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Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag: Fast starts and road trips

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon dunks against the New York Knicks at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images)
The Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon dunks against the New York Knicks at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic are hitting the road for their first big road trip this season. It is a time for a lot of questions. And so the mailbag is officially open.

The Orlando Magic established themselves as a threat in the Eastern Conference through the first 10 games.

Probably not as a title contender. The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and others will surely begin to assert themselves too. They know how to pace themselves and build winning streaks at the right time. Their consistency wins the day.

That will not change anyone from looking at the standings even at this early stage. And they will see the Magic at 7-4 and near the top of the Eastern Conference. With the conference still closely packed together, it will not take long for the Magic to fall again.

The next 10 games will be about separating the contending teams from the pack. In the next 10 games or so, the Playoff races will clarify themselves. A fast start can quickly recede. But the Magic, at least, are not working to make up ground.

In those first 10-or-so games, the Magic have begun to establish their identity. It is still half-formed and waiting for perfection. But the team has played it well more often than they have not.

Orlando has emerged as a team that is not merely dreaming about making the Playoffs but can actually do it.

Their offense was the talk of the league for the first weeks of the season. They hit 3-pointers at an incredible rate and trounced opponents with their surprising speed and cohesion.

Things have come back down to earth for the Magic, for sure. Orlando is trying to find its footing again. Especially with injuries at point guard, such a critical position in the league.

But things certainly look bright again. Elfrid Payton is back and did not seem to miss a beat in the Orlando Magic’s win over the New York Knicks.

But the big test is still on its way.

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The Magic will play eight of their next 10 games on the road — starting with this four-game swing out West. The Magic will answer a lot of questions about themselves in the next three weeks. By Thanksgiving and the beginning of December, Orlando’s course for this season might be set.

And there are indeed a ton of questions to ask and answer about this Magic team. Far too many, it would seem.

Fans themselves are getting used to the idea of a winning Magic team. There is that bit of trepidation with something new and experiencing new success. The only thing that is new for the team is the confidence the success has brought so far this season.

But you surely have questions. And so it is time, with the Magic out on the West Coast, to open up the Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag once again.

Feel free to drop me a question in the comments below, via twitter @omagicdaily, via our Facebook page or via e-mail at omagicdaily@gmail.com.

Next: Elfrid Payton reinvigorates Orlando Magic offense

I look forward to answering your Orlando Magic questions — big and small — in the next week.