The NBA announced its All-Star starters on Monday afternoon.
There were a few surprises -- a Stephen Curry over Anthony Edwards in the West, perhaps. The starters were pretty well set, and anyone who was snubbed should get in as a reserve.
The coaches will pick the reserves in the next few weeks and will be revealed publicly in early February.
It is increasingly unlikely that either Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner -- let alone Desmond Bane or Anthony Black -- will make the cut to be an All-Star this year.
That is a statement of how inconsistent the Magic's season has been.
Orlando is sitting in sixth in the Eastern Conference, in the general mass of teams from third through eighth in the league. The Orlando Magic are 1.5 games behind the third-place New York Knicks and 1.5 games ahead of the eighth-place Miami Heat.
A lot can happen in the second half of the season. But not enough will happen to get Banchero and Wagner into All-Star consideration, even if they are among the first players on the outside looking in.
Orlando is likely sitting out the league's annual trip to Los Angeles. Perhaps Desmond Bane gets an invite to the 3-point contest, Tristan da Silva to the Rising Stars or Anthony Black to the dunk contest, but it could be a weekend without Magic representation.
The Magic hoped last year's All-Star Game would be their last without a representative. That was a sign of both how clear Banchero and Wagner's future stardom appeared. It would also be a sign that the team is contending at the top of the East.
Neither of those things is happening. And so, the Magic are likely to be left off the list for LA next month.
Orlando still has big plans for its All-Star future.
Reports came out earlier this month that Orlando is planning to put in a bid for the 2030 NBA All-Star Game. That is a mythical year in Magic lore and hints at the big plans the Magic have for their franchise in the next four years.
The Magic may not be participating much in All-Star Weekend this year -- they have had their fill of NBA-run events with the NBA Cup and the NBA Europe Games under their belt this year -- but they are going to be a presence for All-Star Weekends to come.
All-Star History
Orlando has hosted the All-Star Game twice and has been eager to host it again.
The league gave Orlando an All-Star Game in 1992 in the infancy of the franchise (this was even before Shaquille O'Neal arrived) and became the epicenter for one of the greatest moments in All-Star history.
The 1992 game was famous for Magic Johnson getting voted in despite retiring earlier in the season after contracting HIV. He was cleared to play in the game and was named MVP, breaking barriers and silencing a lot of fears and doubts about the disease in the process.
It is one of the most incredible moments in the NBA's All-Star history.
Orlando did not host an All-Star Weekend again until 2012, two years after the team moved into the Kia Center. The event was meant to be a showcase for a still-contending team and the team showing off its new building.
Instead, it came during a lockout-shortened season amidst the questions of Dwight Howard's future as the team was hitting the end of its title window.
The game coming during a lockout-shortened season made it feel like the NBA owed the Magic another All-Star Game and then-CEO Alex Martins made it clear the Magic intended to host an All-Star again.
The 2030 promise
Orlando and the Orlando Magic had to do a few things before they could get an All-Star Game again.
Orlando's sprawl and the convention center being on the opposite end of town made it a difficult weekend for a lot of the players and media. That problem is not going to get solved.
But the Magic getting another All-Star Game seemed to be predicated on the development and completion of the entertainment district, now titled Westcourt.
Despite long-time promises, construction on this project has not yet begun, although designs and renderings have been announced many times over. The land is clear, and it is just about finalizing construction.
Four years should be plenty of time for the Magic to complete this project and create a space to be the hub for All-Star festivities.
Four years is also plenty of time for the Magic to become one of the centers of the NBA world.
It was Alex Martins, after all, who responded to an Orlando Sentinel project envisioning Orlando in 2030, who said the Magic would have a title by 2030.
He said that when the team was at its lowest point during the rebuild in 2016. Now it feels attainable with the Magic having two All-Star-level players and making the financial commitment to have a championship team.
The Magic may not have an All-Star this season. But they are likely to compete for one or two All-Stars every year for the foreseeable future. With Orlando's development, the team could easily be on track to be competing for a title in the 2030 season.
That is the perfect time to showcase the city and the team to the entire league.
It still feels like a long time from now. And the Magic have a lot of work to do to be a showcase team.
There are still big All-Star plans coming if the league views Orlando worthy.