Pivot Points: In the Midst of Turmoil, Has the Magic Faded in Orlando?

Lately, the Orlando Magic have fielded a team that has in no way resembled the NBA Finals Runner-Up squad of 2009, and their viability as contenders for this year's championship has dimmed in the face of a revealing slide.

The Magic have lost seven of nine games and are in a slump that has exposed fundamental flaws in their make-up, which threaten the very foundation upon which Orlando stands.

In many circles, the addition of Vince Carter was celebrated because he was seen as an athletic upgrade over the departed Hedo Turkoglu, able to physically excel in areas where Turkoglu was lacking.

That may be true, but the one area where Turkoglu rated higher than Carter was ball-handling, and that aspect has come back to haunt the Magic as of late.

Turkoglu's ability to create shots for his teammates, and his tendency to assume primary ball-handling duties at the end of games is something which was taken for granted.

Carters' end-game rituals of ill-timed three-point shooting is a poor substitute for the stability that Turkoglu represented and is a primary cause of the Magic's recent woes.

In addition, it seems Carter is reluctant to explore the merits of creating scoring opportunities off the dribble rather than launching constant bombs from the perimeter, often unsuccessful in his efforts.

Turkoglu could shoot from distance but he recognized the value in getting to the rim and creating chances for teammates or getting to the free throw line himself.

The Magic have been reduced to taking more shots from the three-point line than any other team in the league, and the consequences have weighed heavily on the play of center Dwight Howard.

Howard's numbers are down in every category, and he rarely receives the ball in a position to attack, something rare when Turkoglu was at the helm due to his ability to draw defenders with penetration.

Howard has been working on an even more awkward version of Tim Duncan's back board jumper, but it may be more out of necessity rather than development because Howard has often found himself pushed to the perimeter.

He has been forced to scramble for the countless rebounds resulting from the Magic's errant shots, or he has had to fight to find position to receive his teammates' passes from the perimeter.

Passes made more difficult due to the lack of penetration from any of the Magic's players and at a glance, there are really no players who seem capable of rising up to meet the challenge.

The Magic consist of an odd assortment of perimeter-based players, with no acumen for the mid-range game. The two most likely candidates, Carter and forward Matt Barnes are much more comfortable shooting from distance.

Compounding issues is the size difference in Carter and Turkoglu, another aspect which worked to the advantage of the Magic because it created miss matches in most games.

Carter is 6'5", a height that is among the most common in the NBA and one that every contender in the league is able to consistently match with a glut of players.

That distinction was paramount in the success of Orlando in 2009 and was one of the main catalysts in the Magic's defeat of Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.

No longer, as the Magic find themselves embroiled in a battle for their own division against the surprising Atlanta Hawks, a struggle Orlando could very well lose this season.

That would mean a likely fifth place finish in the East and the task of having to get back to the Finals along the most difficult path imaginable, something which would probably consume the Magic.

Coach Stan Van Gundy appears incapable of correcting the issues and the once-reliable defense has even become shaky under the weight of the Magic's strains.

Orlando finds itself locked in a battle not only to repeat as finalists, but for their very playoff lives, and finding a way to mask their short-comings may prove to be the greatest magic trick of them all.