The Orlando Magic were not where they hoped to be in many ways at the season’s midpoint. Their 7-34 record at the time was the worst 41-game mark in franchise history. That is not a mark any team wants to set.
Orlando remained extremely positive throughout though. For the first year of a rebuild, that part was encouraging. Everyone still seemed to believe in the process and what they were building toward and building with.
There have been individual moments of brilliance for sure.
Cole Anthony came out of the gates hot and put up near-All-Star numbers. Franz Wagner went through a tear where his game expanded and he earned a place among the top rookies in a strong rookie class. Wendell Carter has proven to be a versatile offensive fulcrum and low-post defender.
That does not even get to the injured Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz. Suggs is already back — looking much improved — and in the starting lineup. Fultz is set to return soon. And Isaac should not be too far behind him — perhaps around the All-Star Break.
But the Magic continue to sink down the standings. They currently have a four-game lead for the worst record in the league. They are seven games clear from losing the top odds in the Lottery.
The Orlando Magic have not gotten off to the start they probably hoped for, but they have seen individual improvement that will need to keep coalescing as the season continues.
At this point, it is hard to imagine the Magic losing out on the top odds. It is increasingly becoming difficult to envision the Magic getting the worst record.
Beware, I suppose, the end-of-season schedule which shapes up to be much more manageable. According to Tankathon, the Magic have the 10th-toughest remaining schedule in the league.
Much of that will be dealt with in the third quarter of the season before the home-heavy finish.
The Magic’s success or failure is not tied to their record. They are not judging this season by how many wins they can tally — although they surely would like to see a stronger finish to the season as a sign of individual progress.
That individual progress and the hints of who this team can be need to become clearer as the season draws toward a close. In the second half of the season, we should have a better idea of what the Magic are trying to be.
In these early stages, there are signs that development is happening. The Magic’s defense has gotten statistically better and seems to be making progress. But those signs are small.
The third quarter of the season will be about continuing these small signs and making them bigger. The Magic have to start taking more tangible steps with the prospects of them becoming whole on the horizon.