The Orlando Magic season seems to be following a familiar pattern as things have started to look shaky in December. Where will they go next?
The Orlando Magic have hit their usual wall in the NBA schedule.
For the past few years, December has meant the end of all hope and seemingly the end of the Magic’s playoff chances. This season has started to look no different.
Orlando did not come roaring out of the gates like they did last year. But there has been no hard fall or devastating losing streak. Instead, this feels like a slow burn. A descent down the standings and into oblivion — or at least the same place the team has been for the last few years.
At least, that is how it feels. Things can change pretty quickly. The Magic have shown plenty of resolve before.
Orlando was sitting pretty in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference at 12-12. But entering Friday’s game, Orlando has lost seven of the past nine games. That has dropped the team out of the Playoff picture, but still only two games out of the final Playoff spot.
It is certainly far too early to give up on the season. The Magic can still accomplish all their goals set out before the season began.
That will not mean the road will be easy. Orlando will end this homestand with a tough game against the Detroit Pistons before embarking on a difficult six-game, 10-day road trip that will touch every time zone in the continental United States. There is not really a road trip like this that I can remember.
Regardless of how that happens, the Magic have not taken advantage of this homestand or this soft spot in the schedule. And that may be something the team comes to regret if they are still in the Playoff race in March.
But there is a long way to go before then. Orlando has to steady the ship first and pick up some wins to get back in the fight, so to speak.
This all happens on the backdrop of the Feb. 7 trade deadline too. Orlando has several players they have to make some big decisions on — including All-Star candidate Nikola Vucevic whose future with the team was always in doubt before he became such an integral player in the team’s early success and key reserve Terrence Ross. It is unclear whether the Magic want to re-sign either player or what they are looking for.
At this point, it feels like the Magic will not make a move just to make the Playoffs in 2019. That is not the plan. But, it does not seem like the team will squander their chance to make the Playoffs either, even if it means risking losing either key player in free agency while getting nothing in return.
How the Magic approach the trade deadline is not likely to get determined until they have a better sense of their direction this season. But no doubt, this is a critical time for Orlando and there are critical decision for the team to make.
There is still a lot of season left to play and a lot more evidence to take in before these decisions get made. As the calendar turns to 2019, the Magic are still playing meaningful games. But it certainly does not feel steady.
Where does the team go next? I am sure that is on the tip of everyone’s tongues.
So before the trade deadline and the All-Star Game come upon us, it feels like a good time to open up the Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag and answer your questions.
Submit your questions to me on Twitter @omagicdaily, in the comments below or by e-mail at omagicdaily@gmail.com.
I will jump back in answer the questions in about a week or after the road trip ends.