Last season, the Orlando Magic were eighth in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break.
It felt like Cinderella was starting to hear the bells toll midnight as the break approached. The Magic had largely righted the ship after their difficult January, but other teams were finding their groove too. Orlando was in a drag-out fight for the playoffs and this young team did not seem to have the experience to make it.
They trailed the 5-seed by 2.5 games. It felt like a long shot to get back to the top of the East.
Of course, the Magic finished the season 17-10 last year. Despite a late-season losing streak, the Magic made up all of that ground to earn the 5-seed and win 47 games. The finishing flourish was a big part of the Magic's push last year.
It showed what the team was capable of and was a statement of how this group would respond to playoff pressure in their first postseason chase.
This year is different, of course. But the Magic find themselves in the same situation.
They are locked in a tight playoff race, sitting in seventh and trailing the 6-seed by 2.5 games. They still have that same ground to make up.
For Orlando to accomplish their goals, the team needs another late playoff push. And while all of that history and all of those factors remain, they know it does not happen all at once.
If the Magic are going to make the playoffs, it has to start one game at a time. There is no time to lose.
"There's only 26 games left, 50-something days," Paolo Banchero said after practice Tuesday. "It's going to go by really quick. Every game we've got to be focused. Win or lose, we have to refocus and move on to the next challenge. All of these games are going to be important."
It still feels like a lot of time and a lot can happen in 26 games. But the Magic are starting to feel the urgency of the moment.
Just as they got a chance to reset themselves and get healthy, so too did every other team in the league. It is the Magic who once again have to make up ground. And unlike last year, they are still working players back from injury and searching for their rhythm.
Finding their rhythm
Last year's success has no bearing on what the Orlando Magic can do this year. It is merely proof of what they are capable of.
For the Magic, it is truly about focusing on the day-to-day and forgetting about what could have or should have been for this team to this point. They have to get themselves back on track.
Last year was a good experience. But this team is still finding itself after all the injuries put roadblocks in their way.
"It's a whole new year, new challenges," Franz Wagner said after practice Tuesday. "Obviously guys being in and out. We didn't have that situation last year. I think we're up for the challenge. I think it starts right here on the court in practice. I think everybody had a good break and we're ready to go."
Orlando has lost 17 of the past 25 games, showing just how much can change in about 25 games for a team. Unlike last year when the Magic won six of eight heading into the All-Star Break, the team has struggled to find its form.
The losses that have piled up have put the Magic in this hole. As Wagner said there is little time to waste. So there is a sense of urgency to the way the team must approach these final games.
Waiting to be whole
Some of that is due to the injuries the Orlando Magic have faced.
The team is still awaiting Jalen Suggs' return.
Coach Jamahl Mosley said Jalen Suggs did some running during the team's return practice Tuesday but did not take part in the contact portions of practice. His status for Thursday's game against the Atlanta Hawks remains unknown.
Orlando is still waiting to become whole again.
Mosley said he spent part of his All-Star Break reflecting on what the team looked like in the brief moments it was fully healthy. The Magic have a +8.1 net rating in 97 minutes across six games with its key trio of Banchero, Wagner and Suggs on the floor together.
The Magic still have a lot of confidence in what they can do when they have those pieces together. That is something that has not happened in some time with Suggs playing just one of the Magic's last 20 games.
"The ability to focus on the moment that you are in right now and taking it one game at a time and going back to possibly being a whole team, understanding exactly what your job is and being able to do your job at a high level," Mosley said after practice Tuesday. "I think these guys understand that. I think the less we talk about it the better. I think putting into action and going out and playing with the energy, with the spirit, with the focus with the tenacity of Orlando Magic basketball."
The Magic are trying to return to playing their brand of high-energy basketball that has been inconsistent during the last several weeks.
There is no waiting for that to happen. In his review, Mosley said he liked the team's spirit and togetherness in weathering that storm. The team needed the refresh for this final run.
One game at a time
That is the past though. It is done and the team must find a way to move forward. The message from Jamahl Mosley is to take everything one game and one day at a time.
The Orlando Magic may not control their own destiny anymore. But by stacking wins, the Magic can climb the standings and regain that destiny. That is what they did last year.
It obviously starts with a big game against the Atlanta Hawks, whom the Orlando Magic lead in the standings by 0.5 game.
The Magic may not want to talk about the big picture. They want to put their focus into action and effort.
Everyone knows what is at stake in these final games.
"I think everyone knows where we're at and what we need to do to get where we want to be," Banchero said after practice Tuesday. "That is something the whole group has been talking about having that focus, coming out strong to start this second half."
Orlando's season has not gone to plan. Everyone is feeling that frustration. But they still have time to make something of the last 26 games and still have time to put themselves back in the playoff picture.