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The Orlando Magic finished out their season last night losing to the Charlotte Hornets on the road 117-103.
Despite the tough loss and finishing the season with a 35-47 record (No. 11 in the Eastern Conference), the Magic are already looking towards next season. All NBA teams can begin negotiating with free agents on July 1, and the Magic are more than likely going to make a push for a quality All-Star. The Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford has been mentioned, among many others, as a great fit for the young Magic team on the rise.
Magic's Rob Hennigan: "We feel like we need to add experience to the team.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) April 14, 2016
A positive sight for Magic fans last night as Aaron Gordon, who suffered a concussion exactly a week prior, returned to game action. Gordon passed the NBA’s concussion protocol and was able to participate in the season finale. The young power forward wrapped up his season having played in 78 games, averaging 24 minutes per game and 9 points per game. After the game, Gordon expressed how frustrating it is to watch the playoffs and not be able to participate.
Evan Fournier, Orlando’s most consistent player, put in 22 points on eight-of-14 shooting. The notable guard will be a restricted free agent on July 1. This was his best season as a professional averaging 15.4 points and shooting 46.2 percent from the field.
Earlier in the season, Orlando was 19-13 and truly looked like a team that could make the playoffs. The club began to derail in January when it started giving up too many three-pointers and struggling to rebound especially, on the defensive end. Another weakness the Magic had throughout the season was preventing dribble penetration. Next season the team looks to drastically improve on the defensive end.
