The Orlando Magic have missed the playoffs the past four seasons, with each ending in a losing record. The last time they made significant waves in the Eastern Conference was back in the Dwight Howard era when they made consecutive trips to the conference finals, even making it to the NBA Finals in 2009.
Now, the expectations are high once again with a new coach and seven new players expected to play significant roles for the team. Newly-appointed head coach Frank Vogel appeared on Monday during the team's media day and gave his thoughts on what his expectations for his new team are. And he certainly doesn't lack the belief that the Magic will have a successful 2016-2017 campaign:
“I wouldn’t be this way if I didn’t really believe in this team. I don’t think you can fake that type of talk, that type of belief. I really believe this team has what it takes to make the playoffs and have success in the playoffs.”
Much of the credit can be given to general manager Rob Hennigan who put together a squad with a lot of depth and versatility.
With the addition of veterans Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, it gives the team defensive anchors who know how to win. Both have shown their wares in the playoffs and contributing to the success of their previous teams. Add them to the core of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier, the Magic are instantly a more dangerous team than last year.
Asked about his thoughts on his new lineup, the youngest GM in the NBA, at 34-years-old, had this to say:
“Everyone is excited about the makeup of the team and the depth and versatility that we have. Now it’s on us to go out and prove that we can do it.”
Both Ibaka and Biyombo also shared their optimism and excitement to play for their new team during their time on the microphone. When it was Vucevic's turn, he addressed the possibility of being a sixth-man after being the go-to-guy last year, And without hesitation, he made it clear he was open to the idea and would like to see how it benefit them:
“It feels different, a lot of new faces on this team, but I’m excited. We have a lot of new guys on this team, a lot of guys who can help us win. So I’m excited to get to work and see how that works out.”
It appears that from the front office up to the players, everyone in the Magic organization is looking for ward to the start of the coming season. If they show the same enthusiasm on the floor, it might translate to more wins for them which serves as bad news for other teams. The situation in Orlando is definitely worth monitoring and how much success they'll achieve this year? Only time can tell.
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