Nobody was completely satisfied with where the Orlando Magic sat in the standings as the season went on hiatus. A 30-35 record meant the team had to go on an 11-6 tear just to get back to .500. That did not seem likely, even with a favorable schedule.
In real terms, the Orlando Magic were one-half game back of the Brooklyn Nets for seventh in the Eastern Conference. Making the playoffs and positioning within the postseason are independent of a team’s record.
Last year, seventh in the Eastern Conference required 42 wins. This year, it probably was not going to need that much.