As you all know, SportsChump is a website by the people and for the people, so when I asked my dear friend and fellow long-suffering Magic fan to contribute a verse, his excitement about the Magic’s upcoming playoff chances could not be hidden. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly give you… Mr. Bradley!
We’re back! Playoff time, boys and girls…or should I say Play-in. Regardless of the gimmick, we’re in the post season, and it hasn’t been a smooth journey. From the inexplicably rare injuries to star players, to the highs of the gritty effort of the next man up, to the bittersweet return of a prodigal son, this season is one to remember…and it aint’ over yet.
Looking back, it’s difficult to understate how excited we Magic fans were for this season. The Magic were entering the season with playoff experience, a new championship veteran, and a chip on their shoulders. It was time to show the league that we had arrived. However, in dramatic irony fit for Shakespeare, our arrival was met with departures. First Banchero, who had just dropped a 50 burger, left with a rare core injury. Then, after several games of Franz reminding the league he’s star, he loses first his older brother Moe (arguably the heart of the bench) to a season ending ACL injury, then he loses himself with the same mysterious injury as P5 (the Trainer in the Locker Room with the Lead Pipe?). Jalen Suggs, who was also beginning to thrive in the primary playmaker role, soon followed. Hamlet has nothing on the bodies the Magic were droppin’.
Still, this Magic team persevered. With time, our two big stars returned, and though it was rough going for a bit, our team ended the season strong enough to win the Southeast Division at .500, earning the bittersweet distinction of being the first team to win a division without a winning record. The Magic still have an opportunity to make a statement this season, and it starts tonight against the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In game.
The season wasn’t all tragedy. Off the court, there was at least one bright spot. On March 24, Dwight Howard was inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame. As everyone knows, Dwight was a monster back in Orlando. Thing about monsters, though, is that they tend to destroy, and that’s what Dwight did to the Magic when he stopped his way out of Orlando. Even so, before he Dwight departed, he left a positive mark on the franchise and the city.
Personally, Howard helped me convert a friend, a Bostonian immigrant who had suffered through the dark years of the Celtics, to a Magic fan. We both watched the kid grow, dominate, then depart. We both saw him return as we attended the Lakers game on Match 24 where Howard was celebrated. And though times have changed, for at least one night, we were both transported back 20 years to the first Magic game we both attended: a night of random trivia with Drew Garabo on Church Street (he had a morning show in Orlando at the time) ending in free Magic tickets for a game that very same night. The rest is history.
Once upon a time, I thought Dwight Howard returning to be inducted in the Magic HOF was as unlikely as John Cena turning Heel (Cena’s Heel turn has been disappointing to put it lightly…but that rant is for another time). I also thought that we may never see another number one pick with his potential until my kids had kids. With the arrival Paolo Banchero a.k.a. P5 a.k.a. Biggy Bron, I am glad to be wrong. And starting with tonight, the whole league will start seeing how they’ve been. Go Magic!
So…forget about my Point-counterpoint idea on Dwight Howard. A long-suffering Magic fan feels like a great installment of Tales of Depression and Sorrow 🙂
It’ll be an interesting off-season for Orlando, DB, to say the least.
We’ll learn a lot about this team from this series against Boston. How competitive can they be? Will they put up a fight or get run out of their respective buildings?
How will their guard play, or lack thereof, affect them and what will this mean as far as how aggressive they are in the free agent market, especially when they are traditionally not?
Either way, they looked damn good against Atlanta because they played to their strengths.
Let’s hope that continues for as long as it can.
Yea, sorry it took me so long to get back to ya’, Dubs.
A good friend Dave was nice enough to contribute this piece for me. Another friend and I debated Dwight Howard’s place in Orlando Magic’s lore, history and the HOF mid last year.
Although this preceded any mention of him hanging out, allegedly, at any oil parties.
https://sportschump.net/2024/05/20/debating-the-second-superman-sportschump-and-michael-lortz-discuss-a-dwight-howard-return-to-the-magic-and-the-possible-retirement-of-his-number/25108/
Either way, the Magic’s rafters are more difficult to get into than Canton.