The Orlando Magic had a mostly bad 2017, but a couple of big changes gave it a more optimistic feel than years gone by. Here are the top five.

Although the 2017-18 season continues to slip away from the Orlando Magic, the 2017 calendar year hasn’t been a total disaster for them.

It may not look like it on the surface, but there was actually a lot to like about some of the ways the Magic handled their business and attempted to create an identity.

They may be currently well out of the playoff picture, and in all likelihood done for the season in that regard, but that doesn’t mean this year was a complete waste.

Both on and off the court, the organization put itself in a position to be a franchise to envy in the coming years, and they did this over the entire 12-month period. Even in keeping head coach Frank Vogel beyond his first season with the team, the Magic created continuity and the ground floor on what will hopefully one day be a title contender.

Here are the five things the Magic did in 2017 that had the biggest positive impact for them both in the short and long-term.