NBA Offseason Power Rankings: Magic Play-In or Lottery Bound?
After releasing its offseason grade report last week, The Athletic followed it up with its first power rankings for the upcoming season.
This list included any additions or subtractions to rosters, and whether or not teams got better since last season's conclusion.
Unfortunately for Orlando Magic fans, their team found themselves at slot No. 28, just above the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs.
“[Paolo Banchero] has all the makings of a franchise guy,” The Athletic wrote. “We saw some really encouraging moments with the young players on this team last season. But they still need to figure out how to win basketball games, and that takes a lot of time for a young group to figure out.”
The Magic was placed in the bottom-most tier titled “We already know you’re tanking,” along with the aforementioned Pacers, Spurs and Houston Rockets.
In last week's grade report, the Magic received a B+ for its collection of deals and draft picks, including Banchero, and re-signing Mo Bamba and Gary Harris.
Other teams receiving a similar grade were the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans and Spurs.
“The Magic got the No. 1 pick in the draft, and Paolo Banchero in the organization. That’s enough to make it a great summer,” The Athletic wrote. “I like them re-signing Harris and Bamba, but they need some more veteran presences on this squad for wins, especially if they end up moving Terrence Ross this season. A big season for Jalen Suggs will help galvanize this group.”
The current over/under win total from PointsBet is set at 25.5 for the Magic this season, just a 3.5 win improvement more than its 22-60 campaign a year ago.
While it looks like the team improved on paper, we'll wait until the season starts to see if it translates onto the court.
