The headlines and conclusions are easy to reach as the Orlando Magic continue to lose and lose and fall out of the Eastern Conference Playoff picture — although 2.5 games is hardly out of the conversation. Losing 11 of 12 games and having just one win with two games left in the month is enough to raise alarm bells.
Orlando Magic management likes to operate in secret. They do not speak to the media very often — general manager Rob Hennigan gave a midseason checkup interview to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that revealed very little information — and it is still unclear what direction the Magic will go as the February 19 trade deadline approaches.
The only thing that seems clear as the Magic reach the bottom of their season (or what many hope is the bottom) is this is a flawed roster in need of improvement.
That is about where the simplicity ends. As I wrote for Orlando Magic Daily last week, the Magic are indeed in a very big pickle:
Orlando is in a weird place. And it is firmly because their motivations for this season are not exactly clear.
Ask the players and the coaches and the goal is clearly to make the Playoffs. That is and should be the team’s goal, of course. The team is too close to the postseason to think otherwise.
The Magic could use some reinforcements to get there. The power forward position needs some beefing up and the team is in desperate need of a backup point guard withC.J. Watson out.
Orlando though has repeatedly told the media and fans that it is in the business of winning championships. Chasing the eighth seed by giving up an important long-term piece for a few short-term wins or an expiring contract.
This was the general sentiment from other sources. The Magic have a lot of young players they are trying to figure out and see where they fit. Each game — and each win streak or losing streak — teaches them a little bit more about their future and which players they might need to move on.
That information is not complete though. So the Magic are shopping with a discerning eye, but are likely looking to buy at the trade deadline, Steven Covella of Orlando Pinstriped Post wrote a few weeks ago:
With a few exceptions, Orlando has a young roster across the board, which can present two different approaches. Exchanging some younger players for veterans and a playoff berth could result in a valuable experience for the team’s remaining young core. On the other hand, the Magic’s green roster could have you thinking, “What’s the rush?”
The taste of the Playoff conversation and a 19-13 start to the season had everyone around the team thinking big. The goals for going to the Playoffs that the team have were — and to some extent still are — in focus. The losing this month has driven the Magic to an extreme low.
It is easy to abandon ship or do something quick to fix the team and steady it short term. But Rob Hennigan has always been playing a long game. His goal was to collect assets and build a team up to compete for a championship eventually.
The only way the Magic trade in one of their long-term pieces is because they no longer believe in them or they will get something in return that will help them beyond this season. The organization hoped to make the Playoffs, but beyond the coaching staff and players, that was not the end goal for the 2016 season.
The team wanted to see progress so it can better assess where the team is at. The real team building begins this summer when those tough decisions need to be made.
There is still a good team in this current Magic squad. They got out to that 19-13 start and made everyone believe. They are every much that team as they are the one that has lost so much in January.
As the trade deadline comes closer, the Magic will test the market. They will see what they can get. But they are not going to make a move just to make a move. They are not going to make a trade to salvage this season somehow. There should still be enough faith to right the ship.
The Magic remain a patient bunch when it comes to building up their team. They are not going to rush into any decision. And they will be thinking beyond this season with any move.
If they were not, there would be a lot more alarm bells going off around Amway Center instead of the dogged determination to figure this out and get back on the right track.
