This season was all about progression for the Orlando Magic. And though they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Aaron Gordon says the team “learned how to win.”
“I feel like we learned how to win,” Gordon told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com. “That was one of the things that had been lacking here the past few years — a culture and a know-how. Coach Cliff did a great job of instilling that and our guys did a great job responding.”
The Magic finished the regular season with a 42-40 overall record, which earned them a No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. From there, Orlando went on to face the Torinto Raptors in the first round, where they were defeated in five games.
Despite the fact that the Magic were bounced from the postseason, the team showed true signs of progression. Last season, Orlando won just 25 games. This season, with new head coach Steve Clifford calling the plays, the Magic made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Though his team is young, Clifford says inexperience did not play a role in Orlando's early exit from the postseason:
“We weren't afraid, we didn't play well enough,” Cliffiord told ESPN.
Gordon played a big role in Orlando's success this season. In 78 appearances with the team (all starts), the former No. 4 overall pick racked up averages of 16.0 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field (34.9 percent from beyond the arc), 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 33.8 minutes per contest.
If the Magic can maintain this level of play, there is a good chance that they'll be back in the playoffs next season.
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