The Orlando Magic are finally being recognized and it’s definitely well deserved.
Coming into their Mexico trip this week against the Hawks, the team sits at 4-3 after splitting an
early west coast road trip, but after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, a solid
momentum win, the team is showing that Orlando is building a “New Kingdom” here in 2024.
While the numbers as a team have not been the most satisfying offensively, being under the top
half of the league in most categories, the team has been solid in being aggressive defensively,
averaging just under 10 steals a game which is 2 nd among the entire NBA.
The biggest contributor this season hasn’t been Paolo Banchero, but another 1 st rounder in Franz
Wagner…
The younger Wagner brother has established himself as an early all-star candidate, averaging
18.7 points per game on the season and a little over five rebounds so far on the season.
While it was mentioned that Banchero hasn’t been on the same level to kick off his sophomore
campaign to Franz, Banchero has still put together a respectable start to the season, averaging 18
points even on the season.
Although it is unclear if the Magic can be a true full season contender, Orlando could be a force
to be reckoned with come In-Season Tournament time, which the team has yet to start.
The In-Season Tournament could see a team or two that may not be a real factor come playoff
time do some damage during this run towards a championship and given the Magic’s hunger and
early successes, this is a team that could find themselves in the thick of battling for the inaugural
NBA Cup crown.
The only downfall is that the Magic are in a group that features the Celtics, who are the perennial
favorites to take the group, but, if the Magic can streak, there could be many people who look at
the Orlando Magic different going forward.
