic. They blew a 21-point lead and Westbrook was the reason why. Westbrook scored 57 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out 11 assists. It was the most points ever scored in a triple double.
And the whole thing was capped off with Westbrook forcing overtime on a 30-foot 3-pointer over two defenders. The Thunder, predictably, won in overtime 114-106.
This game was all about Russell Westbrook in every way. A truly historic performance. And a sign of the kind of dominance the Magic lacked.
Orlando never had the player who could imprint his will on a game. Even Aaron Gordon at his very best could not will a team to victory. Few can do it like Westbrook, but the Magic needed that one last play and could not fin dit.
With a three-point lead, Nikola Vucevic missed a free throw that set up Westbrook’s game-tying shot. Vucevic was kicking himself after the game.
"With 13.7 seconds to play, Vucevic went to the line to put the game away and give the Magic a four-point lead. The reliable free-throw-shooting Vucevic stepped up and nailed the first one as expected. But the second one fell off no good. Russell Westbrook, flamethrower among men, raced to the other end of the court and with Elfrid Payton and Terrence Ross surrounding him pulled up from 31 feet and drained a 3-pointer. It was a tie game. The good will from the Magic building a 21-point lead was gone in that instant. The momentum — and the Amway Center crowd — were cheering for the presumptive MVP. A team still looking for ways to win games and trying to learn how to win had another ‘L’ on their ledger."
The crazy thing about this game was the Magic played incredibly well until the second half of the fourth quarter when the Thunder took over.
Orlando built a 21-point lead thanks to some stellar passing and shooting. The Magic were in complete control. But the offense halted in the fourth quarter. The team force fed Vucevic even as he struggled, shooting 3 for 14 for the game.
The Magic still had the lead and a chance to win in the dying seconds. One they (seemingly predictably) let slip away.
December 23, 2016
The Orlando Magic’s defense was slipping. Everyone could see it happening. The team’s promising start on that end was beginning to collapse and the Magic needed to take a stand.
That stand began in the huddle before the team went onto the floor for the game.
Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, the leaders of the Magic’s supposed defensive renaissance, stepped up to that bill. They told their teammates to take care of their business and play physical. If anything came their way, they would clean up the mistakes.
It was a bold statement of leadership — one the Magic would need more often, it would seem. And both Ibaka and Biyombo delivered in a major way.
The two combined for eight of the Magic’s 11 blocks as the team set a franchise record with nine blocks in the first quarter. Orlando set the tone from the first play in an 109-90 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
"As the Magic huddled up after pregame introductions, Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo told their guards to get up in their man and play physical. The two bigs the Magic acquired this summer to shore up their rim protection would handle everything at the rim. From the first play, that proved to be true. Ibaka came from the weak side and blocked a Timofey Mozgov shot at the apex of its arc. On the next possession, Ibaka stuffed Mozgov and on a drive to the basket, just before he could go up for a dunk."
This was the menacing defense the Magic imagined when they acquired Ibaka and opted to pair Biyombo with him. The two dominated the Lakers’ interior from the start and helped spot the Magic a sizable lead. From there, the Magic simply took care of business.
Orlando followed this game up with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies, blowing them out through three quarters and resting their starters for the fourth.
That would be the last time the Magic won consecutive games until March.
December 20, 2016
The Miami Heat have haunted the Orlando Magic for much of the last five years. It was not merely LeBron James, although that had a lot to do with it, it was the whole sense that the Heat were winning while the Magic were struggling. Orlando was not going anywhere until the team could overcome its rivals.
Every win — and there were precious few of them — seemed to carry a lot of emotional significance for players on the Magic. Even with the roster changing, these games seemed to have a much larger importance.
After losing that opening game to the Heat, the Magic seemed to right the ship while the Heat struggled. But the records did not matter in this game. Miami had control over the game and every chance to win it.
Then they did what the Magic have done so often. They gave the game away at the free-throw line and left the door open. Somehow Orlando came through.
Evan Fournier missed a jumper on the baseline with the team trailing by two points and Serge Ibaka caught the rebound, spun around and somehow hit a shot to send the game to overtime. The Magic overcame a small deficit in overtime to force a second.
And then the Magic won 136-130 on the road to even the series for the year.
This performance is exactly the kind of performance the Magic knew they would need to take the next step as a franchise and as a team. The kind of step the team needs to take to become a winner.
