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Orlando Magic Rumors: Players defend Frank Vogel as Orlando Magic’s season winds to a close

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 24: Head Coach Frank Vogel of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 24, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 24: Head Coach Frank Vogel of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 24, 2018 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Change is looming for the Orlando Magic as a disappointing season ends and noise about coach Frank Vogel grows louder. Players are blaming themselves.

The noise has surrounded Frank Vogel since December when it was clear the Orlando Magic’s season was going to go far off the rails. The team was sinking fast (again). The team seemed destined to finish with a high draft pick once again.

In fact, the Magic were destined to finish in a race to the bottom for the third-best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery. A loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday would put the Orlando Magic in a three-way tie for the third-best odds with the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. A win would mark the difference between 112 chances at winning the NBA Draft Lottery — and a nearly one in three chance of getting into the top three — and 88 chances at a Lottery win with a hair less than a 30 percent chance at getting into the top three.

No coach — especially Vogel — wants to be in this situation. No player wants to be in this situation either.

But here the Magic are. And the noise is only getting louder as they try to figure out what went wrong.

In his latest NBA newsletter for The New York Times, Marc Stein reports many in coaching circles believe the Magic could fire Vogel as soon as Thursday. Regardless of when it happens, the writing on the wall increasingly is that the Magic will move on from Vogel.

As the team assesses what went wrong this season, the coach will undoubtedly be in the crosshairs. Whether it is truly Vogel’s fault the team struggled or not, he may not be the right coach to get the most out of his team.

Certainly, the team could blame injuries for derailing a hot 8-4 start. But things seem a bit too familiar around the Magic locker room. The narrative has not changed with this team. When they get punched, they seem unable to respond. When they go through a losing streak, they seem unable to get themselves back under control.

The players — as many of them did to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel following Monday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks — defended their coach, putting the responsibility on themselves for the team’s shortcomings.

"“He’s been great,” forward Aaron Gordon told Robbins when asked about Vogel. “There’s definitely days when we all come in and we’re not at our best, the best that we can be. But Frank has done great. He’s been positive and uplifting all season long. He’s been consistent. The losses? It’s everybody. It’s on everybody. It’s not just on one person. So to just put it on one person is unfair, and he’s done a great job this year.”"

In another article detailing the end of the season with John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com, players described the disappointment in themselves they were not able to sustain their hot start.

Gordon said the early wins led to complacency and the Magic were never able to get back to the rhythm or style of basketball they had early in the year. It would be easy with a young team to call them growing pains. It is also easy to say it has been six years of the same problems.

All that leads to the conclusion that change is inevitable.

As the Magic prepare to play their final game this season, everyone is looking to the future. A very uncertain future.

Next: Jonathan Isaac says his defense will only get better

The only thing that seems certain is president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman will make changes. He will begin putting his stamp on the team. And there is another long journey to get back to contention.