I live close to Orlando, so although I’m a passionate Knicks fan, I can’t help but feel a little fervent pride in my home state of Florida whenever the Magic win a basketball game.
Out of 60 opportunities to experience that feeling, I’ve felt it 18 times. 18-42, with eight of those wins coming in the first 12 games, has been the story of the Orlando Magic this season. With the hype coming in virtually non-existent, the short-lived basketball success the Magic felt in the first three weeks was enough to get Orlando basketball junkies jumping out of their seats, to which they immediately had to sit right back down. Going 10-38 in the past 48 games is enough to finally throw in the notorious white flag, which means a team is tanking. The Jordan Davidsen Dictionary of Sports defines tanking as:
“… when a sports association, typically in the NBA, attempts to lose games in the latter half of an organized season, for the purpose of obtaining a higher draft pick, due to the principle in the NBA draft which allows teams with lower records to have a higher chance of drafting higher in the draft. Perfected by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and never even thought of by Gregg Poppovich.”
So yeah, it’s tank season for the Orlando Magic. But the goal of tanking is seeing the long run, so the question must be asked, what’s next?
THE NBA DRAFT: GOLD WAITING TO BE MINED
Some of the lower teams in the NBA (Hawks, Nets, Bulls, Suns, Kings) have no restrictions when it comes to this year’s talent-loaded draft class. A class with the potential to produce one of the greatest international players the game has ever seen in Luka Doncic, mammoth-sized yet skilled big men in DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, and Jaren Jackson Jr., and some of college’s most exciting guards in Trae Young, Collin Sexton, and Trevon Duval, has left NBA teams willing to drop it all and tank to get in on the future of the NBA. Most teams will take the best available players, but the Magic do NOT HAVE THAT OPTION.
As of right now, the Magic have very specific needs. They have some of the more underrated players in the NBA, and the pieces of the puzzle have to be put together. Right now their biggest need is a new face of the franchise, specifically at the point guard position. After trading Elfrid Payton for a second-round draft pick (which still confuses me), the Magic are in need of a young, confident guard who can put 
together basketball games and lead a team to victories. Although Trae Young is an amazing player, I think the Magic would be smart to target Collin Sexton in the draft. Young is a terrific shooter, but the Magic have a shooter at almost every position and a deadeye in Evan Fournier. Having Sexton, an aggressive and high IQ(ish) basketball player would be a more appropriate choice. I know they currently have D.J. Augustin dishing the ball at their point guard spot, but as much as I love him, he’s no longer in his prime and definitely not a franchise player. Having an aggressive playmaker in Sexton, whose charisma is enough to fill the entire Amway Center, would be a great stepping stone for future Magic success.
RE-SIGN AARON GORDON
Speaking of franchise players, the Magic have one who is going into free agency this summer in Aaron Gordon. He is restricted, meaning the Magic can match any offer that another team offers within three days and retain Gordon on the roster for the next few years. I say this opportunity is gold for the Magic, as Gordon’s 
charisma and fanbase will more than make up for the LARGE amount of money I predict he’ll make this summer. Originally just a flashy dunker, Gordon has blossomed into a player with unlimited potential, as shown by his three-point shooting increase and overall production increase on both sides of the floor. With the fanbase cheering Gordon’s name, and his several 40-point explosions this season, I think the Magic should heavily consider re-signing a young rising star in Aaron Gordon.
The Magic definitely have their work cut out for them, but I think these tips can start the Magic success the right way.
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