Orlando Magic Are Ready To Make Playoff Push After Deadline Deals

Before the All-Star break, the Orlando Magic were looking like a team that was destined for the lottery yet again. Losers of 16 of their previous 20 games, the Magic knew that they needed to shake things up in order to make a second-half run. GM Rob Hennigan did this by shipping Tobias Harris and Channing Frye out of town, and bringing in two Scott Skiles favorites, Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova, to help stabilize the roster and bring in veteran leadership that can actually contribute.

Most say that the Magic have effectively signed out of the 2015-16 season, but I beg to differ. What the Magic really did at the break was do some addition by subtracting. It was clear that Harris wasn’t fitting into Skiles’ system and Frye had outstayed his welcome. With Harris and Frye gone, the Magic can now take solace in the fact that the roles on the team will be clearly defined.

Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic are now the building blocks of the franchise, and Evan Fournier, who is having a breakout year, will now get the starting small forward nod for good. Aaron Gordon has solidified himself as a perfect complement to Vucevic in the frontcourt, and with an improved bench, the Magic will now be heading into a critical game against the Dallas Mavericks tonight at the Amway Center looking to make a push for the playoffs.

Orlando sits only three-and-a-half games back, so the playoffs are certainly within reach. The main question is have the Magic retooled their roster to the point where a playoff run is possible? I think they have, and it will be interesting to see what the new-look Magic can do in the second half of the season.