In December, it felt like it would become a lesson. Even without their best play, the Magic could find a way to win — whether it was digging down and defending or having to outscore their opponent.
Miami left the door open and Orlando took advantage.
"After the Magic somehow won a 136-130 double-overtime game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday, FOX Sports Florida’s Dante Marchitelli asked Elfrid Payton if he was surprised by the team’s toughness late in the game. Elfrid Payton flatly responded he was not surprised. He knew this team had it in them to dig in and get this win. They had done it before. The opponents may not have been impressive, but the Magic trailed in wins over the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets, needing fourth-quarter rallies to secure wins. That experience counted for something. It was evidence the team had that extra gear and drive to win in them. It was something the team had generally lost."
These were all just flashes in the long run.
But the Magic proved to be a thorn in the Heat’s side. Orlando won the season series against Miami for the first time since 2009, winning the return engagement at home and Ibaka’s last game with the Magic in Miami.
It had emotional weight for the team, for sure. But it ultimately meant more to Miami and that team’s Playoff push than Orlando’s Playoff push. The lesson of gutting out a game did not take and the Magic continued their inconsistent December into the basement.
November 13, 2016
Before everyone began to understand the weight of the season Russell Westbrook was about to have, the main storyline as the Orlando Magic arrived in Oklahoma City was Serge Ibaka’s return to play his former team.
There was no ill will from any party like the other contentious departure from the Thunder, but it was still a statement game for Ibaka and for the Magic.
Neither side disappointed.
Ibaka scored 31 points on 13-for-19 shooting, including the baseline jumper that proved to be the game-winner for the Magic, in an emotional 119-117 win.
Ibaka rightfully took most of the headlines in this game. But this was also quietly one of Elfrid Payton’s better games from earlier in the season.
Payton finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. He nearly got his own triple-double (Westbrook got 41-12-16 for the record).
His shooting and scoring numbers were wildly inconsistent throughout the year. But in this game, Payton made all the big shots his team needed. He finished 10 for 19 from the floor with three 3-point makes. He made a lot of the plays that ended up setting up Ibaka’s game-winning heroics.
"When the Thunder did those things in the fourth quarter Sunday, Payton made them pay. He got free on the right corner and hit a 3-pointer. The following possession he hit one from the left corner. The two shots helped stave off Oklahoma City’s rally and give the Magic a one-point lead on each occasion. His confidence was growing."
This was a game where everything clicked for Orlando to get a good win. It seemed like the start of something very good for the Magic.
The victory was cathartic for so many reasons. Orlando felt like it had a meaningful win for a teammate.
November 29, 2016
The San Antonio Spurs carry weight. A ton of weight. Wins over the Spurs still have a lot of meaning. Especially in San Antonio at the AT&T Center.
The Magic were starting a five-game road trip in San Antonio — the annual December road trip. This was going to be the time when we find out who this Magic team would be. This is the usual proving ground road trip.
Starting off with a win in San Antonio would bode very well for the team.
Not only did the Magic start off well, but they dominated the Spurs on their home floor. If there was a reason to begin believing in this Magic team in early December, this was the win to point to.
Orlando had complete defensive control and won running away 95-83 (notice the trademark low score).
This was the game that seemed to announce the Magic’s arrival as a legitimate Playoff contender. The team’s defense was already playing at a high level. They just needed a little bit of offense to make good on the defense.
And it really was not much. This was a game where the Magic got the offense going and delivered for a win. It was a rare occasion at this point of the season.
"The Magic needed the simplest thing in the world to happen — to make shots. Maybe more complexly to get into an offensive rhythm and put teams on their heels. Make them desperate to score and crack a defense that can throw rim protectors and length at them repeatedly. Consistency is still some ways away. But the Magic showed they can beat anybody when they get their offense rolling. At long last, they did."
While at the time, it seemed like the Magic were turning a corner, it proved it did not. Just like so many other momentary signs the team was playing well, this too dissipated.
The Magic won four of the five games on this five-game road trip. But it was Orlando’s last ride. The season seemingly quickly collapsed as the Magic got home from that road trip. The defense slipped and the offense never came around.
Still, there are these memories. These flashes where the team played well.
And the Magic did not play any better than this day in San Antonio.
Next: 2017 Orlando Magic Season Review: A season of miscalculations
What were your favorite games from the 2017 season? Send us your favorite games by commenting in the comment section below or by tweeting at us @OMagicDaily.