In Paolo Banchero’s fourth NBA season, the Orlando Magic should be ready to take the leap to true title contention.
It shouldn’t be a hot take to say that the Orlando Magic should be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. According to FanDuel, however, Orlando has the third-best odds, at +550, behind both the Knicks and Cavaliers.
Last season, both teams easily finished above Orlando, who didn’t even make it out of the first round of the playoffs, although 16 years removed from their last series victory, the Magic are finally poised to make some noise.
Adding Desmond Bane in an effort to finally resolve their shooting woes makes sense, and he will add a much-needed injection of offense, although their blockbuster trade won’t matter nearly as much as the continued improvement of both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Why Orlando Magic Will Win the East
The Knicks and Cavaliers are simply more established than the Magic, and Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell are better than anyone on Orlando’s roster, although that shouldn’t matter too much.
Orlando has enjoyed a top-two defense in each of the last two seasons, and even with Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sent to Memphis, there is no reason to think that their defense will slide.
With continued improvement from Banchero and Wagner, who is enjoying a stellar run this summer with Germany in the EuroBasket tournament, as well as Jalen Suggs’ return, Orlando will have one of the most well-rounded starting fives in the entire NBA.
Banchero is a proven All-Star, Wagner will take the leap, especially under the World vs. USA format, and Bane is right up there with Derrick White as the best role player in the entire NBA. Add depth pieces like Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac, Tristan da Silva, and Mo Wagner, and the Magic should have what it takes.
That’s not even mentioning the fact that the East is weaker than it has ever been. The Pacers and Celtics will be without their best players. The Bucks lost Damian Lillard and replaced Brook Lopez with Myles Turner, only a slight upgrade. The Pistons are also on the rise, although losing Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder will hurt, and the Raptors, Hawks, and Heat are not quite complete teams.
With Orlando, the only major question is health, although in the offseason, every other team faces similar injury concerns. On paper, the Magic should finally be ready to make some noise, and once they do, they will be here to stay.
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