Evaluating the Current State of the Orlando Magic

Led by Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic, the Orlando Magic are steadily moving in the right direction, but will a recent slump call for a coaching change?

In 2012, the Orlando Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Despite qualifying for the postseason six years in a row (2007-12), the team made just one NBA Finals appearance, a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

To make matters worse, the future of franchise player Dwight Howard became unclear after he voiced his desire to be traded. In addition, a herniated disk kept him out for the latter end of the season.

The organization was in the midst of a front office shakeup as well. After the playoff loss, Magic management parted ways with general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy. The franchise then hired 30-year-old Rob Hennigan to be the new GM, making him the youngest in the league.

Hennigan’s first move as the team’s new GM was a major one; he hired former 12-year NBA player Jacque Vaughn to be the new head coach. Although Vaughn had no prior NBA head coaching experience, he spent a majority of his career playing for coaches with championship pedigrees, such as Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers and Byron Scott (who did not win a title as a coach, but as a player).

The young executive then made headlines across the nation by sending Howard to the Lakers in a massive four-team deal involving both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets. When all the dust settled, the Magic received Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Josh McRoberts and Christian Eyenga.

With Howard gone, several new pieces in the fold, and Vaughn taking the reins, Orlando’s rebuild had officially begun. Over the next few years, the team would draft Andrew Nicholson, Kyle O’Quinn, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Roy Devyn Marble and Elfrid Payton (who was acquired in the 2014 draft via trade). J.J. Redick would be traded to Milwaukee for a group of players that included 2011 first-round pick Tobias Harris, Afflalo would be traded to Denver, Glen Davis would be bought out of his contract and Jameer Nelson, the final link to the old regime, would ultimately be waived.

Now in year three of the rebuild, the Magic are beginning to show signs of progression. Vucevic has emerged as one of the league’s best young centers and Harris has made enormous strides as well. With Nelson and Afflalo gone, and Payton getting valuable experience running the point (he is averaging 10.8 points and 7.2 assists per game since the start of 2015), Oladipo has been able to focus on playing the shooting guard position instead of playing both backcourt positions, and his numbers have increased dramatically from his rookie campaign. Last season, he shot just 41.9 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from 3-point range. This season, he’s converting on 45.6 percent of his attempts and 37.9 percent of his 3-point shots.

Moving forward, a big challenge for Orlando will be frontcourt depth. Gordon just recently returned after missing two months to a foot injury and he lacks the ideal size of an NBA power forward. Channing Frye isn’t a long-term solution and Nicholson, the team’s first-round pick in 2012, has lost substantial minutes to O’Quinn. With prospects such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Myles Turner, Cliff Alexander, Montrezl Harrell, Trey Lyles and Kristaps Porzingis likely to declare, expect the Magic to once again target the power forward position in the 2015 draft.

Another decision the Magic will need to make is whether or not they want to extend Harris, who is reportedly interested in signing with the New York Knicks this coming offseason. The fourth-year forward has been instrumental to Orlando’s success this season. The team is 2-5 in games he has not played.

Lastly, the team must decide whether or not Vaughn is the right fit to remain head coach. Orlando has lost 13 of its last 17 games, and many fans have been calling for his job.

And they have a right to be concerned. The team has given up over 100 points in the last 10 games and just recently dropped a game to the Knicks, who are 8-37 on the season, despite leading late in the fourth quarter. After the game, Vaughn called out his team for a lack of defensive effort, but fans have questioned whether or not his messages are reaching his players anymore.

Currently, the Magic are 15-33 and rank just 24th in offensive efficiency and is tied for 23rd in defensive efficiency.

However, the Magic have the fifth-youngest roster in the NBA at an average age of 24.9 years old. Take away Frye and Ben Gordon and that number falls to 23.7, which is 0.3 points lower than the youngest team in the league (Philadelphia).

Teams go through losing stretches. Some of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, including Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto and Washington, have struggled at various points in the season. But if Orlando fails to snap out of its current slump, management may decide to fire Vaughn and bring in a new voice to lead the franchise’s youth movement. For now, fans will need to wait and see if the team can regain its footing and end the season on a high note.