Orlando Magic Last Season Performance
In the 2021-22 season, Orlando Magic finished with the second-worst record in the league. That is the ultimate measure for any team and for any success in this league. You are what your record says you are and there is no denying the Magic was one of the worst teams in the league, that is something that will hang on this team.
At the same time, the Magic was expected to be bad. Perhaps even designed to be bad. This was a young team with a young coach that would need the space and ability to grow. Throw in the usual spate of injuries that every team faces, and it was always going to be an uphill climb.
The amazing thing about this Magic team was how the losses never seemed to be discouraging or debilitating. They remained focused on their long-term goals and building something from the ground up. The Orlando Magic knew the 2021-2022 season would be difficult. But the team saw the growth it wanted from young players, but also some big concerns during the season.
On one hand, the Magic played together and showed signs of their potential success. There were a lot of positive signs the team showed both individually and as a team. There was a lot to be excited about as the Magic continued to put pieces in place.
But we can’t deny that the team had all the characteristics of a bad team. They got blown out and beaten up. They were inconsistent. And there was very little they actually did well. The team has positive spots, but a long way still to go.
The goal for the Orlando Magic in many ways was only to show a shade of who the team could be. The outlines of what the team will be when it is ready to compete. In that sense, the season was a success. Orlando successfully established the foundations for the team’s future.
As mentioned before, at the end of the day, teams are judged on their record. And while part of the process this year was to set the team up for the Lottery success they ultimately experienced, it is still a long journey to go from 22 wins to 50 wins and contention.
Orlando Magic Off-Season Changes
Looking at each of the Orlando Magic moves under an individual microscope leaves a pretty positive impression of the front office’s work over this summer period. But adjusting that lens so as to take in the bigger picture reveals that there is still a great deal of uncertainty looming in the years to come.
The Magic definitely used this offseason to position themselves to be ready, in the next twelve months, to capitalize on the type of opportunity that can shift a franchise’s fortunes. What remains to be seen now, however, is whether that necessary confluence of circumstances will eventuate, a fate which in many ways is largely out of the team’s hands.
The moves made this summer have ensured that a foundation is now firmly in place in Central Florida. All that’s left is to hope that the team actually gets the chance to complete the envisioned building process in the near future.
Orlando Magic Key Additions
The Magic entered the NBA’s annual Draft armed with the number one overall pick and a cloud of some uncertainty looming over the focus of their selection to come. When word leaked in the final 24 hours that Paolo Banchero was the likely choice it was a surprise, but certainly not a shock, the talented forward from Duke may not fit the typical physical mold of a Welt-Ham selection, but his scoring nous and heliocentric offensive projection is almost precisely what the current outfit in Orlando requires.
The fit with Wagner should be ideal, as two players of similar profile (at least in attack), capable of producing with or without the ball. He will have to prove it on the field, but the Italian-American opens the campaign as the top candidate to win the 2022-2023 Rookie of the Year.
Also, Orlando picked up Caleb Houstan, a wing with some proclivity for shooting and a chance of sticking on the roster’s fringes in the years to come. One could quibble over any number of guys still on the board at that particular slot, but it’s ultimately a long-shot swing with a suitable best-case scenario.
Orlando Magic Key Subtractions
Orlando’s only departure during the off-season was Robin Lopez, who went on free agency and ultimately joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was engaged with fans and just made the vibe around the team more fun. The Orlando Magic following will definitely miss him on the roster.
Orlando Magic Head Coach Analysis
In 2021, When the Orlando Magic hired Jamahl Mosley as the new head coach, it was understood the hiring was based on his player developmental skills.
For the team in its first year of a rebuild, this would be important. The Magic were also going to measure success this season based on the individual development of young players. They were never going to be judged on their record.
At the same time, the season still has to be about the beginnings of what this team will be. The Magic want to build a style and begin taking steps toward competing, even if the results would not be there.
During the off-season, Mosley hit on three keywords that the team had to play with to be successful. To play with pace, space and the pass had Magic fans excited for Orlando to play with pace and run in transition more to go along with a much more aggressive defense.
The team is still carving out its identity. The Magic have the second-worst record in the league and the worst record in franchise history to this point in the season.
Some of the team’s biggest criticisms came into sharper focus after the Orlando Magic lost a 14-point lead with 4.5 minutes to play in a loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
There are plenty of areas where the Magic have not shown the progress they have wanted to see. Then again, several young players especially have improved dramatically as the season has gone on. And the team has yet to see itself at full strength.
Mosley deserves credit for this improvement and for the team sticking together and staying bought in through all the losing to this point of the season. They are seemingly improving and it feels like the team will find its success once they are healthy again.
Orlando Magic Betting Prediction for the 2022-23 Season
Unsurprisingly, the Sportsbook has the Orlando Magic at +100000 odds to win the 2023 NBA Championship and at +50000 to win the Eastern Conference. How confident should one be in a largely unchanged 22-win team? Banking on the youth to be better with another season under the belt is sound at the surface level, but history has routinely demonstrated that talent development is rarely linear.
Add to that some concern over continuity actually turning into complacency, along with the old adage that if you’re not actively improving you’re actually going backward, and it’s easy to see how the Magic’s quiet offseason could make for another lean year.
Should the Magic have done more this offseason? Did they miss a chance to inject needed talent? The answer to both of those questions is probably no, as the team is still far enough from their final form to justify another season of evaluation and development, and the vast majority of options out there didn’t project as major needle-movers.
Orlando Magic Team Leaders
Orlando Magic Team Ranked Stats
Orlando Magic Team Summary
Orlando Magic Team Injuries
Orlando Magic Team Schedule/Results
Orlando Magic Team Standings
Orlando Magic Team Roster
Orlando Magic FAQs
When was the last time the Orlando Magic made the playoffs?
The Orlando Magic last made the playoffs in 2020, when they lost the Eastern Conference First Round. They’ve been in the playoffs a total of 16 times in their 34 seasons.
Do the Orlando Magic have a chance of winning the Eastern Conference title?
It’s very unlikely that we’ll see Orlando pulling off enough wins to even reach the upper half of the standings. As mentioned before, they’re far from their final form, and it might take a while to see them improve in a considerable manner.
Have the Orlando Magic won an NBA championship?
The Magic have not won an NBA title, but have appeared in the NBA Finals twice, in 1995 and 2009. The best record posted by the Magic was 60–22, in the 1995–96 season.
Why Are the Orlando Magic part of the NBA?
The Orlando Magic were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA in 1987 along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves.
