On Dec. 1, the Orlando Magic sat second in the Eastern Conference -- above the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, Orlando sits eighth in a packed middle ground of the conference, fighting to stay alive in the Play-In race amongst the likes of the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and those pesky Atlanta Hawks.
A lot has changed since the hot start to the season. But the Magic may have found themselves disappointed with where they stand.
Orlando was projected to have 37.5 wins before the beginning of the year and were picked to be an improving young squad. But they still needed development. Opposing NBA teams thought the same but were unprepared to see the young squad fly around as efficiently as they did at the year's start.
Playoff teams saw themselves at the mercy of the Magic buzzsaw set to the tune of AYO's Orlando Magic remix. Second-year pro Paolo Banchero looks like an All-Star. Franz Wagner continued his ascent as one of the best young players in basketball. Jalen Suggs looks like the guard of the future.
All started to come back to Earth as the season progressed. Playoff teams began to figure out the glaring outside shooting weakness, shutting down the paint and limiting Orlando to shooting themselves back into ballgames. Opposing squads feasted on the litany of injuries that had taken over the Magic's roster.
With less than three months to go in the reguular season, here is how Orlando can look at the remainder of the season to maxmize how they finish the year.
How the Orlando Magic can attack the last three months of the season
Make a trade for a veteran player before the deadline
The trade deadline is closing in fast and it is shaping up to be a pretty important date for the Magic to improve their roster this year to secure a playoff position. This is not shaping up to be a huge deadline in Orlando.
The Magic tend to be patient and are unlikely to trade for a star player like Anfernee Simons or Dejounte Murray. But the urgency to make a move and improve the team, let alone stay in the playoff chase, is growing.
As discussed multiple times here, trading for a veteran role player who can space the floor for the squad alongside Paolo Banchero and co.
The Magic have not been included in many superstar trades. But it has not stopped fans from thinking big at this deadline. And it is easy to see the path for the Magic to get involved in these deals.
But the much smarter role is letting the trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs grow at the helm of this team for the rest of the season, even if the team continues to slip down the standings. Adding a player like Malcolm Brogdon from the Portland Trail Blazers gives the Orlando Magic playoff experience and a proven veteran point guard who can space the floor and run the offense.
Not to mention, Brogdon has another year on his contract, giving the Magic a second year to grow and develop with him guiding the team. He would not be a short-term fix.
As much as the fans and the team love a player like Markelle Fultz, he is becoming more of an odd man out given his lack of spacing and Jalen Suggs' ascent. Fultz is a great player in his own right. But in a move to improve the roster, he is at the top of the list regarding assets to let go.
How the Orlando Magic can attack the last three months of the season
Get Wendell Carter back into the starting lineup for good
Another player being floated around for potential trades is Wendell Carter.
He has been on and off the floor due to injury (appearing in only 18 games this year). But since the beginning of the calendar year, the 24-year-old has proven that the starting five spot is all his (sorry, Goga Bitadze). He is averaging 15.3 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game and 1.3 assists per game on better than 61 percent shooting and better than 56 percent from three.
He has proven himself during the last few weeks that time was his biggest beneficiary and has returned to the player Orlando aimed to plug and play when they acquired him from the Chicago Bulls in 2021. He is also a key component in taking a step back in their team's approach, modeling that of the top teams in the conference.
With the team's offensive identity tied inside the arc, Carter's length in the paint is a great advantage. Different from Bitadze, Carter can create his own offensive game. With his back to the basket, Carter has power and footwork finesse that allows Orlando to go to him as another sole offensive option, rather than just as a roller and an inside-the-pain option on drives.
His spacing is also a big threat for the team in a world where the best bigs in basketball can shoot the three-ball. Carter is not a super high-volume shooter but draws his defender out to the perimeter, spacing the floor for the Paolo Banchero/Franz Wagner wing duo to operate.
How the Orlando Magic can attack the last three months of the season
Win key Eastern Conference games down the stretch
The Orlando Magic's biggest advantage - and disadvantage -- is the jumbled-up Eastern Conference at this point in the season.
The Magic are just 3.5 games from the 5th seed and five games from falling out of the play-in completely. While that difference is relatively large, there is still a ton up for grabs between the six teams sitting 5-10 in the standings.
Orlando has recently begun to show its stark contrast between the top of the conference and teams closer to the play-in.
Two bad losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers in the last week show they are not at the level consistently, even with the early season surge against the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics of the world.
On the flip side, they have handled the New York Knicks (fifth in the conference) and Miami Heat (sixth) well, with a 3-1 record vs those teams in the last month. The Magic have seven remaining games against those six teams currently, with another four combined from the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets.
These are games Orlando needs to win down the stretch. The fight in and out of the play-in will be tight and head-to-head wins against those teams is something the team needs.
Orlando also has a torrid final three games of the season to deal with: visiting Milwaukee, and Philadelphia and hosting Milwaukee in the team's last game of the season. That is no joke. The Magic could come out of that stretch 0-3 (they are 1-3 against those two teams this season).
It will be a key last few months of the season. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will be at the head of a young team that has the opporunity to will this team into the postseason for the first time since the bubble in 2020, showcasing their worth as stars in the league.
They will be fighting above their weight class, but it is familiar territory for this team.