With the blockbuster additions of Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, and Jase Richardson, the Orlando Magic have undoubtedly improved from last season and are poised to overcome the first-round playoff exits they suffered in back-to-back campaigns.
Since the offseason concluded, the Magic have consistently discussed finishing in the top three of the Eastern Conference. With the health and continued development of superstars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, that goal is well within reach.
In an Eastern Conference hit hard by injuries this offseason, the Magic are expected to step up and make a deep playoff run.
Bleacher Report recently projected each team’s record, predicting the Magic would finish 49-33, just shy of 50 wins, citing lingering concerns over the roster’s offensive consistency.
“If Desmond Bane sustains his career rate of 41.0 percent from deep,” the article wrote, “Jalen Suggs stays healthy, Franz Wagner finally learns how to shoot and Paolo Banchero works his way to the foul line even more often than the 8.4 times per game he managed last year, the Orlando Magic have a shot at an offensive rating above the league average. Combined with what should easily be a top-10 defense, that'll be enough to get them into the 50-win range.”
The Magic’s offense will gain a new dynamic with Desmond Bane taking the majority of starting minutes at guard as Jalen Suggs continues his return to full game shape. With a reliable shooter like Bane on the floor, Paolo Banchero can share the scoring load, preserving his energy and peak performance for the stretch run when the urgency of the season ramps up.
Orlando doesn’t need to be a top-three-point shooting team, or even top 10. Thanks to Coach Jamahl Mosley’s defensive identity and physical system. With such a strong defense, the offense only needs to be average to complement it effectively.
“Though improved by the presence of Bane and fellow new addition Tyus Jones,” the article added. “Orlando's offense remains a real question mark. Spacing will continue to be an issue. Wagner's sub-30.0-percent three-point shooting extended to a second straight year last season, to the point that it's worth wondering about his long-term fit next to Banchero. He can quiet any such speculation by knocking down shots at league-average rates.”
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