While the starts of the new-look Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets and even Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic's may be the worst of them all.

Yet, just like they were before the season, they have fallen under the radar. But by record and, to some degree, circumstantially, the Magic are in the doldrums of the league through 10 games.

As it stands, the Magic off to their worst start since 2022-23, sitting at 3-7. Beyond that, they have already lost Paolo Banchero for a prolonged period of time while also missing Jalen Suggs.

Through 10 games, Orlando is bottom-eight team both offensively and defensively. It also finds itself No. 20 in effective field goal percentage, No. 21 in true shooting percentage and turnover percentage. Their schedule hasn't been ridiculously easy, but it also hasn't been the most daunting, losing games to the Kawhi-less Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards.

Pressure is already mounting for first-year head coach Sean Sweeney. But that is a feather compared to the pressure on Jeff Weltman's shoulders, or the fire under his seat, with every day that passes. And ESPN's Bobby Marks agrees, placing the Magic in the "pressure zone" of the 19 teams he believes are "facing roster-building dilemmas."

"Orlando's roster is approaching a crossroads," he wrote. "With three players on maximum contracts, Orlando is a luxury tax team this season despite failing to advance past the first round the previous three seasons.

"They are $20 million under the tax next season and could lose restricted free agent Anthony Black unless a trade is made to open financial flexibility."

We are approaching this unfortunate reality:

In the two-apron era, the art of teambuilding has never been more magnified. Teams who typically push the envelope in payroll are highly incentivized to throttle back, and teams who build highly successful young cores via the draft are forced to pick-and-choose which few should remain while they consolidate the rest for pennies on the dollar -- or perhaps nothing.

The Magic haven't quite built a "highly successful" young core, headlined by Paolo Banchero, a No. 1 overall pick, Jalen Suggs (top-5 pick) and Franz Wagner (top-8 pick).

But for many years, they were rising amongst their peers. However, that aforementioned trio has barely been able to flex its collective muscle together climbing up that tree in 2023-24. They have played in just 33 combined games together over the last three years.

Yes, thirty three. That's unfathomably low. That's 17.7 percent of all available games.

For perspective, 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey has played with the perpetually hurt Joel Embiid and Paul George, who's not even on the team anymore, in 10 more games than this Magic trio over that span. And that narrative isn't going to improve anytime soon with Banchero and Suggs sidelined, even though Suggs is nearing a recovery.

Every year since 2023-24, many have asked, in some form: "Is this the year they climb the mountaintop?" "Is this the year the Magic finally stay healthy?" "Is this the year that Wagner and Banchero (and Suggs) develop some sort of chemistry offensively?"

What if ... this just is the Magic's destiny for this current build?

What if it was never meant to mesh together as well as we all hopefully perceived? What if the most important course of action for taking a few steps forward were taking a couple steps back? And what if they were too late at taking those steps?

These are questions we should all be asking. After all, the Magic's cap sheet over the next four seasons is fairly cluttered. The second apron is a soft cap with consequences that make it a hard cap, and this roster is $2.5 million away from it. They gain a little more breathing room next summer, but have Anthony Black's restricted free agency to mull over, as well as Goga Bitadze, Jevon Carter and Jamal Cain, who all become unrestricted free agents.

Wendell Carter Jr.'s contract could expire as early as 2028, when he has a team option; Desmond Bane becomes a free agent in 2029, with Wagner, Suggs and Banchero all having the potential to become free agents in 2030.

Until then, though, this cap sheet will be an eyesore. Weltman made this bed, and he is going to have to lie in it -- where he's likely tossing and turning because the mattress that is the Orlando Magic became much more uncomfortable, stiff and unpalatable.