Are the Magic tough enough?

It is March. That means t-minus one month and a half until the playoffs. And whether anyone likes to admit it or not, the playoffs are officiated much differently than the regular season.

The playoffs are a much rougher, physical animal. They beat you physically and demand that you put series away early so that you can be as fresh as possible for the next physically grueling series.

Physicality is certainly not the Magic's forte. Their playing style is a finesses style that naturally shies away from contact.

But for Orlando to reach its playoff potential -- and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals is certainly a very realistic possibility -- it is going to have to adapt to this physical brand of play.

The evidence that they can do this is scarce.

In two games with the Celtics this season, the Magic were manhandled physically by Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. In any game against the Pistons from the past, say, three years, it has not even been close who has controlled the pace and tempo of the game. Detroit simply knows how to guard Dwight Howard.

It is clear that if Orlando is going to do well in the postseason, it is going to have to adapt and adjust to this playoff style of basketball.

Stan Van Gundy's little spat with Shaquille O'Neal has again raised the question of whether Orlando is tough enough to win in the playoffs or, as Shaq put it, a "front-runner" who cannot finish.

But Van Gundy is also quick to point out that physical toughness starts with mental toughness. And there is no doubt that this team is mentally tough.

Look at the road record. The past two seasons the team has played exceptionally well on the road. Orlando had a better road record than home record at times last season. The same has been true this season.

Entering Sunday's game against the Celtics, the Magic trailed in the fourth quarter in each of the three games of their three-game winning streak. Orlando somehow found a way to pull out each win.

This mental toughness has been the big difference between this team the past two seasons and the mediocre teams of the Orlando Magic past.

Orlando has that going for it at least. But even a fast-paced team like Cleveland has found a way to become a physical team in the postseason. The Magic's fate rests on how well it adapts when things are not going their way. So far the Pistons and Celtics have troubled the Magic and dominated the pace and control of their regular season games.

Orlando may not have to face either of those teams in the playoffs, but they are the most battle-tested playoffs teams and the measuring stick for the future.

Ultimately this postseason will be a debate on whether the spread the floor 3-point style of the Magic can succeed in the playoffs. It would not surprise me if the Magic are going to have to use more traditional lineups to find playoff success in the future.