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2018 Orlando Magic Outlook: A reset? A step forward? A season of uncertainty

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic shoots a lay up against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 27, 2016 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 27: Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic shoots a lay up against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 27, 2016 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 24: The Orlando Magic huddle during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 24, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Overall Outlook

What does this season hold in store for the Orlando Magic? Did this team do enough to achieve its goal of returning to the Playoffs? Would that put the team on solid footing for its future or push it inevitably and permanently toward mediocrity?

Can “just making the Playoffs” be an acceptable goal for now with the consequences coming later?

I have often described this season as a no-lose season. The Magic are capped out for the next year at least, maybe the next two. This is the roster the Magic have for the moment. And they seem determined to make the most of it.

It is a roster still with some serious flaws. The team lacks top-end talent and the offense could still be a huge mystery. There is no clear go-to scorer. The team will have its struggles throughout the year.

The Magic struggled mightily on the defensive end and that still comprises much of their identity. From coach Frank Vogel to the key players they hope to build around in Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac.

Any Playoff dreams for this team are indeed going to be from the team getting in on the skin of their teeth. For things to go right, the Magic will need a lot of players to step up to the plate and continue their improvement. It is not merely several players returning to the mean.

This is a season where the Magic are trying to reset themselves after hitting the wall of the last five years. At the very least, the goal is for Orlando to find a path forward. It is not merely about making the Playoffs or not. It is about finding a way forward.

That is the task ahead of Jeff Weltman. His first season is not to tear down the remnants of a previous dynasty. His first season is to find value in what he has and start moving the team forward.

That starts on the court still. The Magic have to find a way to salvage something from this team. Or at least sort out what can work from what does not. One way or the other.

The best way to do that might still be to see the team play to its ceiling — however high or low that may be.

The Magic’s 2018 season is not likely to be among the most memorable. It could, at its best, end up being the worst Playoff team in franchise history overall. That will not matter. Winning is an end in itself, especially for a young group and a fan base that has been without it for five years.

Next: Jeff Weltman reveals his type

Orlando will have to sit back and see what it can come up with this year. The one thing everyone should know is that the Magic will find a way forward by April of 2018.