Orlando Magic: 10 Things To Look Out For This Season

When you know right off the bat that a team is probably not going to even make the playoffs before the season has even begun, success is measured a little differently. This is how it will be for the Orlando Magic this coming year, but it does not have to be all doom and gloom. They have reached the bottom of the basketball barrel and are a team back on the up. With that in mind, look out for these 10 things to happen this season for the Magic. If you think that something different will happen as the season grinds on, by all means leave it in the comment box below.

1. The Magic To Actually Win Some Games

OK, so of course the team will win some games, they aren’t Charlotte Bobcats setting records-bad. They won’t even be Philadelphia 76ers bad either, but look out for the Magic to spring some surprises a catch out a contending team that is rolling. It won’t happen often, but a couple of victories away from home against the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers or even the Miami Heat is likely. Teams will underestimate them and the Magic will use this to their advantage to win.

2. The Magic To Go On A Big Losing Streak

Sadly this is also a great possibility. In the same way good teams can go weeks without losing, Orlando may find that they may go a similar amount of time without a W. This is part of the process of course and assuming the players respond to the defeats in the right way, will help them grow as players. It will also result in playing in front of a fairly empty AmWay Center some nights, but that’s just the way it is.

Jameer Nelson may not finish this season in Orlando. (NBA.com photo)

3. Players To Be Moved Before The Deadline

The current roster as we know it will surely see some changes before the February trade deadline, even the players within the team will know this. It will more than likely be a veteran player like Jameer Nelson or Arron Afflalo headed for the exit door or Glen Davis, if he can get healthy again, but what we do know is this team has a couple of makeovers to get through yet. The bones of a team are there though and that is an encouraging sign.

4. Tobias Harris To Not Play As Well As He Expects

This is no slight against Harris, as it stands right now both he and Victor Oladipo are the true bright spots for the organisation. But recent comments about how he believes he can bean All-Star this year will only have put a target on his back, something which didn’t need to be there. He can now expect the Kevin Durants, LeBron Jameses and Paul Georges of the league to go hard against him every night they meet, ensuring a tough time for the young Harris. Add to that slight concerns over the durability of a sore ankle he has been playing on recently and it would seem he will fall short of his personal goal. Still in line for a great season though.

5. Nikola Vucevic To Have A Breakout Year

The term breakout is probably overused in this league and usually a ‘breakout player’ leads his team to the playoffs or to a level of success that didn’t seem possible. In that sense the Montenegrin will not be having a breakout campaign, but there is no doubt this coming year can be a building block on what may ultimately be an All-Star nod further down the line. He defends well, has a silky touch and knows where the basket is. The Magic are more athletic than a lot of other teams, but it is Vucevic’s rebounding and defensive skills that could really shine this year.

6. Glen Davis To Contribute In Some Way On His Return

Although currently injured with no timetable for his return, there is no doubting Glen Davis can be an emotional leader for this bunch. Depending on which Davis makes it back to the court, the overweight one we’ve witnessed before or the slimline and effective power forward, he can make a difference in spots for this team. Although hardly a stretch four when playing, his jumper and general rugged play may free up some time and space for more gifted teammates. Little is being said about Davis at the moment but once back in uniform, expect him to help in a number of ways.

7. Victor Oladipo To Struggle

It’s inevitable that the young Oladipo, the second pick in this year’s draft, will have barren periods. His preseason play has been great to the point where there is now an air of expectancy about what he can do on a nightly basis, but it won’t be like this. He may well start with a bang against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but a safer bet would be to see him start slowly, before growing into the game as the season progresses. Sprinkled in there will be the nights where he goes off on an unsuspecting defense and the games where he is totally shut down. It is how he responds to those poor periods in his game, when the media are picking at him, that we will begin to see just how far Oladipo can go.

8. Kyle O’Quinn To Start Some Games

In three preseason games that he has started this year he has been poor, but with Glen Davis injured and Tobias Harris a multi-talented specimen, O’Quinn can expect to start some games. Although far more effective off the bench in the other preseason games he has played in, it makes sense to see what O’Quinn can do when given starter’s minutes. This is a season of exploration, after all, and O’Quinn’s 6″10″ frame will certainly come in handy during the 82 game stretch the team will go through.

Jacque Vaughn will finish the year on Orlando’s bench. (NBA.com photo)

9. Coach Jacque Vaughn To See The Season Out

There are many quality coaches currently unemployed at this moment in time. Should things turn ugly quickly, the temptation from Magic HQ would surely be there to bring a bigger name in to bail Vaughn out of any mess he gets the team into. This won’t happen though, everybody would appear to be on the same page with regards to the road this team is on, with losing a part of the bigger picture. Vaughn is no slouch himself, having worked under the great Gregg Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs. There may be calls to sack the coach by some during any poor spells, but they go hand in hand with rebuilding jobs. Vaughn won’t get the chop this year.

10. Dwight Howard And The Houston Rockets To Lose In Orlando

It’s impossible to call at this moment in time, but you just get the feeling that when Howard rolls into town, this time in the red of the Rockets, that the Magic will have an inspired night driven on by a near full house to steal the win. It won’t be a pretty game either and while Dwight has already been back to his old stomping ground with a new team, the Los Angeles Lakers last year, he has given Magic fans too much ammo to use against him for things not to get ugly. Expect chants of “crybaby” and the odd sign dotted around Amway Center about how he ran away from the pressures in L.A. Also look out for Tobias Harris taunting (dunking on?) Howard, while wearing Superman’s No. 12 jersey. A win here and Magic fans wouldn’t care if they lost the next 20.

Well, is there anything else you feel should be added to this list? Or are some of the points made here too ridiculous or silly to actually happen? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

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