The announcement of the end of the season in Orlando had falsely suggested that the Magic would thus obtain a slight advantage: that of being hosted only a stone’s throw from the ESPN sports complex. But the bubble, tight to the comings and goings, also cut the Florida franchise from its usual world and the recovery did not go as planned for coach Steve Clifford: Markelle Fultz arrived along the way, Jonathan Isaac s ‘is seriously injured (see below), Aaron Gordon missed three matches (thigh), Evan Fournier was also kept out (3 missed matches) and Terrence Ross was forced to leave the bubble to treat burns. stomach.
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Fortunately – or not – for the Magic, its place in the play-offs was almost assured at the time of the “restart” and the Washington Wizards, the only pursuers, made a point of honor to quickly kill the suspense (7 defeats in 7 matches ). Clifford was thus able to distribute the playing time. But the goal of the Florida franchise, which hoped to grab seventh place to avoid Milwaukee, was not fulfilled, and here is Orlando in a situation identical to last season, launched in an impossible mission from the first round, against the Bucks of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Keeping the “Greek Freak” at bay could mobilize two to three players, leaving space for the lieutenants of the reigning MVP. Considering the states of freshness and the dynamics (Orlando has lost five times in eight matches), it is to be wondered if avoiding the “sweep” (a 4-0 defeat) would not already be a form of success for the Magic. .
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The story should be good for the winger: hit in the left knee on January 1, his season was in principle over. The recovery in Orlando had offered him the opportunity to replay and participate in the play-offs. Only, in his second game, on August 31, Isaac ruptured the cruciate ligament in the same knee. The press, ironic and clumsy – Internet users quickly denounced the easy correlation – immediately associated the serious injury of the 22-year-old with a gesture that had made him stand out: Isaac had become the first player not to kneel down land as part of authorized protests against injustice and racial discrimination. An easy shortcut that two weeks later gave way to a clear conclusion: without Isaac (11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds on average), Orlando has especially lost a major advantage of his starting five.
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