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Orlando Magic: 3 reasons they’re not tanking properly

By Luke Duffy

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 03: Dwayne Bacon #8 of the Orlando Magic pours water on R.J. Hampton #13 of the Orlando Magic after defeating the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on May 03, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. 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. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 03: Dwayne Bacon #8 of the Orlando Magic pours water on R.J. Hampton #13 of the Orlando Magic after defeating the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on May 03, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. 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. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /
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Houston Rockets
Orlando Magic (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Reason No. 1 the Orlando Magic tank isn’t working: Others are worse

For all the talk about it being hard to actually lose every game and be the worst team in the NBA, somebody has to occupy that spot. Right now that belongs, as it has for much of the season, to the Houston Rockets. This shouldn’t be a surprise when you consider they lost James Harden early and committed to nose-diving from that point on.

But with a record of 16-50, and playing in the tougher Western Conference, it is simply too hard for the Magic to try and be worse than them. The Rockets may have guys like John Wall and Christian Wood who are legitimately good players and clearly want to win. But it gets murkier after that.

Victor Oladipo didn’t stick there, although that was likely because the Rockets didn’t want to contemplate having to pay him in the near future. The OKC Thunder are another organization that is just better at being bad than the Magic right now too. They also already have a ridiculous amount of first-round picks coming their way over the next half-decade.

They have also been shrewd in “resting” players, while their great hope for the future, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has been injured for much of the year, playing only 35 games. Contrast this to the Magic, who started the season with hopes of getting back to the postseason for the third straight year.

Injuries stopped that dream early while trading away their core was the signal to move into a rebuild. The problem is that there were already guys on the roster, such as Mohamed Bamba, who not only have a point to prove and were looking for an opportunity but were around a playoff-level team.

Combine that with a head coach in Steve Clifford who preaches playing high-level defense, wants to win and doesn’t seem to care about the long-term future here (and with his job possibly on the line, why would he?), and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a young team that will lose games. Just not enough to be the worst in the league compared to others.

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