Hoops Habit
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Orlando Magic: Revisiting the decade that was the 2010s

By Luke Duffy

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 23: Head Coach Stan Van Gundy talks to Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 23, 2012 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2012 NBAE (Photo by Jim Rogash/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 23: Head Coach Stan Van Gundy talks to Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 23, 2012 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2012 NBAE (Photo by Jim Rogash/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic
(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2012-13

The previous season’s disastrous ending had been no once-off, with Howard spending the summer making it known that he would be walking away from the franchise. The Magic had to make their move or else risk losing him for nothing, and on August 10th he was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Facing down the barrel of a rebuild that was forced upon them, the Magic did not have a good season. They won only 20 games, and in late May canned Van Gundy when it was clear that they were going to have to put a long-term plan in place to rebuild a roster that had been falling apart around the edges, even with Howard.

It was certainly unclear then, but things were not as bad as they seemed. The Magic had traded for Tobias Harris from the Milwaukee Bucks, while a young Montenegrin center named Nikola Vucevic had come over from the Philadelphia 76ers in the deal that sent Howard to the Lakers.

https://twitter.com/MagicNationCP/status/1196265111070986242

The Harris deal saw Redick go in the other direction, and while this was a sad day, Redick’s value was high and he was coming into his own and was better suited on a playoff team. Harris, on the other hand, was young and had a lot of upside, so it was understandable, if not painful, to watch the deal happen.

Looking back at the positives, it was great to see Nelson stick with the roster that was around him and try to make the most of a bad situation for him personally. He was a great guy to have around the young players, and both he and Arron Afflalo did their best to steer the Magic in the right direction on a nightly basis.

Interestingly if you look at that roster now, the Magic had a lot of young players who would go on to have serviceable careers in the league. They were too young to make a difference in Orlando, but it was the launchpad for guys like Kyle O’Quinn to get paid elsewhere and E’Twaun Moore to find a home with the New Orleans Pelicans.

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