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Orlando Magic: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20

By Luke Duffy

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 7: The Orlando Magic huddle up during a timeout during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 7, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 7: The Orlando Magic huddle up during a timeout during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 7, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic
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1. Will they be any better?

Optimism about Fultz aside, the biggest question the Magic face is if they will be any better this coming season. On paper, the answer is yes, and yet it may not be as straightforward as that. What they do have going for them is continuity and knowing that the players they brought back have already gotten them to a certain level.

While that is all well and good, there is now a need to go up another notch. With that, we can ask new questions, such as whether Vucevic’s All-Star level campaign last time out was a flash in the pan? He’s now been paid $100 million over four years, so was this simply a big man in a contract year looking to get paid?

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Similarly, Ross also got his money, and while his skill-set is much more in demand in the league today, there is every chance he regresses too. What if Aminu disrupts the growth of Gordon and Isaac simply by taking minutes from them because he could prove to be an immediate upgrade defensively that is too good to have on the bench?

Having both Vucevic and fan-favorite Birch on the roster means that Bamba won’t get all of the chances he would like to show he is the center of the future for the Magic. These are all potential problems that didn’t exist last season when the franchise had a happier go lucky feel, and were just happy to be winning games and chasing the eighth seed.

Now is time for the young players to begin growing up, something not everybody is convinced will happen to the standard required to be consistently good again in Orlando. More worrying again is if the Magic do have a disappointing campaign, there is not a lot they can do about it outside of getting creative with trades.

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They are locked into this roster for the next couple of seasons, and by that point rookies like Isaac, Bamba and most intriguingly Fultz will be looking to get paid. So while last year was one of little pressure and some memorable wins against better opponents, the bar has been raised for this season. Seeing if they can clear that bar is the biggest question they face in 2019-20.

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