ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic are on a four-game losing streak after falling to the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.

However, the second half of their road trip could provide stronger fortunes as they face off against two of the rebuilding teams in the Western Conference in the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. Then, they will return home to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup. These games will offer the Magic a chance to dig themselves slightly out of the hole they've put themselves in early in the season.

Why I'm Encouraged About the Magic

The Magic have been dealt some pretty poor cards to begin the season. Not only have they faced one of the more challenging schedules in the league, but they have also been stung by the injury bug right out of the gate. Paolo Banchero has only played in two games, while Jalen Suggs has appeared in three. Anthony Black started the season on the sidelines, and Desmond Bane missed his first game in two seasons with the Magic due to an illness.

However, the last game against the Warriors saw a little bit of progress being made.

Despite playing without Banchero, Suggs, and Bane, the Magic were able to turn a 16-point deficit into a lead late in the contest. The game ultimately went to overtime, and Orlando came out on the wrong end of the result against a pretty strong Warriors squad on the road that was playing with their full lineup.

"I thought we did a good job and got some good looks. Some guys made some big-time plays, and I thought, in general, we did a great job on the offensive boards," Magic head coach Sean Sweeney said postgame.

"It was a point of emphasis for us. We had a number of guys get 3+ [offensive rebounds], and we have to keep that up. I thought we did a great job taking care of the basketball throughout the night. Point of emphasis for us was taking care of it. We got those turnovers way down, so we have to keep doing that and build on it."

The Magic spent their entire offseason transitioning to Sweeney's new system under the impression that they would have their full roster healthy. Plans changed early in the season, forcing everybody to adapt early on. Unfortunately, it has pegged the Magic into a hole that they will likely spend the entire rest of the season trying to dig themselves out of.

Games like the one against the Warriors, even though the result did not end up in their favor, are a sign that things could be changing soon. The hope is that playing weaker opponents will allow the Magic to take advantage and pick up some wins, confidence and momentum.