The Orlando Magic entered the season with some of the highest expectations for any team in the Eastern Conference. With their young core of talent along with the blockbuster acquisition of Desmond Bane, the sky seemed to be the limit in Oct. However, with multiple injuries, the season has been largely up-and-down for the Magic.
CBS Sports released an article, giving midseason grades to every Eastern Conference team. The Magic received a mediocre "B-" grade.
"The Orlando Magic lead the Southeast division, which wouldn't have surprised anyone coming into the year, but they haven't taken the leap into true contention in the East many anticipated they would," the article wrote. "This is clearly a good roster with a fairly high floor, thanks to a solid defense and plenty of talent that can navigate absences and injuries to key players."
The Magic currently sit as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 22-18 record. Last season, Orlando was a strong team by the midseason point but the injury bug struck prior to the playoffs. This season, the injuries have been plaguing the team basically since day one.
"However, the question in Orlando is what is their true ceiling with this group," the article added. "Coming into the year, many were projecting them to be a top-four team in the East and be a legitimate contender. That could still happen if they can get Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner back healthy, but nothing has come easy for this Magic team this season."
With the scattered absences of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs this season, there are players who have stepped up in bigger roles. Anthony Black, the team's 2023 first-round pick, has slotted in nicely as a playmaking shooter who has joined the Sixth Man of the Year award conversations.
"The offense still has a lot of the same concerns from a year ago, most notably being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league," the article continued. "Paolo Banchero has stagnated as a scorer and struggles with efficiency, and there are legitimate questions about whether he can or should be the offensive focal point for the Magic. The defense was their calling card a year ago, but they've slipped from being among the league's elite to merely slightly above average. The good news for Orlando is the emergence of Anthony Black in the guard rotation, as he's filled in admirably for Suggs and gives them a needed level of juice in the backcourt."
The Magic may need to make a splash if they want to establish themselves as one of the stronger teams in the conference with their injury concerns. Lucky for them, there seems to be a plethora of talent on the trade block this season.
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