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Orlando Magic Top 25: The Nos. 18-23 teams in Orlando Magic history

By Philip Rossman-Reich

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 6: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket during a game against the Washington Wizards on December 6, 2016 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 6: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket during a game against the Washington Wizards on December 6, 2016 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Bismack Biyombo, Orlando magic, LA Clippers
The Orlando Magic’s Bismack Biyombo (11) tries to get the ball from the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin, right, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /

23. 2016-17 (29-53)

High/Low: 22/27

By Philip Rossman-Reich (@philiprr_omd)

Perhaps the lasting image of the 2017 season the Orlando Magic just completed was the empty promise left at mid court during a preseason open practice. Coach Frank Vogel had every right to be confident and believe his team was a Playoff team. The Magic had put their money down to add talent to the starting lineup and try to build a defensive juggernaut.

The defense worked for about a quarter of the season. Maybe too well. The Magic could not score to match it. They were losing games in the low 90s — all while the league seemed to be scoring more. When the defense collapsed, it collapsed fully. The Magic had no identity, something they sought so much after the Dwight Howard trade and failed to find for four years to find.

Serge Ibaka was not quite the defensive linchpin they hoped. Bismack Biyombo certainly was not the defensive linchpin they hoped. The massive investments the Magic made — starting with the trade of Tobias Harris the year before for cap room and the massive cap spike that created room for just about everyone else — all fell flat. And the team’s rebuild hit a major dead end.

Orlando seemed to calculate everything wrong.

Moving Aaron Gordon to small forward? An absolute disaster. His play after the All-Star Break when he finally moved back to power forward was far more encouraging. It restored some faith that he can develop into something.

Other young players seemed to stagnate. But playing with two bigs undoubtedly hampered not just Aaron Gordon, but also Nikola Vucevic and Elfrid Payton. Things went south very quickly and there was no recovering it.

The Magic’s plan to zig as others zagged was a complete disaster.

It did not work at all how the team planned. They had the second-worst offense in the league by offensive rating. And no star — or identity — ever emerged.

The Magic fired general manager Rob Hennigan after the season. They are setting a new direction now. But the future remains murky. As murky as it has ever been in Magic history.