Bleacher Report Got It Wrong: Orlando’s Core Should Be Higher

Bleacher Report recently ranked the Orlando Magic’s young core as the fifth-best in the NBA, just behind the Detroit Pistons at No. 4. While Detroit certainly has intriguing pieces, there is a strong case to be made that Orlando should sit higher. Between Paolo Banchero’s offensive ceiling, Franz Wagner’s two-way versatility, Jalen Suggs’ elite defense, and a defensive identity that already translates to playoff basketball, the Magic’s foundation is not only deeper but also further along than Detroit’s.

Bleacher Report’s top 5 young cores in the NBA👀:

1. OKC Thunder
2. Houston Rockets
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Detroit Pistons
5. Orlando Magic

Thoughts on us at 5? pic.twitter.com/fNqTyw1243
— SleeperMagic (@SleeperOrlando) September 28, 2025

Bleacher Report’s ranking seems to have leaned heavily on what happened last season, with Cade Cunningham’s big scoring leap and Jaden Ivey’s growth as playmakers and the fight they gave the Knicks in the playoffs as their primary reasoning. The Pistons’ youth core is undeniably talented but is also heavily reliant on Cade Cunningham.

Meanwhile, the Magic’s top two players, Banchero and Wagner, both missed significant time last season, which skewed the perception of Orlando’s trajectory. If both had stayed healthy, it is likely the Magic would have been slotted higher in these rankings.

Unlike Detroit, Orlando already hangs its hat on defense. The Magic ranked in the second in defensive rating last season, and that was with Banchero and Wagner missing time. Jalen Suggs has earned All-Defensive honors and has proven he can change games at the point of attack. The roster is loaded with length, from Banchero and Wagner to Anthony Black and even the intriguing Tristan da Silva, ensuring that the defensive identity is sustainable. Defense travels, and Orlando has already built the kind of system that young teams usually take years to figure out.

At the top of the roster, Banchero is already one of the league’s most promising young scorers, Wagner is a versatile wing who has flashed All-Star potential despite recent shooting struggles, and Suggs has emerged as a two-way difference-maker with his defense and improved shooting. Together, they have already proven they can drive success, and their collective ceiling is higher than what Detroit’s group has shown so far.

Even though Desmond Bane does not technically count as part of the young core, his presence matters. His elite shooting will open the floor for Banchero’s drives, give Wagner more space to operate downhill, and take pressure off Suggs to be the primary shooter in the backcourt. In effect, Bane accelerates the development curve of Orlando’s young pieces, making their production look better right away.

Bleacher Report’s rankings leaned too heavily on what happened last season without properly weighing injuries, defensive identity, and playoff readiness. Orlando’s core of Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs (Black and Da Silva) is not only more proven but more balanced than Detroit’s, and with Bane’s arrival their offensive spacing issue is addressed. If you are projecting forward, which is the entire point of ranking young cores, the Magic belong ahead of the Pistons and maybe more.

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