Orlando Magic's leaders will get tested to close season

The Orlando Magic find themselves looking up at the Playoffs as they prepare to rally after the All-Star break. Their leaders will have to guide them home.

Last year, the Orlando Magic were new to the whole playoff thing.

The vibe around the team was all about the novelty of winning for the first time. They did not know what they did not know.

They played relatively free. Even sitting in eighth in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break, Orlando was optimistic about what it could do to close the season. The Magic caught fire and held on until the end of the season to make the Playoffs as the 5-seed.

After the All-Star Break, they went 17-10 and zoomed up the standings. This set up this season, when the Magic believed they could achieve much more.

Perhaps they still can. Orlando has been injured for most of the season and has not seen themselves at full strength.

The vibes at this year’s All-Star Break are different.

Orlando did not go into the break this year feeling good about themselves. They went into it losing 17 of their past 25 games and having not won consecutive games since Dec. 23, posting the second-worst net rating in the league since then.

Orlando is trying to right the ship for this important sprint to the finish, hoping to make up ground. Health would go a long way. But the Magic still believe in what they can do and what they have yet to show.