The Orlando Magic’s season is officially over.
The team knew it would be a rebuilding adventure this year and played like it, finishing with a 22-60 record and the second-worst record in the league. Somehow though, it did not feel that way at times.
Sure, the losses piled up. But the team spent its season focusing on development and improvement throughout the course of the season. They were never focused on the team’s record or the results. They said as much.
Of course, that might be a coping mechanism to get through what everyone understood and knew would be a rough season. If they viewed the season in terms of wins and losses this year, they would lose out on the development that came and probably lose figuring out which players they should really build around.
The Orlando Magic spent their season growing and building a foundation. This offseason though presents several questions that will help the team push forward or hold them back.
That does not mean the Magic were not focused on the long-term. They were trying to build their foundation and build their ideas for what this team will look like moving forward. They always said they had an eye on the bigger picture.
To the team’s credit, even facing all the losses, they still did the work and still seemed to buy into this larger vision. There was always something exciting or interesting going on with this team, even if they struggled to tie the whole thing together.
Creating that bigger picture is now the task with the season over.
With the players going their separate ways in the offseason, the focus turns to independent individual development outside of the team context and confines before everyone reconvenes in September. It also turns to Jeff Weltman and his staff in how they prepare for what might be a second straight top-five pick and have cap room to spend carefully to build the team.
They are promising to be patient and nurture this young group. The Magic are not going to rush their rebuild it would seem, having faith in their young players to develop and waiting for the right time to pounce.
There is still plenty to do and plenty to watch this offseason. The Magic should not be back at the bottom of the standings next year. And everyone knows they will need to take those next steps.
Setting expectations for the 2023 season will come in the months ahead. With the season freshly finished, the Magic will turn their focus to the storylines that will define their summer. Those are the immediate next steps for the franchise.