OMD Roundtable: Recapping the Orlando Magic's breakthrough season
The Orlando Magic were among the surprises in the Eastern Conference and the entire NBA this season. They broke through to become the fifth seed in the playoffs. Before those begin, we look back at a successful season.
The Orlando Magic had their fans worried in the last week of the season. They had everyone wringing their hands and frustrated with how their season was coming to an end.
Then in one euphoric moment, they came through. They rolled past the Milwaukee Bucks on the final day of the season at the Kia Center, giving their fans one more moment to celebrate.
The Magic had accomplished a goal that felt remote in October -- a dream that would require everything breaking right and the team growing in tremendous ways. Everyone believed and was optimistic the team would be more competitive than they were last year after their 5-20 start. Orlando knew what it was capable of doing and the team talked openly about the Playoffs all year long.
Still, nobody saw the Magic doing this. Nobody saw them fighting for homecourt advantage for much of the season or sweating the final week of the season with disappointment as they struggled to scratch out wins.
No doubt, this is still a very flawed Magic team. And getting to the Playoffs and being in a seven-game series was always the goal to begin exposing those flaws and pointing the way for this team to improve in the long run.
But this season also pointed to what success for this franchise and this team looks like. The Magic arrived early and looked far more competitive than anyone expected.
Orlando expected to be in this competition. The team expected to make the Playoffs from the beginning of the season when everyone else expected only modest improvement.
Regardless of what happens in the Orlando Magic's series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, this season has been an unqualified success. The team has established its playoff potential and everyone understands this is a team that is just getting started.
Still, there is a playoff series ahead of this team. There is an opportunity to win. And while the Magic are thrilled to be in this moment, this group is always greedy and wants more. They should not just be happy to be in the Playoffs. They deserve to be here and have a chance to win.
As we get ready for the Playoffs ahead, it is time to take stock of the season so far and how far the Magic have come and what this team has accomplished.
We gathered the Orlando Magic Daily staff to recap the season and what lies ahead for the Magic.