The Orlando Magic are ready to kick off the 2023 season.
After grabbing their first two wins of the season, one coming of the opening night clinic against the Houston Rockets, Jamal Mosley and the Magic enter LA looking to grab the Staples Center Sweep against the Clippers and Lakers.
Orlando, who has over 50 rebounds on the season so far and is third in the NBA, kicked things off in LA on Monday against the Lakers, who are still looking for their first win of the season.
The Magic haven’t had their fair share of luck against Lebron James’s Lakers, having not played a game against them since early 2020 in Los Angeles. However, after double-digit nights by Banchero, Anthony, and Franz Wagner, who led the team with 23 points in their win on Friday against Portland, O-Town’s team is riding some momentum heading into a pivotal opening swing of the season.
The Magic couldn’t ask for a better road stretch to kick off the season.
By opening the year with a quick road trip out west, Orlando is building an away-from-home chemistry early, which can be hard to do given the scheduling and/or travel length.
By having this west coast swing early, it truly tests the team and gives them a sense of urgency, especially since they have teams that should be legit contenders for the 2023–2024 season.
If Orlando can grab one of these games, at least against the Clippers or Lakers, it will at least keep some of that confidence afloat as the team wraps up their west coast opener in Utah before returning home to welcome in those same Lakers the team will be seeing tonight.
Keep an eye out for Franz Wagner, who has had a solid start to the season and will be looking to continue his trend, almost scoring 20 points in each of his first two games of the season.
It will be quite compelling to see how Orlando can handle themselves as they close out this road trip to close the first week of the NBA regular season.
