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2019 Orlando Magic will be remembered more for what happens next

By Philip Rossman-Reich

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 5: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic shoots a free throw during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 5, 2019 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 5: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic shoots a free throw during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 5, 2019 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jonathan Isaac, Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic Terrence Ross (Photo by Harry Aaron/Getty Images) /

Cementing a legacy

Statistically, this team was certainly wanting. Visually, it is clear Orlando still has a lot of work to do.

But to cement this team’s legacy and make it more than just Heart & Hustle 2.0, as many have come to call it, the Magic will have to show that this is the start of a longer playoff run. They will have to show that this was not a blip on the radar.

That would certainly change some perceptions about this year’s team and change some perceptions about what it started.

The 2020 season will go a long way to showing exactly what happened in 2019 and what its ultimate legacy will be.

Lucky for the Magic, that opportunity exists with the talent on this team. Orlando may not have the runaway top-end talent of previous playoff debutantes, but the team has the chance to return to the postseason again.

While there was a lot of shuffling at the top of the conference, the middle of the conference felt pretty stable. The Miami Heat made a big move to acquire Jimmy Butler, but no other team made a move to knock a team out of its playoff spot.

Prognosticators may like teams such as the Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks, but the Orlando Magic are more than capable of holding their spot and improving dramatically. There is some early 2020 buzz for the Magic to fight for homecourt.

But it will take growth from a lot of young players. And that growth will determine if this is another Heart & Hustle team or something more.

Right now, it is hard to say exactly how history will remember this team. Will they remain beloved in a way that rivals the Heart & Hustle team? Will their stock rise as history plays out?

Next. The bet for the Orlando Magic: Over/Under .500. dark

The ultimate legacy the 2019 Magic leave in the team’s history will get written in what they do next rather than what the team has already accomplished.