Orlando Magic: 3 key areas of growth in 2018-19
By Luke Duffy
The Orlando Magic improved in a lot of areas throughout the 2018-19 NBA season. Here’s a look at the top three areas of growth.
Heading into the 2018-19 NBA season, the Orlando Magic looked like a franchise that still had much work to do in order to get back to the postseason. We all know now that they ended up proving everyone wrong on the way to finishing 42-40, but a lot went into this unexpected success.
Going as far back as two summers ago, shaking up the front office was the first block put in place that led to the improvements seen this year. Then came some smart, albeit often injured, lottery picks in the form of Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba, with the hiring of Steve Clifford as head coach sandwiched in between.
Although the Magic were one of the surprise teams of the season, if you look at the ground work that was put in, it becomes less surprising. Still, certain aspects of how the team played and just how well it performed in some areas couldn’t have been foreseen, and should be applauded appropriately.
Not everything went Orlando’s way, but there was a lot to like about how the team handled its business. It should also be mentioned that, while coach Clifford was responsible for getting players to buy into what was happening on the court, there were some standout performers who made these improvements possible too.
Center Nikola Vucevic is one example, with the first time All-Star being an unselfish yet dominant offensive presence that everything else spun around. Without his style of play, or that of the steady D.J. Augustin and two-way star Aaron Gordon, these improvements wouldn’t have been possible. The roster is improved, and that is a huge plus heading into next season.
Here’s a look at three key areas of growth the Orlando Magic exhibited in 2018-19.