If the NBA season resumes, the Orlando Magic are going to need a big final stretch from these three guys to go into the playoffs with some momentum.
When we finally get back to the good stuff of having NBA basketball back, the Orlando Magic will resume their campaign in a funny position. They stumbled out of the gates to begin the season, despite many believing their continuity would stand to them, before turning into an offensive powerhouse just before the All-Star break.
That continued right up until the forced stoppage of play, and even though it looked like the organization had turned a corner on the season, the truth is there was still a lot of work to be done if they didn’t want to get swept in the first round of the playoffs. Especially if they remained in the eighth seed and had a date with the Milwaukee Bucks.
They needed some of their key players to step up, especially with injury and inconsistency to many of the guys on the roster meaning that their better players were rarely all in good form at the same time throughout the year. Even with the recent offensive explosion, not everybody was playing their best basketball of the season.
This needs to change once the games return, but in the cases of the players who will follow, it is for a different reason. One person who is also exempt from this list is point guard Markelle Fultz. He has surpassed all expectations by playing and starting most of the games this season, and finding his rhythm and some confidence.
It would be great if he could find another level before the playoffs, but the truth is that the organization can’t lean on Fultz yet because this is his first full season, and he is still just 21. Anything they could get out of him would be a bonus, although it is exciting to think about what he could look like in a couple of years. But a big closing stretch (whenever the season resumes, if it does) is required from the following three players.