Can Magic Shock NBA This Season?
The Orlando Magic is in a prime position to shock the NBA in the upcoming season. The team is full of young talent that are all primed to expand their game in one aspect or another, and they've got few holes in the team that would make them a bottom-team in the league once again.
"In theory, 20-year-old Paolo Banchero, 21-year-old Franz Wagner, 24-year-old Wendell Carter Jr., 25-year-old Markelle Fultz and 22-year-old Jalen Suggs could all be better in 2023-24," Bleacher Report writes. "Even if only two or three of them are, they should be better than the above-.500 team they were over the last two-thirds of 2022-23."
If the Magic is able to get an early jump this NBA season, they could very well make a playoff push. The Eastern Conference usually sees plenty of parity as is, but the bottom few playoff spots in particular will be shaky. One or two key injuries could shape the playoff picture.
For the magic, Banchero may be primed for his first All-Star appearance. His first All-Star selection coming in the next few years seems inevitable, and a real jump could see him do so this season.
Wagner, Fultz and Carter Jr. are each complimentary players to Banchero's game, and they will all make each other better. Jett Howard is a rookie that will raise the general ceiling of the team. Anthony Black is unproven and will be looking to prove himself.
With each piece of the young core raking leaps forward in their career, the team will see enough talent to start to make a serious name for itself. The addition of Joe Ingles is underrated, too, as he could be essential to the young core growing their games.
The Magic is a fun team to bet the over on with their win total this season. Their ability to endure a long season may be higher than other team's which have consistently been playoff teams.
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