NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
As we slide towards the middle of February the Orlando Magic sit in 13th place in the east with a record of 21-32. And in their last ten games, a .500 record with wins over some of the big boys of the eastern conference, and in that sentence is the problem with the season. This is a team that shows signs of maybe battling for a play-in game one night and lottery-bound the next. A full-on brawl against the Timberwolves overshadowed the fact it was one best road wins this year. Showing grit fighting back ON the floor and getting the W. My question was where has this aggressive Mo Bamba been all year? The NBA trade deadline is coming soon and the Orlando Magic have some choices to make with a roster of young talent. The Magic are the only team in the league with 3 wins against teams with the league’s best record go figure. Jonathan Issac made his long-awaited return to the lineup and will work his way back into shape which means expect the defense which has been suspect to improve which always helps.
It has been so much fun to see Markelle Fultz healthy, ballin, and happy. This is what the 76ers wanted when they made him the top pick but injuries, bad coaching, and win now mentality derailed that. He is thriving in the Magic Kingdom and has shut up a lot of people in the process along with this year’s number-one pick and run-away rookie of the year Paolo Banchero. This is an important few months for the Magic they have been at the bottom for so long and now through the draft and free agent signing some were frowned on.
Who do they keep and who is not part of the next phase of the rebuild? We have seen it before a team gives up too soon on a long play only to see them shine elsewhere. Names like Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram come to mind and that is something this organization can’t afford to do. The rash of injuries that beat this team up over the years seems to be on vacation and coach Mosley goes 10-11 deep game to game. The running joke on social media was how many guards does this team need well now it is which one of the guards stays put. Giving the young fellas playing time they can count on is a big part of the next phase so moves will and should be made.
The new front office has shown they have an idea of what they are doing and now the next thing is roster improvement, is this the head coach for them? A spot in the play-in game would be huge and if for some reason things end ugly changes will be made. Jamahl Mosley has to lock down his rotations in order to really see what type of team he has. You can’t do that playing 11 guys in the NBA this isn’t Kentucky in the NCAA. Based on this season alone you have a pretty good idea of the players who aren’t going anywhere Banchero, Fultz, and Wagner off the top of my head. Will we see Mo Bamba, RJ Hampton or Terrance Ross moved on deadline day?
Thursday will say a lot about where this team is and where they want to go. Cash to burn and pieces to use this could speed up phase 2 of the rebuild or set it back. One thing I am sure of this is the journey of this team is far from over and the real fun is only about to begin. The time to rebuild is coming to an end and getting WINS is almost here. Show who you ride with and help TEAM NBS Media by grabbing the latest gear. And continue to check in with us for more NBA coverage and Orlando Magic talk.
