The Magic haven’t made the postseason since 2012, but they’re in position to push for a playoff spot this year. While their 20-27 record puts them just 11th in the Eastern Conference, they’re only 2.5 games removed from the No. 8 seed. And, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details, Orlando’s veterans are feeling pressure to earn a top-eight spot or risk having the roster broken up in the offseason.
“We’re not stupid,” Evan Fournier said on Monday, per Robbins. “We know if we don’t make the playoffs this year, this is probably over for us as a team.”
As Robbins writes, after the Magic fell to 19-27 with Saturday’s loss to the Bucks, Nikola Vucevic conveyed to his teammates that there wasn’t much room for error if the club wants to reach the postseason. According to Fournier, Vucevic said that the Magic’s next three games – starting with last night’s win over the Hawks – “were basically our season” and that they needed to come out with some urgency.
“I just told the team that this is it,” Vucevic said. “These next couple of games we have to get some wins. Otherwise, it’s going to be very, very hard for us to achieve our goal to get to the playoffs. I just wanted to make sure that they understand that, that every game going forward for us is a big game. But it has to be done now.”
Fournier has another guaranteed season on his contract after this year, plus a player option for 2020/21, so he could return to the Magic even if the club shakes things up this summer. However, Vucevic and Terrence Ross will be unrestricted free agents, and if Orlando makes major changes, those changes might also involve trading a veteran like Fournier. For his part, the 26-year-old Frenchman says he and his veteran teammates are hoping this isn’t their final run with the Magic.
“We like it here,” Fournier said. “We like to play with each other. We’re starting to get better (as a team), and we’ve been struggling for so long here, we want to see the results. We’ve spent so many times and hours with the Magic. You want to see it work, you know? It’s like when you’re trying to make it work with your wife. You want to make it work. It’s not like you want to change wives. It’s the same thing (with the Magic). So, yeah, of course, we want to have great moments together.”
The Magic will look to build on Monday’s win with games against a pair of Eastern playoff hopefuls on tap for Wednesday (at Brooklyn) and Friday (vs. Washington).
I love stories like this. Too many players looking to jump to a better situation nowadays. Good to see guys committed to fighting to make it better over the long haul.
On the other hand, how sad is it that a team sitting at 20-27 is in the playoff hunt?
Magic need a point guard and a wing 3 and D guy and they could b a playoff team. They have talent all around except at point and next to Fournier
I agree, yet 3&D Terrence Ross is supposedly a popular trade target.
It might be a bit radical but how about this
Magic get
Wesley Matthews
Dennis Smith Jr.
Mavs get
Timofey Mozgov
Mo Bamba
a pick or two
Bamba was loved by the Mavs during the draft process. Smith and Matthews would cover the two glaring holes on the Magic roster. The pick could easily be a 1st or 2 2nds. I think at least 1 pick would need to be included because of Mozgov.
It’s a big risk for the Magic, but if they resigned Vucevic, then it is not nearly as vital to keep Bamba. If they don’t resign Vucevic, then they are probably a lottery team with or without Bamba. So it would be a worthwhile gamble in my mind.
Unlike most teams where the urge is to say “blow it up”, the Magic could actually could do that, because of good individual trading enticements combined with the losing record.
But as I’ve said using various metaphors (i.e., the FO is more gun-holding than trigger-pulling?)… I predict the trade deadline will arrive too soon for them to act.