The entire 2024 season had seemingly one goal.
From the time Paolo Banchero accepted the 2023 Rookie of the Year Award, he made it clear that the season would be Playoffs or bust. The team was talking about it last May in their group text chains. They believed when everyone thought the team would make a slow and steady improvement into a winning team.
Nobody saw the team winning 47 games and earning the 5-seed. Nobody certainly saw the Orlando Magic pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games and realistically coming a half away from advancing to the second round.
If the Magic pushed aside momentary disappointment from their Game 7 defeat, it was because they understood they had a lot to be proud of with their 2024 season. They also understood that this was just the beginning. This was a stepping stone for the team to continue to improve.
For this young Magic team, one of the biggest things they could do was to reach the Playoffs. They needed to see how they would handle the pressure that comes from the postseason. They needed to see who could step up and who maybe could not.
That is always what the first Playoff series is for a young team. It is a young group getting thrown into the deep end and daring to swim.
Through the Magic's seven-game series, there were definitely some players who sank. There were definitely some players who struggled to get going and left something to be desired. That will leave them hungry to return next year.
And there were plenty of players who stepped up to the plate and swam beautifully.
The Magic know that this was a development season. They knew that they needed to dip their toes into the Playoff waters and see how their team responded. So, to see these players thrive is a good thing for the Magic overall.
And for three players specifically, the Playoffs should be a launching pad.