In December, the Orlando Magic seemed ready to make a statement.
They were the top team in the Eastern Conference in the NBA Cup despite Paolo Banchero's injury. They were using this tournament exactly how it should be used—as a proving ground for young teams in pressure situations.
Orlando rolled into New York to face the New York Knicks . . . and laid an egg.
The Magic nearly lost a 30-point cushion to advance to the knockout rounds. It was as loud a statement as ever the Magic were missing one of their star players. But it was also a statement the team was not in the contending tier.
By the time Orlando reached the knockout round of that tournament, Franz Wagner was out with his injury. Jalen Suggs led a rag-tag group to Milwaukee to face the Milwaukee Bucks with a trip to Las Vegas on the line.
The team fought and had the lead late. Then Damian Lillard happened. The Magic were sent home in disappointing fashion. The Magic were not quite ready for the big time.
The team's fight and spirit were there. Their culture of defense was there. But they were not ready for the big moment to beat a quality opponent. They were not ready to get that big win.
That may be the theme of this season.
As much as it has been about the injuries, the Magic's season has quickly become about another realization: The Magic, even at full strength, are not in the class of teams competing for championships.
At full health, they may be able to compete for their goal of winning the 4-seed and home-court advantage but they are not a championship-level team.
That realization matters most—far more than any panic or perceived panic over the team's difficult January that saw them tumble down the standings. The Magic's goal is still to develop into a title team.
The team is clearly not there. Matching and falling behind last year's record is only the most tangible sign the team has hit its ceiling.
Even acknowledging the Magic have not been together healthy for long enough to draw too many conclusions, the team's weaknesses are clear. As are the weaknesses and signs that have carried over from last year when the team broke through for 47 wins.
There is no better place to look than the team's record against teams with winning records.
The Magic entered Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings with an 11-20 record against teams with records better than .500. That is the fourth-fewest among teams currently in postseason position. Last year, Orlando went 19-28 against teams with records better than .500, the second-fewest wins among the East's postseason teams.
The Orlando Magic have some nice wins against quality opponents— the wins over the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics stand out. Those wins prove what this team is capable of. And especially with those two wins was proof of how powerful their culture is.
But those are still too few and too inconsistent. The Orlando Magic are 0-5 in games on national TV with only one more remaining against the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers in late February.
Those are games and opponents the Magic must beat to one day compete for a championship.
Even before the injuries, it hinted the Magic's overall strategy did not consistently step up to the plate against quality opponents.
The easiest place for improvement is on offense. It is holding the team back.
The Magic entered Wednesday's games with the second-worst offense in the league and the worst 3-point shooting in the league—and the worst 3-point shooting in the NBA for the last decade.
At a certain point, that kind of offense holds a team back from reaching its goals. That is the point the Magic have reached and why making some significant moves is a requirement ahead of next season if the Magic want to compete.
Ultimately, the Magic ticket to winning a title rests with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner's development. Their blossoming into All-Stars is the ticket to contention in the end.
But they need help. They need teammates who make their lives easier with secondary playmaking and shooting. There is not enough of it on the roster.
It is time for the Magic to make some moves
They need players who can spread the floor and make threes when they kick out, giving them driving lanes to the basket. They need another attacker who can help ease the scoring and creation burden on Banchero and Wagner—they both have usage rates greater than 30 percent since returning from months-long injuries.
This team's needs are abundantly clear. It is time then to take action to address them, whether it is doing something big to shake up the starting lineup or something smaller to bolster the bench and add scoring depth.
The Magic are ready for that step. The team needs to find the players that will push them into that stratosphere and make them more competitive with the top teams in the league.
That is why so much feels on the line at this trade deadline. The evaluation period is clearly over. The team must address its weaknesses.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman cannot sit on his hands before the trade deadline. He must add to the team—adding offense, creation and shooting—to put this team back on track this year and set them up for their next stage next year.
The Magic know they are better than their current record. But they can also acknowledge they run the risk of playing like they have in January without that injection of offense. Merely making the playoffs is not good enough or the goal.
The Magic need something to raise their floor along with their ceiling.
The Magic bet on continuity this offseason. It has helped them grow and develop into a playoff team. But even Jeff Weltman admitted continuity only works when the team is winning.
The team has hit its first road block. They must use this time to break into the league's upper crust.
Whether it is at the trade deadline or before next season, the Magic need to position themselves to break into the Eastern Conference's top tier. All eyes are watching them now.