The Orlando Magic had their most successful season in a long time in 2018-19, but it was still one that brought a few disappointments with it.

The Orlando Magic came into the 2018-19 NBA season with little being said about them. They had made no huge roster changes over the summer, and so most felt that another campaign ending with a trip to the draft lottery was going to be the outcome.

Instead, they enjoyed a 17-win improvement over the previous year, finishing 42-40 and clinching the Southeast Division title. On top of that, Nikola Vucevic became an All-Star for the first time, head coach Steve Clifford quickly established himself as the correct hire and even their recent draft picks contributed. It was a great season overall.

Only the organization that hoists the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the year can claim to be truly happy, however, and the Magic’s year was not without setbacks of its own. Set against the backdrop of surprising success relative to how they were viewed, those disappointments are just harder to find.

They do exist though, and serve to remind the Magic in future that failure to take the next step forward could see them regress back to some of what we saw this season. It is easier to forget now, but it wasn’t all good times for the Magic throughout their campaign.

The first couple of months were rocky and represented a challenge for all involved. Let’s take a look back at the three biggest disappointments for the franchise this year, with the caveat that there are far less to choose from than in seasons gone by — the overarching positive theme which houses some of this negativity.