A former NBA star believes Orlando's elite trio could be a Finals threat, but questions linger about their playoff path.
The Orlando Magic’s 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons has sparked questions regarding the team's ceiling. Analysts point to the health of Orlando’s core—Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and Franz Wagner, as the catalyst for the postseason surge. The trio appeared in only 35 games together during the regular season, leaving many to wonder if the league has yet to see the roster's full potential.
While Orlando nears a historic first-round upset, the path to the Eastern Conference finals remains difficult. The winner of the Magic-Pistons series will face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Toronto Raptors in the second round. Both Cleveland and Toronto enter the postseason with momentum, positioning them as formidable opponents for an Orlando team still finding its rhythm.
This has led to former NBA star Lou Williams making a shockingly bold take on the Magic's chances of making a deep run to the NBA Finals this postseason, especially after their strong start in the first round.
"But we've only seen the big three in this team, Banchero, Bane and Wagner. We've seen them, you know, close to 34 to 35 games this season. We really don't know what this team was capable of doing," Williams said. "Which is scary, and that's why they have a three one lead. Now, how far can they go? I still, you know, they probably can make it to the finals, if you're looking at the winner between Toronto and Cleveland, but I also like the way that both of those teams are playing. Either, there are no pushovers, and those are also teams that are figuring it out at the right time of the year. So are they going to walk to the Eastern Conference based on what they're doing with Detroit? I don't have the answer to that. I wouldn't, I wouldn't say that it'll be a cakewalk for them, but they play extremely well against Detroit, but it's still a lot of basketball. It doesn't feel like it. Doesn't feel like it, but I've seen weirder things happen in the day."
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