Will the Orlando Magic Make the Playoffs This Season?
Last season, the Orlando Magic finished with a record of thirty-four wins and forty-eight losses. This record was the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference of the NBA and the fourth-worst record in the league last year. The biggest problem for the Magic last season was not necessarily talent, but more the mere fact that the two best players on the team, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, were in their second and first seasons in the NBA. When you have a team with so much young talent and really no veteran leadership, games are lost and plays are made that really shouldn’t be because of the lack of experience, especially late in close games. However, while the Magic’s roster hasn’t changed much since last year, their young core looks much more developed this season. Let’s talk about how this development is translating to the standings and statsheet so far this season.
During the first twenty games of this season, the Magic have put up a 14-6 record. They have even managed to put up a recent nine-game win streak beating championship-contending teams such as the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets in back-to-back games! While this incredible win streak did come to an end tonight with a 129-101 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, what is sure to not come to an end is the incredible play we have been seeing from small forward Franz Wagner and power forward Paolo Banchero. Since the beginning of the season, Wagner is averaging 20.7 points and Banchero is averaging 19.5 points a game. The duo between Wagner and Banchero has shown to work well, as they have multiple players around them who are also helping them on the floor.
Point guard Cole Anthony is having a very surprisingly impressive season thus far, averaging 15 points off the bench. Center Moritz Wagner, point guard Markelle Fultz, and shooting guard Jalen Suggs are also all three having solid seasons averaging 13, 11, and 13 points a game, respectively. Center Wendell Carter Jr. is also a very needed piece to Orlando’s offense averaging nine points and nine rebounds a game when he plays. The Magic are waiting hopefully for his return soon as he is recovering from hand surgery that repaired a fractured third metacarpal in his left hand. While all these numbers are just statistics, they show everyone how many different pieces the Magic have and how they all translate to get the team a win. Every win is really a team effort.
The one thing I would be wondering if I was a Magic fan would be about the guard situation. The team has multiple guards, I think most people would argue more than needed, and with rookie guard Anthony Black starting to get more minutes it seems as if the team really has too many guards. If Black continues to improve and become a great offensive option for the Magic, could we see another member of the team such as Gary Harris, or maybe someone else get traded? While I am not necessarily saying that Black is going to be better than Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, or Jalen Suggs, I am just saying at some point I think the Magic will look to move one of them. Will that happen this season?
I don’t know the answer to that question because I can’t predict the future. It is too early in the season to say. It’s so early that we all know anything could still happen this season. However, what is your opinion? Will the Magic make any trades this year? Do the Magic have a chance at making the playoffs? Or will they have another lackluster season with their young core?
