The Orlando Magic have great ambition for this season, even to championship hype levels.
But veteran center Wendell Carter Jr. seems to be getting a little ahead of himself in his latest declaration. In an off-court theoretical, he says that he and WNBA star Angel Reese would sweep Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo and WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson in a 2-on-2.
"In terms of a 2-on-2, definitely 11-0, Wendell and Angel for sure," Carter said at Magic media day. "Shout out to Bam and A'ja though."
It's safe to say, Carter's laughter probably showed his lack of faith in that statement. Or, maybe not.
Although this is theoretical, it is really difficult to see this working in his and Reese's favor. Wilson is on the brink of staking her claim as one of the league's top-5 all-time, while Reese has largely struggled in her first two seasons. Meanwhile, Adebayo is a three-time All-Star and regular Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Neither Carter nor Reese favors their opponent in this matchup, and some fans even joked that Wilson would dominate the Magic center on her own.
But hey, confidence is key. The high energy and esteem in Orlando illustrate the strides made this summer to create a true juggernaut. The Magic have their highest expectations in over a decade, aiming to capitalize on a weakened Eastern Conference to compete for a championship.
HERE'S WHY JAMAHL MOSLEY THINKS DESMOND BANE IS THE PERFECT MAGIC FIT
The Orlando Magic are in a prime position to compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference after adding Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. The young core continues to develop, and Bane brings a dynamic the offense lacked last season: reliable three-point shooting. Orlando ranked last in the league in three-point percentage, a weakness compounded by Jalen Suggs’ injury, which hurt spacing. With stronger perimeter options, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner won’t face as much pressure to force tough shots.
Coach Jamahl Mosley knows better than anyone how much the Magic struggled from the perimeter, and he believes Bane will strengthen the offense. He expects Bane to be a strong fit not only on the court but in the locker room as well.
“Well, the biggest piece that everyone's talked about is their ability to shoot the basketball,” Mosley said during Magic Media Day. “The space in which they provide on the floor, I think, is tremendous. Then the other side of that, though, is their leadership, their experience, what they've done in this league, who they've been for each team that they've been on."