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Orlando Magic Daily Facebook Live: On Injuries and the Nikola Vucevic contradiction

By Philip Rossman-Reich

PHILADELPHIA,PA - NOVEMBER 25 : Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic goes up for the dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on November 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - NOVEMBER 25 : Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic goes up for the dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on November 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic are facing a ton of injuries at a time when the team needs to build up some wins. How do the Magic survive? I answer on the Facebook Live.

The Orlando Magic hoped this stretch of basketball would be the one to get them right. They were feeling confident their defense was returning to form and their offense was resembling the free-flowing group that got off to a 6-2 and 8-4 start.

That all seemed so long ago.

The team’s nine-game losing streak brought the Magic back down to earth quickly. Injuries began to ravage the team and knock them out of rhythm. The team just had to right the ship and get themselves back under control. Long road trips were keeping the team from re-establishing their rhythm.

It seemed, at long last, Orlando was going to have a chance to breathe. Both because their injuries were healing and because of their schedule easing up.

But nothing is ever easy in the NBA. Just as the Magic were getting their defense right and finding a way to pick up wins, injuries struck again.

Evan Fournier went down with a sprained ankle in Wednesday’s overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks. Aaron Gordon went down with a concussion in the loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Those are two more key rotation players added to the injury list alongside Terrence Ross (who will miss significant time with a sprained MCL and fracture to his tibial plateau) and Jonathan Isaac (still out with what is listed officially as a sprained ankle).

Suddenly this part of the season where the Magic seemingly had to make up wins is preparing to become a huge struggle for the team. Orlando needs to find a way to survive.

That means relying even more heavily on Nikola Vucevic, among other players. Several players will have to step up.

On this week’s Orlando Magic Daily Facebook Live, I discussed what lies ahead for the Magic as they try to battle through these various injuries and why Nikola Vucevic will matter even more.

The injuries undoubtedly will play a huge role in the Magic as they try to navigate the December schedule. It will put more onus on Vucevic — still a lightning rod among fans planning out this team’s future.

Orlando will be giving management a lot of information for sure. But for the short-term, this stretch will now be about the team’s will.

After recording, it is sounding like Aaron Gordon may return quicker than expected — he was “back to work” Sunday — and Jonathan Isaac should be back any day now. That might be something we said for the last week.

Orlando will have its work cut out for it again. Nothing is easy in this league.

Next: Orlando Magic depth stretching thin as injuries mount

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