Magic president Jeff Weltman was hyping up the start of the regular season locally on the Orlando radio airwaves in the regular season’s opening week when he broached an interesting subject. In yet another crucial season for the franchise, which hasn’t won a playoff series since 2010 after being denied in painful fashion by the Detroit Pistons last spring, squandering a 3-1 lead, he preferred to fly under the radar.

“For everything we fought through last year, we actually acquitted ourselves well but I love being kind of, you know, not included in the elite groups in the East this year,” Weltman said on flagship station 96.9 The Game. “Just forget about us, let us go to work and let us have a modicum of health to come out and show who we are.”

Barely a week later, that ship had sailed.

Paolo Banchero was lost for at least the next month due to a high ankle sprain, marking the second time in three years that he’ll miss extended time. He was absent for 10 games last season, but given the current climate in the NBA, playing 72 of 82 should grant you ironman status. 

Jalen Suggs, who has only played more than 60 games once, is sidelined with a bone bruise in his right knee, so the Magic has had two starters down in addition to missing Anthony Black a few games. 

Injuries should never serve to help indict a front office for negligence. You can’t forecast guys getting hurt. However, not having the requisite depth to overcome key players going down, which has become an inevitable annual occurrence for Orlando in recent seasons, should invite harsh criticism of Weltman and his staff.

It’s still early, so a 2-5 start is no reason to pull the plug on the season. However, a four-game Western swing that begins in Phoenix and features games against the Warriors, Kings and Jazz following the matchup with the Suns is crucial. If Orlando fails to return with at least a split, they’ll be on the outside looking in of the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture when they next take the floor at Kia Center on Nov. 13. That’s unacceptable.

Oklahoma City is currently without starters Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. The Thunder just got back key reserve Alex Caruso and are nevertheless 6-2 after completing a sweep of a home-and-home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are 6-3 despite missing Anthony Edwards, who had topped the 40-point mark twice in his first four games. Detroit is without All-Star center Jalen Duren. Toronto lost Kawhi Leonard early. The Indiana Pacers just picked up their third win without Tyrese Haliburton available for a few weeks and releases injury reports longer than Costco receipts.

There are no excuses in professional sports. There should be enough to withstand the absence of Banchero and Suggs regardless of how long they sit. Last season, the Magic did fight through adversity, which Weltman is right to be proud of. They’re going to have to do the same, which will become a mirror to how well this Magic roster has been constructed. 

Black, who didn’t get extended this offseason, will become a major x-factor. Wagner, no longer playing with his older brother because Nikola Vucevic was deemed a better option, has to continue to improve and help the two-time All-Star become a more significant contributor than he’s been to date, averaging just 3.1 points and 3.0 rebounds while playing 9.6 minutes per game.

Jase Richardson, no longer a rookie, has shot 33 percent (7-for-21) since moving into the starting lineup, missing all nine of his 3-point attempts. He’s done some nice things on both sides of the ball as a connecting piece, but can he continue to improve?

Tristan da Silva, Jamal Cain and Jevon Carter joined Wagner, Desmond Bane, Wendell Carter Jr. and Richardson as Sean Sweeney’s main rotation in Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards, who unexpectedly currently lead the Southeast Division. The Magic were outscored 19-9 in the third quarter and ended up falling 103-94 to remain winless at home.

The Magic are still crawling towards this next step they’ve been chasing for years. One could say their latest postseason appearance yielded painfully obtained progress since it led to the end of a five-year Jamahl Mosley era that produced two division titles and three first-round exits even though the team blew a 3-1 series lead to top-seeded Detroit.

We’re going to see if Sweeney, fresh off an NBA Finals appearance as a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, is the answer. What stands out about what  Weltman said as he was attempting to get fans excited about the months ahead was his answer to Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, the host, regarding the lack of preseason hype as compared to what the vibe was a year ago after Bane’s signing.

“I hated it last summer. I mean, ‘what have we done to earn this?’  We’ve got to get to know each other, there’s so many things that have to come together,” Weltman said. “I was actually proud of the fact that we played 50 games without Franz, introduced new players to the team and we still won 45 games and kind of had control of the series.”

Fair. Now what? Losing five of seven to start the season suggests national basketball analysts were right to overlook the Magic. Sweeney deserves a grace period. The front office has used up all the patience the fan base has had the grace to grant. 

No excuses. Those are the rules.