Orlando Magic Daily
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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: What’s next or just wait until the trade deadline

By Philip Rossman-Reich

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06: Orlando Magic Guard Evan Fournier (10) looks to make a pass during a NBA game between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 6, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06: Orlando Magic Guard Evan Fournier (10) looks to make a pass during a NBA game between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 6, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
PHOENIX, AZ – NOVEMBER 30: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic is introduced before the game against the Phoenix Suns on November 30, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Orlando Magic are in a tricky spot and have a lot of questions to answer ahead of the trade deadline as their season continues. We try to answer some.

The Orlando Magic’s season has had plenty of ups and downs.

The team seemingly started with low expectations, quickly raised them as the Eastern Conference fell short of even modest expectations and the team found itself in the thick of the Playoff race. Everyone within the team senses that opportunity.

With those raised expectations come the disappointment of failing to meet them. And the pressure to change for failing to meet them.

Maybe that pressure always existed. This is the second year under Jeff Weltman and John Hammond and it is clear — even with the team’s success, or relative success — the team still has to undergo a lot of changes. The duo has taken their time to make those changes and add to the team. There will surely be a lot of work to do in the summer.

For now, the Magic are in the Playoff race — three games out of the final Playoff spot — and they are not about to give that up while they still have a chance at making the postseason. But they are not about to forget there is a bigger picture to fill in.

Orlando has a lot of work to do on that front. Just as the team has a lot of work to do on the season front. There is ground to make up and the team has not exactly been the picture of consistency.

It has been a hard season to figure out for that reason. The Magic are playing better than they have in previous years, but still seem like they are missing something to get over the hump.

That is not for the fault of players like Nikola Vucevic. He especially is playing at an extremely high level and is getting legitimate All-Star buzz. But even he would admit winning is the ultimate judge for him. And that is the ultimate judge for this team.

With two weeks to go before the trade deadline, the Magic have their work cut out for them to be sure. They still have to find their footing and play with consistency to make a push to get into the Playoffs.

But before then, the franchise will have to make a decision on whether to allow this group the chance to do so. The trade deadline looms on Feb. 7 and the one thing everyone knows about the Magic is they cannot stand still no matter the result of this season.

With all these questions swirling about, the Orlando Magic Daily staff came together to try to find some answers as the season enters this critical point.