Orlando Magic: Finding positives in suspended season

The Orlando Magic were in a good groove before the suspension of the NBA season, but there are positives they can take from the forced break in play.

With the shocking news coming late Wednesday night that the NBA season was to be suspended for at least 30 days as a result of the coronavirus, players and fans alike were left reeling by the realization that there would be no basketball during what is a hugely important time in their calendar.

The playoff races were heating up, and college basketball was about to enter its best time of the year, March Madness. Now that has been scrapped too, and while the safety of everybody in these tricky times is the top priority, it feels weird to not have basketball of any kind to watch and talk about in March.

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For the Orlando Magic, the timing of this stoppage was even worse, as they were in the midst of a good run of form that had seen them climb to the top of the offensive rating standings over their previous 12 games. Something that had looked less likely than a global pandemic gripping the world as recently as January 1st, the same night Jonathan Isaac went down with an injury.

They had figured out how to be much more potent on the offensive end, getting guys like Terrence Ross and Nikola Vucevic going more consistently. This had led to them in a tussle with the Brooklyn Nets for the seventh seed in the East, while also ensuring that the Washington Wizards, who themselves had shown signs of improvement, were kept at arm’s length.

Now though that momentum has been halted, and it is about trying to find positives in what is a situation the likes we have never seen before. Basketball is secondary to the health and wellbeing of everybody the world over, and this should and will remain the priority while the league is put on ice. This is a basketball website though, so let us try and find positives for the Magic at this time.

The obvious place to start is with Isaac. If the season starts back up again and they decide to finish out the remaining regular season slate before starting into the playoffs, then having Isaac back would be a huge boost. Even more so because the Nets would still likely be without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, giving the Magic a real chance to overtake them.

We have to assume that, because the Magic are wildly inconsistent offensively anyway, that they would come back from this forced hiatus rusty on that end. This would cause them to lean on their defensive play once more, the very thing they built their identity around. Isaac was a key figure in this, and having him back on the court would only help.

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Isaac was having his best season, and although he still has a lot of growing to do offensively, he was developing more of a two-way game. That would be hugely beneficial for a Magic outfit that won’t be able to rely on hot scoring forever. Another person who could help in that regard is Al-Farouq Aminu.

Aminu has been missing since last year with a torn meniscus, and it was thought he would be gone for the season. After a rough start to life in Orlando, he was beginning to figure out how to have an impact on the court in a different role. Again this was based on defensive play, and with Aaron Gordon always likely to miss time through nagging injuries, having Aminu back would be a plus.

If getting a fully healthy roster back to play games is the obvious positive at a time like this, then perhaps the break in play actually helping some people is seen as less of a good thing. However, there is no doubt that Markelle Fultz, despite having some brilliant games for the Magic, was struggling with the grind of the season.

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He has surpassed every expectation fans had of him this season, and with this being his first proper campaign there was always going to be a dip in play. Giving Fultz some time away to continue studying film and work on a jump shot that still has a hitch in it could pay off big in the long-run.

Again, Fultz has been one of the Magic’s best players this season. He plays at his own pace, finishes brilliantly around the rim and has an ever-improving midrange game. Alongside D.J. Augustin they have made the team’s long-standing point guard woes disappear. But some time to catch his breath at a time when he won’t be scrutinized for it is no bad thing.

Finally this may give head coach Steve Clifford a break as well. Clifford has done some great things with the Magic, with the top of the list being getting them back to the playoffs last season in what was his first year in charge. But his own health issues have cropped up before, both in his previous role as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, and as recently as last week.

We all like to think we know best and would do a great job as a head coach in the NBA, but the reality is that it is a tough job with many long hours spent toiling away to give your squad an advantage. Clifford has always come across as a hard-working coach, and being able to recharge the batteries could ensure he helps take the Magic to the next level when they return.

All of the above are small positives to take at a time like this, but that’s the reality we are facing into right now. No basketball for the foreseeable future, leaving us to try and find bright spots in dark times.