Can Orlando Magic Right Ship to Salvage Season?

The Orlando Magic will not be able to salvage their season due to the strong competition in the Eastern Conference.

The Magic have already suffered through the Dwight Howard trade rumors, but even throughout that they managed to hold on to the third spot in the standings for most of the season. 

Injuries struck the Magic after the trade deadline, as they lost the likes of Howard, Ryan Anderson, Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu to injuries. 

More controversy and distractions emerged when Stan Van Gundy told media members that upper management informed him that Howard wanted him to be fired.

The statements quickly started a firestorm with the media and created another distraction.

More than that though, the comments may have caused Van Gundy to lose his team. Coaches normally preach to their players to keep problems inside the locker room and to handle issues behind closed doors.

However, Van Gundy spoke to the media instead of meeting with Howard about what he had asked management in a private manner. Van Gundy's decision may reflect that his relationship with Howard is beyond repair. 

The main goal of upper management has to be to convince Howard to sign a long-term extension with the team. If removing Van Gundy would help persuade him to stay, then the team would likely remove the fiery coach.

This will make it harder for the team to rally around Van Gundy during the crucial stretch of games that are to come. The Magic will be entering the playoffs under a cloud of unrest and chaos, which is not exactly the condition that a team would like to be in when entering the postseason.

Since the All-Star break, the Magic have only gone 12-10, losing to the likes of Charlotte and Detroit.

Orlando is currently 34-23 and holds the sixth spot in the conference. They have a chance to move as high as third, as only one game separates them from the third-place Pacers. 

The Magic will face either the Celtics, Hawks or Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. Their best chance to get out of the first round would be against Indiana, as Orlando owns a 3-1 regular season record against them. 

A matchup against the Celtics would be a tough one for the Magic. They are 0-2 against Boston and scored just 56 and 83 in the two meetings. 

The Celtics play great defense and quickly close out on their opponents' three-point shooters. This strategy would likely stifle the Orlando offense, just as it already has twice this season.

The Magic and the Hawks have only played twice this year, with a third meeting to come on the April 13. Atlanta prevailed in both of the early season meetings, though both games were close. Josh Smith dominated in both meetings, with Anderson having a very difficult time against Smith and his versatile game.

If the Magic are able advance to the second round of the playoffs, they would almost certainly face either Chicago or Miami. 

The Magic own a 2-2 record against their rivals from South Florida, and Howard represents a major advantage when matched up against the options the Heat can employ at center.

The Heat hold a major advantage at the shooting guard and small forward positions, with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James playing those positions respectively.

Wade has averaged almost 30 points per game against Orlando this season and it is highly unlikely that Jason Richardson or JJ Redick would be able to keep Wade in check throughout the series.

The Chicago Bulls have a 2-1 record against the Magic. In their last encounter, the Bulls demolished the Magic in Orlando without Derrick Rose. 

Chicago plays even better defense than Boston. Fortunately for the Magic, however, Howard has been more productive against Chicago than against Boston.

Nelson would have to play an amazing series to give Orlando any chance of beating Chicago, though that outcome would still be unlikely.

When the season began, the Magic were considered a second-tier team, as few truly thought they could compete for the NBA title this season. While the team has had a good year, it appears as if the naysayers were right. 

With the uncertainty surrounding Howard's future, Magic fans should enjoy this postseason because it could be the last time the team makes it for the next few years.