Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Behind Enemy Lines: Magic Insider on What Celtics Fans Need to Know About Saturday's Opponent
The defending Eastern Conference champions are off to an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign, earning wins over the Sixers and Heat. Now comes the challenge of playing on the second half of a back-to-back, facing a young, promising team hungry for their first win. Plus, it's the Magic's home opener.
To prepare you for Saturday's game, which tips off at 7:00 pm EST, Jeremy Brener from The Magic Insider detailed everything you need to know heading into the matchup.
1. What's your assessment of how Paolo Banchero played in his first two NBA games?
Paolo Banchero had 27 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in his NBA debut, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick since LeBron James to post a 25-5-5 stat line in his first game. He's playing about as good as you can ask for.
However, he'll tell you that he can play even better. With that mindset, I know Banchero is going to be an absolute problem in the league at some point.
2. What are your expectations for Franz Wagner in his second NBA season?
Wagner looked amazing at EuroBasket, making fans excited for the pairing with Banchero. It's not your typical NBA dynamic duo, but the potential has no ceiling.
If Wagner can learn quickly how to bounce off Banchero (and vice versa), this could become one of the scariest duos in the league. Individually, if Wagner can average 15-20 points per game, that's a good season for him.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in Orlando, but Wagner is definitely one of the first two or three in line at the buffet.
3. And what do you want to see from fellow sophomore Jalen Suggs in year two?
Suggs is an interesting case because he'll likely start the season coming off the bench.
He played well in the opener against the Pistons, scoring 21 points in the loss. However, he wouldn't have even started had it not been for Cole Anthony's last-minute scratch.
Suggs is still ingratiating himself into the NBA after playing fewer than 50 games in his rookie year. If he can stay healthy and develop a consistent three-point shot, he could be a massive building block for Orlando's foundation moving forward.
4. What are the keys to the Magic pulling off an upset in tonight's game?
Use your size! The Magic boast one of the league's tallest teams and try to play through the post, which happens to be one of Boston's weaknesses.
There will be mismatches there tonight for Wendell Carter Jr., Paolo Banchero, and Orlando's backup bigs (including former Celtic Bol Bol), and if the Magic can exploit it, they can win.
5. Buy or sell Orlando making the play-in tournament this season?
If Orlando was in the West, buy all the way. This team is better than it was a year ago.
However, in order to make the play-in, Orlando has to be better than at least five teams in the East. I haven't seen an Eastern Conference this stacked ever, and it will be a challenge for Orlando to be better than a bunch of these teams.
Outside of Indiana, there's no team I can definitively say is worse than Orlando. There are some questionable fits, like the Knicks, Wizards, and Pistons, but even if the Magic are better than them, they still need to be better than one more team. That's why I'm selling on the play-in at the moment unless there's a massive paradigm shift.
Further Reading
The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Heat Game
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Heat: Boston Starts Fast and Ends Strong
After Opening Night Win, Celtics Express Their Belief in Joe Mazzulla and His Collaborative Approach
Robert Williams Undergoes PRP Injection That May Delay His Season Debut
