There are a lot of reasons to be disappointed if you are an Orlando Magic fan.

Coming of its second consecutive 59-win season, the team was unceremoniously ousted from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, which essentially fielded the same squad as it did last season, when the Magic beat Boston in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

But the Magic were indeed exposed this time around. The team floundered against its first taste of quality competition, leaving us with a more than a few questions as to the legitimacy of their roster’s composition.

Thursday brings the NBA Draft, a day that, ideally, can breathe new hope into a franchise.

Here’s a look at what the Magic have going for them heading into the draft.

What the team has

Here’s what we know: Orlando has the best center in the league in Dwight Howard.

That remains the one staunch truth of the team, regardless of whether his teammates are making their shots or if the defense is showing up.

Howard is what the team will be built around for the foreseeable future, and that, of course, will influence what the Magic do in the draft.

For better or worse, Orlando is also saddled with Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson, a workable supporting cast, to be sure, but one that could use an upgrade.

Biggest need

The biggest need for Orlando is someone who can create his own shot.

Nelson should spend a lot of quality time during the offseason to shore up his passing, but when you look at the roster, there is not a sure-fire playmaker to be found.

Sure, J.J. Redick is nice to have running around the court and coming off screens, and Carter can perform serviceably once every 15 games or so.

But Redick is a shooter with good cardio and Carter is, well, I guess he is a basketball player, but neither of them are the ones who will be able to help when the perimeter shots aren’t falling and double teams are swarming Howard.

Potential picks

Picking so late in the draft — the 29th and 59th picks in the draft, with seemingly no inclination to trade them — the options for improvement are limited.
Ideally, Oklahoma State’s James Anderson would fall into their laps, but that won’t happen.

But Jordan Crawford, from Xavier, could be available, and if so, the Magic should snap him up.

Scouts and analysts say one of Crawford’s weaknesses is that he is only effective with the ball in his hands, which, fortunately, is exactly what Orlando needs.

Another possibility is a somewhat local pick that those in black and gold may not be too thrilled about: Dominique Jones from USF.

Jones can’t shoot like Crawford, nor can he get to the basket and finish like Crawford, but he is much better without the ball and would be a fine Nate Robinson-esque player off the bench.

Even if Georgia Tech power forward Gani Lawal or Florida State’s Solomon Alabi were available, Orlando has absolutely no need for another post player with its first-round pick.

With Howard, Marcin Gortat — for now — Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson all under contract for 2010-11, it would be a waste to pick another player of that ilk to a guaranteed deal.

And if there were any truth to the floated rumors of sending Carter and Nelson to New Orleans for Chris Paul, the need for a scoring two-guard becomes paramount.

Given Orlando’s drafting prowess — or, rather, the lack thereof — the past few seasons, it’s no guarantee the Magic will come away with the player they want, or a player who actually stays with the team.

But Magic fans should feel good about the team’s future whatever draft day brings, because they are still built to win a lot of games.

And there are worse things in the world than being a fan of one of the top four teams in the league: You could be a fan of the Miami Heat.