Orlando Magic: 3 ways they can turn things around
By Luke Duffy
The Orlando Magic’s postseason hopes are faltering, but here are three ways they can get their playoff push back on track.
The Orlando Magic were one of the hottest teams in the NBA heading into the All-Star break, but they have cooled off since the exhibition game in Charlotte. They’ve gone 5-6 since then, but it is the games they’ve lost and the manner in which they’ve done so that has been more frustrating.
Losses to lottery-bound teams such as the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzles have deflated their playoff push that, at one point, had them dreaming of the seventh or perhaps even sixth seed.
Now they’re on the outside looking in again, with Tuesday night’s road loss to the Washington Wizards being another damaging one that dropped them to 1.5 games behind the Miami Heat for the 8-seed. They made up some ground by beating the Cavaliers on Wednesday, but they still find themselves on the outside looking in with time running out.
They have also allowed the Wizards to force their way back into the race, something they could have put a big dent in if they were able to pull out a victory in the country’s capital. Despite the worrying vibes around the organization right now, all hope is not lost.
The Magic have still managed to beat both the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors since the All-Star break, and boast a top-10 defense during that span as well. Clearly there is a playoff-caliber unit in there somewhere, but the lethargic attitude they have displayed recently has led to some damaging losses.
The following are three things head coach Steve Clifford can do to try and revive their postseason push with the end of the regular season now in sight. A couple more losses though, and they can begin planning for next season.