In case this wasn't made painfully clear on Saturday when it became all but official, the Orlando Magic's season is now over -- officially.
Which means that so is their quest for respect -- at least for 2007-08.
This was an Orlando team that spent an entire season talking about how it wasn't getting enough love from the media, about how it belonged right up there with the rest of the Eastern elite.
Then reality hit.
That reality hit in the form of a 4-1 loss to the Detroit Pistons in the conference semis.
It hit in that the Pistons played the last two games and three quarters of this series without point guard Chauncey Billups, and the Magic could still win only one of those three contests.
It hit in the hollow echoing of Jameer Nelson's guarantee that there would be a sixth game in this series.
This Magic team simply isn't there yet.
The boys in Orlando have some fantastic pieces (see: Howard, Dwight and Turkoglu, Hedo), but they still have quite a ways to go.
A ways to go until they earn the wins. And until they earn the so-called respect they desire.