Orlando Magic can turn things around, but time will run out quickly

The general message from the Orlando Magic's players and coaches throughout a frustrating 2-7 start is to stay the course.

The team will inevitably say that injuries have played a role in the team's slow start. They will inevitably say that they are still learning their new coach. They will inevitably say they see the good things they are doing. It is just about putting the pieces together.

It is early enough in the season that Orlando is not feeling the full weight of this slow start. As much urgency as there might be to get things right, the team knows there is still plenty of time to find themselves. Almost every team will go through a slow stretch like this at some point in the season.

If anybody knows how much time is left, it is one of the few veterans on the team in Nikola Vucevic.

In 2019, the Magic were 20-31 just before the All-Star Break. The team won its final five games before the break and finished the season 22-9 to return to the Playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. There are plenty of examples of teams that got off to slow starts and rallied for the postseason.

Orlando knows it must get itself right. But the team knows there is still time to find itself.

"Just stick the course. It's a long season," Nikola Vucevic said after shootaround Tuesday. "It's not easy when you start where we have. We have some injuries and guys down. So we're not at full strength. And we haven't really been able to show what we can do. Just stay the course, believe in the process, believe in yourself, and have fun and enjoy the process along the way. Just continue to stay the course. A lot can happen, and we can turn it around quickly."

That faith is animating the team.

Desmond Bane said after Monday's practice that the team knows how good it can be. This team has made the Playoffs the last three years. They know they can play at that level. There is certainly the expectation that they will.

Getting there with this group and holding the ship steady until Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero eventually return remains the task.

There are still a lot of games to play. But the Magic cannot merely talk about their potential turnaround, they must deliver on it.

They are already behind.

Slow starts, big finishes

The 2019 season is the best example of a team making a rally to make the Playoffs. Like this season, that team started in a hole, going 3-6 through the first nine games, just as this year's team has gone 2-7.

That group did not have the playoff experience or the top-end talent that this year's team appears to have. It would be easy to believe the Magic can make a similar push.

Still, like in a game, nobody wants to start too far behind. While it is entirely possible for a team to make a rally after a slow start, it is not the ideal way to go.

The number of teams who start this slowly and make a big playoff push are exceedingly rare.

Last year, the Charlotte Hornets started 16-28 before hitting overdrive around Christmas to finish the year 28-10 to reach the Play-In Tournament, earning the 9-seed. That took them playing some of the best basketball in the league for nearly four months to get there.

The Magic historically have not been a slow-starting team and have made the Playoffs (or threatened to make the Playoffs). The Magic would make some franchise history by making the Playoffs with a start this slow:

If the Magic make the Playoffs, they would at least tie the franchise record for the worst 10-game start for a team that makes the Playoffs. There is indeed a hole to dig out of.

The odds of starting this slow and getting to homecourt advantage in the first round is a long shot.

The teams that started this slow did not have the talent and experience of this team. That adds to the disappointment in this start and gives hope the team can still find its way.

There is no time to waste to get back into the race.

The path back to winning

The Orlando Magic are looking for the way for this team to win under coach Sean Sweeney.

They certainly hope that Saturday's overtime loss is a sign of the team finding a formula to win more consistently.

The Magic are still searching for their identity. They are still trying to get their defense right first.

Everyone recognizes that there is an opportunity to do that in the next three games against 1-9 teams -- the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks. They know they need to win those games for confidence as much as anything.

They know what they must do to win. It is no sure thing as the Magic continue to work to define who they are.

"I think stopping the rim and getting out to shooters," Anthony Black said after shootaround Tuesday. "They've got [Darius] Acuff, who is playing good basketball and scoring a lot of points. We know they have some hot shooters and dudes who can do stuff off the bounce. Just knowing who we're guarding and sticking to the game plan the coaches have given us."

The Magic have certainly not lived up to their billing.

They still rank in the bottom 10 in offensive and defensive rating. They have had a lot of lulls on both end -- trailing by 30 points in losses to the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns already this season.

There remains a lot of faith in what the team is trying to do. The execution has lagged behind. The team is hoping it can start to catch up.

That starts with winning. The 6-seed Toronto Raptors are currently 5-5 and .500 still seems in reach. But the Magic must take care of their own business to get there and climb back into the race.

There is still time for the Magic to right the ship. There is still a lot to tighten and clean up. But that time will run out quickly. Orlando cannot lose pace.

Every team might go through a rough stretch like this one at some point in the season. Doing it at the start of the season has already put the Magic behind.

But a comeback is not impossible.

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