The Orlando Magic have reached the end of what can safely be called the most difficult year in the franchise's 23-year history.
The season was filled with drama, controversy and injury. It now culminates with a brutal end-of-year schedule.
When the Magic take the floor against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, it will be their sixth game in six different cities over the span of 11 days.
No wonder head coach Stan Van Gundy rested all five of his starters in the regular season finale Thursday in Memphis. If they had been forced into action against the big and physical Grizzlies, the players may have had grounds for an unfair labor practice lawsuit.
But as the postseason arrives for Orlando, there is, at last, a bit of good news. In case you missed it, the Magic were discovering that one key player has been pushed back into the lineup.
Fans in the FedEx Forum on Thursday may have been asking themselves, "Who is that masked man?" It was Hedo Turkoglu, and he was back. After missing three weeks (10 games) with facial fractures (which required surgery), Turkoglu didn't miss a beat against a very good Grizzlies team.
The masked man's final numbers at the end of the night: 18 points (on 7 of 13 shooting, including 4 of 9 on three-pointers), two rebounds, an assist and a steal in 29 minutes on the floor.
You cannot overestimate the value of Turkoglu to the Magic, especially with Dwight Howard out for the playoffs.
With Hedo out of the lineup, Orlando was forced to play the undersized Jason Richardson at small forward. Richardson did the best he could, but on most nights he was overmatched.
Now, against Indiana, J-Rich will be able to return to his customary spot at the two-guard position, where he will not have to match up against 6-foot-9 Danny Granger. Turkoglu, at 6-foot-10, will at least force Granger to play against a defender even longer than he is.
The return of Turkoglu also gives the Magic some much needed depth.
If Hedo returns to the starting lineup, that will allow J.J. Redick to return to the bench. Redick has played very well with Turk out, averaging 16 points per game, but the Magic bench play has suffered. J.J. gives Orlando's second unit a primary scorer/ball handler, which will be critical against a deep and talented Pacers team.
If there is one Magic player happiest to get Turkoglu back for the postseason, it might be Jameer Nelson. With Hedo out, Nelson was forced to carry an enormous load on the offensive end. Turkoglu's ability to create shots for himself and others off the dribble and in pick and roll situations will take some pressure off Nelson. That should allow Jameer to be more effective overall during the course of what could be a long and grueling best-of-seven series.
Turkoglu was a key figure during Orlando's magical run to the NBA Finals in 2009. He averaged almost 16 points per game, distributed and shot the ball well and made clutch plays, including a game-winning shot in a critical Game 4 at Philadelphia with one second on the clock.
In last year's playoffs, Turkoglu was ineffective against Atlanta. He looked tired and worn down after a long regular season. He shot the ball poorly and seemed out of sync throughout the series.
No one wants to suffer the kind of injury Hedo incurred late in this season, but maybe the three weeks away from basketball was a blessing in disguise.
Maybe fresh legs and a refocused perspective will be a plus for the player and team against the heavily favored Pacers.
Maybe he will revive that magic of '09.
Maybe Orlando's masked man will come to the rescue.
