National Basketball Association

Rob Hennigan as frustrated with Orlando Magic as fans

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:22 p.m. ET

Fansided, Philip Rossman-Reich/FanSided via Orlando Magic Daily

Rob Hennigan continued his media circuit this week, stopping by Scott Anez’s show on ESPN Orlando and sharing his frustration with the team’s progress.

There is a fair amount of frustration when it comes to the Orlando Magic this season.

The team traded away fan-favorite Victor Oladipo for Serge Ibaka and went on a big spending spree to add some veterans and speed up a rebuild that was progressing but progressing very slowly. For Magic fans, the prospect of missing the Playoffs for a fifth straight year was completely foreign to them.

Generally, in a rebuild, a team is selling its future. So there have to be signs of progress internally and a general sense of progress on the floor too. Expectations certainly raced ahead with this particular Magic team, with management and players stoking those fires.

In fairness to them, after winning 35 games last year and filling the roster out with veterans, it did seem the Magic were poised to take a little bit more of a serious leap. Even with a mismatched roster.

Things have decidedly not gone according to plan. Orlando is 18-29, on pace for 31 wins total, five games out of the Eastern Conference Playoffs and, as of now, trailing the Philadelphia 76ers by percentage points in the standings.

It is all not a good look. And as general manager Rob Hennigan took to the media airwaves for his midseason interviews, he expressed and assured fans he is as frustrated as they are with the team’s disappointing season so far.

Hennigan was on Anez in the Afternoon with Scott Anez on ESPN before Tuesday’s game and acknowledged the heat he is feeling from fans.

“I would say it’s more than a little disappointing, to be honest. We’re not where we want to be. We’re behind where we hoped to be and expected to be.
I think the season has been very up and down. A little bit more down lately than up. As I look at it, there are a few things that stand out. I think one, we have to improve. We have to. Bottom line.

It’s not good enough. I put that on myself. I’ll take full responsibility for that.

I think as we have watched the team over the course of the season, the biggest frustration at least to me is the polarizing play. We’ll show stretches where it’s in there and then there will be stretches where you’d say where did it go or why aren’t we playing better. I think that is the root of the frustration. I’m convinced internally we have enough to turn things around defensively for sure. That was our plan all long. Of course, it’s my job to aggressively and actively look to improve externally where we can.”

This echoes much of what Hennigan said in his interview with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel too. The Magic expected this team to do more and be better, particularly on the defensive end.

Orlando is ranked 21st in the league in defensive rating. This after finishing third in the defensive rating in the first 21 games of the season. The Magic have not been what they expected at the beginning of the season.

And that has stoked frustration, both internally and externally.

That frustration has certainly put a lot of pressure on Hennigan and his job security. While he has said he does not think about his future with the team as he prepares for the next phase of the rebuild, he understands fans feeling frustrated.

“I think it’s warranted. Quite frankly, it’s a good thing. I think the passion the fans have is great. I love the fact they are trying to grill my behind. This job is so complex and there are so many layers to this thing. The rebuilding project that we’re on is hard. We’re not looking for excuses. Absolutely not.
But we still feel like we have done a solid job. Have we done a perfect job? Absolutely not. But we also don’t think we’re that far away. We really don’t. We think we’re a tweak or two away. We think there are still some things internally we need to clean up. I think it’s a good thing and it comes with the territory. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

I think the passion the fans have is great. I love the fact they are trying to grill my behind. This job is so complex and there are so many layers to this thing.

The rebuilding project that we’re on is hard. We’re not looking for excuses. Absolutely not. But we still feel like we have done a solid job. Have we done a perfect job? Absolutely not. But we also don’t think we’re that far away. We really don’t.

We think we’re a tweak or two away. We think there are still some things internally we need to clean up. I think it’s a good thing and it comes with the territory. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Fans can judge for themselves whether to take Hennigan at his word or roll their eyes in frustration at these comments. Certainly, Hennigan is trying to justify himself and to provide some hope for fans. But it also seems to be what he really believes. Or, maybe, what he has to believe for now.

The frustration with the team’s inability to take that next step up is as real online as it is in the front office.

Of course, what everyone wants to know from Hennigan is what comes next? That, Hennigan is probably going to keep closer to the vest. And fans will have to wait and see where the Magic go next.

Whether that will satisfy everyone . . . everyone will have to see.