Magic will meet higher expectations; 5 predictions
By Luke Duffy
3. They’ll drop some winnable games against lesser teams
One big issue the Orlando Magic had last season, even after they turned a corner and made a beeline for the playoffs, was their frustrating ability to throw away games that they really should have won.
Even more bizarre, was how they also beat much better opponents over the course of 2018-19, sweeping the season series with the Los Angeles Lakers while also beating the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.
Look for this trend to continue this season, because already we have seen the same attitude in two preseason losses. Yes, the result doesn’t matter, but the lack of energy and enthusiasm they played with, especially in a loss to the Celtics, was not what the fans wanted to see. It was a similar story against the Philadelphia 76ers as well, both home games.
What makes this especially puzzling is that coach Steve Clifford, of all the things that he preaches, places effort above all. It is the reason he is so fond of Wesley Iwundu and why Iwundu has found a home in the rotation since being drafted by the team. He works hard and for the most part all of the guys on the roster do.
This equated to a lot of wins last season, with superior opponents caught napping and hoping for an easy game against a Magic team who had done nothing of note for five plus years. But when the Magic themselves were the more favored team to win, they sometimes themselves exhibited that same behavior.
Hard as it is to believe, these are results from a season which brought a Southeast Division title, the seventh seed and a 42-40 record.
- Lost in overtime to Phoenix Suns
- Lost twice to the Chicago Bulls
- Lost by 38 points to the Charlotte Hornets
- Lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks
Had the Magic taken care of business like they were supposed to, while also catching other opponents off-guard, they surely could have pushed for 50 wins. That is a problem going forward though, because other playoff outfits aren’t going to sleep on them anymore.
With inferior teams looking to them as a scalp they can take as well, the Magic will have less margin for error. With that increased attention, and the issue of having lethargic performances across the board still evident in the preseason, this is something that is sadly going to happen again, more than once.