It was too little too late, but the Orlando Magic put in an effort they can be proud of in their season finale. Finishing the year on a (hollow) high note.
The fans knew the stakes to the Orlando Magic’s final game of the season.
Win and the team would finish fifth in the Lottery standings, with 88 chances to win the top pick. Lose and the team finishes in a tie for third in the Lottery standings with 112 chances to win the top pick.
That was always the furthest thing from the team’s mind. They were playing out the string, sure, but they were not going to simply give the game away. This was their last chance to play this season and play together as a team.
Coach Frank Vogel may have been playing less-than-ideal lineups. His main starters played only the first quarter before giving way to the Magic’s bench lineup and G-League players. But the team was going to fight. They were going to make sure there was no rotten taste in their mouth during a rotten season.
It was far too little too late to change the course of their season. But the Magic delivered a strong performance in their final game, getting a win that may ring hollow to fans focused on the future and the potential chances of ping-pong balls bouncing in a drum. But a win that had much more real meaning to the players who actually lived through this year.
"“It was a fun way to end the season,” Nikola Vucevic said. “Obviously, we didn’t have a good season with the season ending early and the record that we had. In the last game, it’s always fun to get a win. It was great to see the young guys come in and do well, play together and us from the bench cheering. I just thought that everybody that was on the court tonight really stepped up and played really well.”"
The year did not end the way they wanted to. The season finale against the Washington Wizards ended on a high note with a 101-92 victory. The team playing mostly its reserves and young players pulled out a win, withstanding a prolonged Wizards rally that never really got them over the top.
It was for Nikola Vucevic a nice send off for the fans who still supported the team through the season. Those in attendance did not seem to care about lottery odds. They were enjoying an energetic and spirited effort from the team.
Orlando pulled away on Mario Hezonja‘s determination to get to the rim, Khem Birch‘s grit on the boards and Washington’s complete inattention to detail and sloppiness.
But it was more than that. The Magic played hard and committed to the principles Vogel had been preaching. Again, too little too late, but pleasant to see nonetheless.
"“I think we just made plays, whether it was a big shot or our guys really committed on the defensive end,” Vogel said. “You know the last six weeks, two months of the season, there’s been significant growth on that end of the floor and when you’re getting stops, you always have a chance offensively to make a play. And that’s pretty much what happened in that run.”"
That might be of little solace. This was just one game. Those defensive improvements have some warning signs attached to them.
As much as anyone might be willing to believe wins at any point can lead to building a culture, that all might be a bit far-fetched. Especially in a game played wihtout the team’s key players like this one.
The Magic are expected to make massive changes this offseason or at least begin to reframe the roster. It would be impossible not to after the team’s disappointing season.
The reality is, even with all the injuries, the record will say this team was four wins worse than last year — although they will be drafting out of the same position.
The future remains murky for this team.
There were times throughout the season the team could not be proud of the effort they put in. There were certainly times the team was downright frustrated.
Just something to make the aftertaste feel a bit better.
"“Winning always feels good,” Arron Afflalo said. “It’s a process. But it’s about that time to start inching back to being a .500 team and making a push to be a Playoff time. It’s much needed at this point. Whenever you can end with a win, it’s always a feel-good moment.”"
Arron Afflalo said the win was more about fan appreciation. The announced attendance for Wednesday’s game was 17,598 — a strong number for a team wallowing at the bottom of the standings. They watched a sloppy, but enjoyable game. One where the Magic seemed to realize all the things Vogel was preaching and come together in the right way.
It was exactly how Vogel wanted them to do it from the beginning — together.
Vogel spent most of Wednesday saying he liked how his team stuck together throughout the season, even through all the struggles. They never gave up on each other. It was something he preached from the beginning of training camp.
It is step one in building a winning culture. He felt the team was enjoyable to coach and be around and were willing to listen to him — if not execute perfectly all the time. The results did not seem to follow this piece.
Vogel, ever the optimist, still seemed to like the direction the team was headed and seemed hopeful he would be the one to keep things moving in the positive direction he saw.
For those that think the first step to building a culture is the draft — and are thus infuriated by the win — he had an answer for them too:
"“I understand them,” Vogel said. “But you go out and you compete to win and that’s all you can be concerned with at this level. The coach level, the player level and what I would tell them is we’re going to get a good player at four, five, six, seven, wherever we pick. You know we’re going to get a good player that’s going to help us going into the future. So you don’t worry about the positioning when you’re managing the team.”"
The book on the Magic’s season is now closed. The team may look back at this season with some regret. There is definitely plenty of disappointment. And the expectation of change to come.
But they leave it holding themselves a little bit higher. They go home winning their last game and playing with the energy they always needed. There was something to take pride in during the season finale. If not something to build upon… a feeling to leave them wanting more for next year.
Next: Grades: Orlando Magic 101, Washington Wizards 92
But noow comes the uncertainty of the future as the totality of their season gets reviewed, dissected and analyzed.