Orlando Magic Daily
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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Expectations and Excitement

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 3: The Orlando Magic mascot waves the team flag before the game against the Toronto Raptors on February 3, 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)
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 3: The Orlando Magic mascot waves the team flag before the game against the Toronto Raptors on February 3, 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) /
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Orlando Magic, STUFF
ORLANDO, FL – FEBRUARY 3: The Orlando Magic mascot waves the team flag before the game against the Toronto Raptors on February 3, 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) /

The Orlando Magic opened their regular season Wednesday and the season is off and running. The OMD staff answers some key questions as the season starts.

The Orlando Magic season is off and running. A 116-107 win over the Miami Heat has everyone feeling good about the team once again. The Magic won their season opener for the first time since the 2013 season — that is Jacque Vaughn‘s first season as head coach if that seems forever ago. And the team has a record better than .500 for the first time since January 2016 — that was the London trip, again if it seems forever ago.

Life is good at 1-0.

Of course, the Magic said after the game they could do a lot better. Orlando lost a 17-point lead and needed some heroics from Evan Fournier to pull out the win Friday. This was a game the team wanted to put the hammer down and simply could not in the end. But they still found a way to do enough to win.

On one hand, it seems like the Magic played well enough and are good enough to win these games they even admitted they would lose a season ago. On the other hand, the team still showed some fatal flaws that could come back to haunt them this season. Among them, a sometimes anemic half-court offense and a perimeter defense that can be porous at times.

The Magic have a lot to learn and grow in the next 81 games. A lot can still happen one way or the other.

The preseason predictions for the Magic still were not optimistic. That is not going to change even after Orlando’s impressive win Wednesday night. It may take a while for everyone to catch up.

Until then, the national expectations for the Magic are for some players to make some internal improvement and the team to be slightly better. But to many, this is not a Playoff team. Not particularly close to one either.

The Magic have their work cut out for them still. It is a long road to get to the Playoffs.

So what do we expect from the Magic this season? As the season gets set to begin, we gathered the Orlando Magic Daily staff together to highlight their keys to success and what they think will go down for the 2018 season.