NBA Power Rankings: Orlando Magic Moving Up?
ORLANDO - Four games have been enough for the Orlando Magic to move its way up ESPN's power rankings.
After beginning the season ranked at No. 21, ESPN moved the Magic up to No. 16 after its 2-2 start.
"The Magic got off to their ninth 2-0 start in franchise history and almost improved to 3-0 before the Lakers pulled away late," ESPN writes. In Friday's win over the Trail Blazers, brothers Franz Wagner and Mo Wagner combined to score the final 16 points for the Magic. One thing that has helped Orlando early has been its defense. It held teams to 103 points per 100 possessions in its first four games, the second-best mark in the NBA."
Orlando got off to a strong start with wins over the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, but have cooled off after losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
Franz Wagner (22) leads the Magic in points per game (18).
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Franz Wagner has gotten off to a strong start this season, averaging 18 points, 6.3 rebounds and three assists per game. Cole Anthony has also provided a spark off of the bench, averaging 15 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
While Wagner and Anthony have paced the offense to begin the season, Paolo Banchero has struggled to find his shot through four games. The 2022 No. 1 overall pick is averaging 12.5 points per game while shooting 22.2 percent from three and 37.8 percent overall.
If Banchero can find his shot and take over games offensively similarly to how he did as a rookie, Orlando could begin to move even higher in ESPN's power rankings.
The Magic will look to snap its two-game losing skid on Thursday when they face the Utah Jazz (1-3) at 9 p.m. ET inside the Delta Center.
