ORLANDO, Fla. -- There's an inherent risk that comes with placing a heavy emphasis on the result of one contest in an 82-game NBA regular season. As players, coaches and front-office types are prone to proclaim, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.
But the way in which the Orlando Magic reached the halfway point Monday night -- putting up 121 points while shooting almost 60 percent in a win at Chicago -- could serve as a springboard for a team which has had trouble establishing an offensive identity in Jacque Vaughn's third year as their coach.
At 14-27, the Magic remain on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference. On the bright side, they are only 3 ½ games out of the last of the eight available spots in a conference where very little has gone as expected this season.
The victory over the Bulls, coupled with earlier wins over the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat, showed the Magic can go toe-to-toe with some of the conference's best. And after an 0-15 record away from home last season against the Western Conference, they've achieved a degree of success in that category the past two months.
Improvement has been harder to chart in other areas. The Magic rank near the bottom of the league in scoring, offensive rebounding percentage and free throws attempted per game, while their defensive field-goal percentage is below the league average.
When the Magic have scored at least 100 points, their record is 10-1. The challenge in the weeks ahead will be getting them to resemble the team which worked over the Bulls rather than one which had problems breaking the 90-point mark during the six-game losing streak which proceeded that win. As Vaughn has said on multiple occasions, it's all about becoming more consistent.
Here's a glance black at the season's first half ...
MIDSEASON MVP
Nikola Vucevic
Coming off a season in which he missed 25 games with an assortment of injuries, there were questions about whether the 24-year-old center who received a four-year contract extension from the Magic in October could withstand the rigors of his line of work. Not anymore. Vucevic is averaging a career-high 18.8 points while continuing to rank among the league leaders in rebounds per game. His confidence on offense may be at its highest point yet after scoring 34 points Saturday night at Portland and 33 Monday night at Chicago, with his emphatic driving throwdown dunk over Bulls center Pau Gasol already a sensation on highlight shows and social media. Except for a six-game stretch where his back flared up, his health has not been an issue.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Tobias Harris
When training camp began, the talk regarding the Magic's offense centered largely on the signing over the summer of forward Channing Frye and the expanded role which second-year guard Victor Oladipo would have following the departures of Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson. Harris had started in less than half of the Magic's games in 2013-14 and, unlike Vucevic, did not receive a contract extension. But the 22-year-old forward has raised his scoring average and 3-point shooting accuracy in addition to coming through in the clutch with a pair of game-winning shots.
BEST MOMENT
Overcoming a 23-point third-quarter deficit to win at Charlotte on Nov. 21
The Magic had already made significant strides toward erasing the stigma that came with their franchise-worst 4-37 road record from last season. But to nearly match the largest comeback in their history, and to do so against a playoff team from the previous year, was a revelation. Ben Gordon, whose career was thought to be on its last legs after Charlotte waived him last March, helped lead the charge as the Magic outscored the Hornets 41-21 in the fourth quarter and pulled out a 105-100 victory. At 10-15, the Magic have more road wins than the Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers and the same number as the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. It's at home, where their record is 4-12, that success has been more elusive.
TOP ROOKIE
Elfrid Payton
Aaron Gordon was the first of their two lottery picks, but the forward out of Arizona hasn't played since Nov. 15 because of a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot. Payton has proven to be far more durable; he's the only member of the Magic to have appeared in all 41 games, including 22 starts. While he's not averaging as many minutes a game as Oladipo did a year ago or being asked to do as much on offense, it's worth noting how much better his assist-to-turnover ratio is than Oladipo's was. Opposing teams are still daring him to shoot from anything beyond 12 feet, and a free-throw percentage of less than 50 percent is inexcusable in a point guard. But the Magic are understandably pleased with the progress Payton has made at a difficult position for any first-year pro.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Oladipo and Payton working together
The Magic are 4-8 since Vaughn chose to make Payton a starter and bring Evan Fournier off the bench instead of the other way around. While Vucevic scored at will for three quarters against the Bulls, it was Oladipo who was the primary offensive option in the fourth quarter of a game where Payton turned the ball over just once in almost 33 minutes. If the Magic want to create more of their offense from their defense, it stands to reason that a team without a shot-blocking inside presence will need to rely on the quick hands of both Oladipo and Payton for steals which can be converted into fast-break opportunities.
SECOND-HALF PROJECTION
No one can foresee injuries, and no timetable has been given for Aaron Gordon's return. But it's essential for this team, and for Vaughn's job security as well, to finish with something of a kick. The Magic went 4-20 in March and April two years ago and 5-17 over that stretch last season, numbers which won't suffice this time around. Focusing on a specific win total shouldn't take precedence over getting one of the NBA's youngest rosters to work more as a unit. If that happens, the victories will follow.
You can follow Ken Hornack on Twitter @HornackFSFla or email him at khornack32176@gmail.com.
