The season’s first quarter went by in a flash for the Orlando Magic.
They were riding high and basking in the clear leap their young star in Paolo Banchero had made. Only five games into the season, it seemed to come crashing down. Banchero was out indefinitely with a torn oblique. Things seemed pretty bleak.
Orlando’s goals from the start of the season seemed to fall apart. How would the team stay in the race for homecourt advantage when it just had to survive? It seemed like the season was flipped on its head.
The season’s first quarter went from the team trying to display its maturity and poise from its playoff experience to trying to survive.
Somehow, the Magic accomplished both missions. They survived thanks to Franz Wagner’s emergence as an All-Star-level player capable of carrying the team. They went 14-7 through the first quarter of the season (they are 16-8 now), sit in third place in the Eastern Conference and look capable of continuing to make noise in the Eastern Conference.
Everything is still in front of them.
That makes the season’s second quarter about something entirely different – integration and establishment.
In the next 20 games to the midpoint of the season, the Magic will work to establish themselves as a top-tier team in the Eastern Conference. They will also become whole again with Banchero’s anticipated return near Christmas. That will take its own adjustment as they reintegrate Banchero into the mix.
He will need his time to recover and reintegrate into the lineup.
That will come too at a time when the Magic’s schedule is stiffening up, even if this quarter will spend a lot of time inside the Kia Center – 11 of the next 18 games are at the Kia Center with the potential to add a 12th based on NBA Cup play).
Orlando will play 13 of the next 20 games against teams with records better than .500 (that includes the loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday). Orlando has only three wins against these teams through the first 21 games. The Magic still must prove themselves against the teams they will need to beat when the Playoffs begin.
Everyone knew this part of the schedule would be especially difficult. This is a proving ground for the team.
This is a key element for the team. In this quarter of the season, the Magic will establish where they sit in the conference.
Orlando got off to a strong start last year at 14-7 too. But they went 8-12 in the second quarter of the season. That sent them tumbling down the standings and made it a fight to climb back into a prime position. The Magic rallied late in the season to clinch the 5-seed.
They do not want to do it again. It is this quarter of the season when those goals come into clearer picture. These are the Tuesdays the Magic talked about where they needed more focus and attention to win.
The second quarter of the season will be as important as any other. The Magic have established themselves in the Eastern Conference pecking order. They got off to a blistering start.
The next 20 games will determine where their season ends and just how good they can be.
