The Orlando Magic have a chance to prove themselves as contenders, but it will not be easy.
The Orlando Magic are coming up quickly on Media Day, training camp, and the beginning of a preseason that will serve as preparation for the 82-game slate they are about to embark on, and none of it will be easy.
Over the summer, the Eastern Conference underwent significant changes in terms of the personnel that are occupying rosters. Most notably, the Philadelphia 76ers signed LeBron James and traded for Jaylen Brown, and other significant moves, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to the Miami Heat, took shape.
For the Magic, no such seismic transactions were on the table, as the organization is hindered by first-apron restrictions because of the money and belief that has been sunk into the core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs.
For Orlando, the big move of the offseason was the decision to move on from coach Jamahl Mosley in favor of Sean Sweeney. A new voice should help the team, and if the Magic can stay healthy, they have the talent to make some noise.
Nevertheless, it is worth wondering how this season will go for Orlando. Can they take a step forward? I dove into this topic recently with my colleague RJ Saunders of 1010XL Magic. Here is what I had to say:
"Yeah, I think that, best case, this is a team that falls into that 5-6 range and just gets outside that play-in territory. I think it's imperative that they escape the Play-In because we've seen them as, I believe, a 5-seed against Cleveland, RJ. And when this team has a little bit of rest after the regular season, they can push a good team to seven games. They did that without rest against the Detroit Pistons last season.
So they need to set themselves up where they don't have to play those two extra games and put everything they have into it just to get to the playoffs. Now, as we talked about, the Eastern Conference landscape has become much more difficult. So many seismic moves, right? And even just within their own division.
I mean, the Southeast Division is going to be hard enough with Giannis and Klay Thompson, and Bobby Portis going to Miami. I mean, that's a team that's thin on depth. But if those guys stay healthy, they're going to be trying to compete for a title.
You look at the Atlanta Hawks; they continue to build in the post-Trae Young era, going to get Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort, two defensive anchors from the champion Oklahoma City Thunder. You look at even the Washington Wizards. They're rebuilt with all these; they're just building a super team of vets out there, if they can keep AD healthy: Trae Young, Khris Middleton.
So, it's not even going to be easy just in the division, let alone the conference at large. And so the Magic are going to have to be on their best behavior. But given the talent that they're going to have to face, I do believe that they will be fighting with a team, maybe like the Boston Celtics or even the Pacers, perhaps the Cavs for that five-to-six seed.
But if things go well for the 76ers or the Heat and teams of that nature, I just don't know objectively if I can say that this iteration of the Magic is on the same level as those groups."
