41Games in : Halfway Talk and Team Awards.

Orlando is a team with a promising future and it looked as if that future would look bright, even with a 12-13 record a quarter if he way through the season, and a trip to Toronto that could leave them at .500.

But what followed was he beginning of a freefall which began drop heir season into the territory most experts expected them be in the first season the post-Dwight Era. During that run, he Magic showed flashes of the upstart squad that could give even the best teams in the league a run for their money, and sometimes even win.

After 42 games, he Magic have lost twice as many games as they have won, and look to be headed to he lottery. Is there any reason to think his squad can put together a streak that will like them up for a furious finish and a playoff berth?

It would make for a great story, but it would also eliminate Orlando's chances of a lottery pick as well in 2013. With the improvement of young team such as Detroit and Washington and the chemistry of playoff teams, Orlando would have to put together an impressive run that rivaled their double digit losing streak from late December to early January.

Can it happen? Maybe, but it would take some collapses from the Eastern Conference teams and possibly committing to he current roster, which may not be in the franchises plans.

But, if you're a Magic fan, it's set to take a keen interest in March and June. March, because of the NCAA Tournament which may have a future Magic player, and June be aide of the Draft, which may see some moves and maneuvering by Orlando.

Orlando's Losing Streak ... Number By Number

1.

The number of games that the Magic lost by double digits during the 10-game losing streak. The final Saturday of 2012 saw the Magic lose 123 - 88 to the Toronto Raptors at home. Nicholson had a nice showing that night, but Toronto raced out to a 36-21 lead after one quarter, and hardly slowed down. The Magic were without starting Jameer Nelson, but that night Toronto's 3pt percentage (55.6%) was almost as good as its field goal percentage (56.1%). A healthy Nelson that night at least would not have been able to prevent the hot shooting.

2

Overtime games lost by Orlando. One to Miami at home, and another to Portland on the road. Orlando's effort against Miami was fantastic, capped off by a franchise record in rebound by Nikola Vucevic, who nearly out-rebounded the Heat by himself (29 to Miami's 33). But, in the last game of 2012, Miami made just a few more plays than the upstart Magic that night.

In Portland, Orlando did hold a double digit lead in the second half, but Portland quickly made up the gap and ended up leading by the time the fourth rolled around. In both games, the factor was a scoring kick needed to finish the games strong. Orlando showcased a flash of that when they went on a 7-2 run to end the game in regulation, capped off by a Jameer Nelson 3-pointer. They also lost because of a reliance on the long ball, missing 5 of 6 in the extra frame.

3

Games that were lost by three points - On the road against Toronto and Denver and at home against New Orleans. Against the Hornets and Raptors, the Magic were playing back and forth all night and missed potential game-tying threes in the final seconds of the game. They were pretty even in terms of rebounding and shooting percentage.

In their most recent game against Denver, Orlando held a sizeable lead in the fourth, but they could not match Kenneth Faried's relentless pursuit of rebounds and Andre Miller's unorthodox offensive game. The true backbreaker came in the final minute of the game where Orlando allowed valuable time to tick off the clock, only to give up an easy layup to Andre Igudoula.

The Magic were in the top 10 for a while in terms of points allowed, but this current streak has seen them give up over 100 points 6 of 10 times. On bright spot is the ball distribution by Orlando. They are 7th in the league in terms of assists as a team.

4

Games in 2013 that the Magic have lost so far, 2 at home and two on the road. All against winning teams, but losses nonetheless.

5

Nikola Vucevic's current double double streak stands at this number of games right now. The last time he didn't notch double digits it was in points and rebounds against Toronto on December 29 in their only blowout loss of the streak. His averages since then? 15.6 points and 17.2 rebounds. Yeah, I think Nikola is working out just fine at the five, even if he has fouled out of the last two games.

6.

 Seasons its been since the Magic have not made the playoffs. Streaks can make or break a season, and a losing streak such as this is tough to recover from, even in the anemic East, where you can usually get in with a losing record. Davis' injury is definitely a big reason, but let's not place all the blame on that event. The Magic are integrating a new set of players and they also have management possibly working on moves concerning the vets on the team as well. Vaughn is doing a great job of making it work in the midst of this unfortunate streak.

7.

The jersey number of JJ Redick, who is averaging 15.7 points, 3.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds per game. He's also shooting 37.9 from 3-point range and has a 39.7 field goal percentage. He should be in the running for sixth man of the year, but awards like those are reserved for guys who lead the bench on a playoff team. Redick attempts and makes the most 3 pointers on the Magic and is apart of their game-finishing lineup. Although the Magic are in the midst of a losing streak, Redick is maintaining his improvement, and could be an important piece come February should the Magic want to make a move.

8

Of the eight single-digit losses, none were by one point. This is also Jameer Nelson's eighth season in the league. He leads the team in assists and steals.

9

Jameer Nelson's rank in the assists in the NBA. Of the 10 games lost, he's had double-digit assists in two of them.

10

Collegiate Players currently in the Magic rotation right now. That's ten players who have at least had one year at a level where they can learn the discipline it takes to stay on the court and to learn how to work together with guys who were the best in the areas that they came from as well.