Terrence Ross may have or may not have broken the biggest news of the Orlando Magic’s season.
With time to kill during the team’s All-Star Break before everyone reconvenes for practice Wednesday afternoon, Ross took to his Twitch stream to play some NBA 2K. He fielded some questions and, as would happen whenever fans got a Magic player one on one, the topic turned to Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac‘s returns.
Ross seemed to suggest Fultz might be back this week. He quickly backtracked later in the stream. And then clips of that specific portion of the stream were either muted or taken down completely.
Magic fans turned to former guard Michael Carter-Williams for some insight, who only provided this nugget:
He really said 🤫🤫🤫 but my guess is soon. He looks ready! https://t.co/1QEuPI477n
— Michael Carter-Willi (@mcarterwilliams) February 22, 2022
Again, players seem to be giving clearer and more enticing updates than the team. And everyone is just left waiting.
The Magic have a little more than a quarter of their season left. Just 22 games separate the Magic from the end of the season. And to some extent, fans are eager to see what the offseason looks like. The promise of an upcoming top pick is still really enticing for a team at the bottom of the standings — even if it is relying on the Lottery.
The Orlando Magic have about a quarter of the season left and a lot still to do. There is a lot still in store for the team as the season nears its close.
There are still these games to get to. And while there is plenty to be excited about in the future, there is still some work to do this year. Orlando is not in a position to give up time and waste the last quarter of the season.
The Magic are not just going to skate to the end of the season. They still have some things to do. And the path is very much set for their success — or at least to pick up a few more wins and end the season on a good note.
Here are three things ahead of the Magic in the last 22 games of the season:
Return of Fultz and Isaac
The first place to start after the All-Star Break is the number one question every Magic fans has. The question that probably got Terrence Ross a few panicked texts from Orlando Magic PR trying to control the narrative and manage expectations for their injured players.
Yes, everyone is still waiting for the dramatic returns of Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac. These returns have been one of the central stories of the season. And it is hard to call this season a success without seeing these two players back on the court and beginning to integrate with the young roster.
The Magic have to see how these players fit even if it is just a little bit to get a sense of what comes next in their rebuild. That is the truth of the situation facing Orlando.
The more frustrating part has remained the lack of information regarding their returns and progress.
Fultz has been practicing with the team on at least a part-time basis since December. Both Fultz and Isaac have been traveling with the team on extended road trips for at least a month. It has been good to have them hit that step and be around the team more consistently.
But they need to play. All of it is meaningless if they are not progressing toward playing.
It is hard to imagine both would return at the same time, but the All-Star Break is a good time to reset a bit and integrate players more fully into the rotation with a few days of practice before the season kicks on again.
Other injured players are also expected to take the next steps in their recoveries.
R.J. Hampton has also been agitating to return from his knee injury and could very well return during this break. And Bol Bol is expected to arrive in Orlando for the first time — he met with the team when they were in Denver a few weeks ago — to get evaluated.
But everyone is waiting on the Fultz and Isaac news more. Really anyone is waiting for any news on those two. That is why the Ross stream blew up Magic Twitter and everyone hunted for information.
It feels like Fultz’s return is imminent. But when imminent is right now is anyone’s guess. At least for Wednesday morning.
Home again
The Orlando Magic have played 60 games — one of eight teams to hit that mark. They have also played 26 home games, the fewest in the league (tied with three other teams).
The Magic always knew their period after the All-Star Break would be their moment to shine. It would be the moment when their schedule got easier and they had a stack of home games.
Fifteen of the Magic’s final 22 home games are at home. They are going to be spending a lot of time at the Amway Center — including a three-game homestand coming out of the All-Star Break.
On top of this, the Magic have the 10th easiest schedule based on opponent win percentage. Among teams at the bottom of the standings, only the Indiana Pacers have an easier schedule — and that might be because they still have two games against the Orlando Magic.
Orlando will still get home games against the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. So there is no such thing as a completely easy road in the NBA. The Magic are not a team that can check off wins against anybody — even with matchups remaining against the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Magic are going to be very happy to have this time at home. And it is probably going to give the team a chance to get some rhythm, reinforce some of their good habits and identity and, yes, pick up some wins. The Magic went 3-2 on their last big homestand and established their defensive identity that has since seemingly been lost.
Do not be surprised if the team picks up a few wins to close the season.
Last word for the rookies
Another reason for optimism? This will also be the last word for the Orlando Magic’s rookies this season. And, if things are going well, they stand to improve and finish their seasons strong.
Franz Wagner has likely cemented a place on the All-Rookie First Team. He has been solid all season, even if he has hit a bit of a rookie wall of late.
Wagner is averaging 15.6 points per game with a 51.6-percent effective field goal percentage. Wagner has been the picture of consistency all year.
Jalen Suggs though has had his struggles this year. And the Magic certainly want to see him continue to expand his game and improve. That has been the trajectory he has been on.
Suggs is averaging 12.6 points per game with a 40.6-percent effective field goal percentage. But since returning from his injury, he is averaging 13.0 points per game with a 42.7-percent effective field goal percentage.
He is averaging 5.3 assists per game since returning from injury too.
Those numbers are not super impressive for the guy the Magic probably thought they were getting. But he is slowly getting better.
Suggs is a rocket going to the basket and has improved his finishing at the rim a ton. That will help him set up his mid-range game and eventually his 3-point shooting. He has just had to pick up the speed of the game.
More importantly, Suggs has been a big part of the Magic’s increase in pace throughout the season. And while he has remained inefficient, he is getting the Magic’s offense moving closer to what the team seemed to be envisioning.
The Magic want to see the team get closer to that identity. And Suggs remains a key part of that. Seeing how he finishes the season will be a big part of mapping out what happens next for the Magic.