NBA Power Rankings: Magic Making The Jump?
In this story:
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is coming into the season hoping it doesn't end as poorly as the previous one did.
With a 22-60 record last season, the Magic ended up with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. But Orlando's only way is up.
NBA insider Marc Stein agrees, placing the Magic at the No. 25 slot in his most recent power rankings. Stein ranks the Magic ahead of the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs.
"The Magic supplied a significant amount of intrigue on draft night with their selection of Paolo Banchero, after they were widely expected to select Jabari Smith Jr., and Banchero's presence should make the Magic, like Detroit, more watchable than their win total suggests," Stein said.
Stein is also really bullish about the development of Franz Wagner, who has looked like one of the league's rising stars in this year's EuroBasket tournament.
"Ditto for Franz Wagner, who had such a promising rookie season and has been flashing further potential on EuroBasket duty with Germany," Stein writes. "We are running out of room here, actually, to talk about everyone vying for frontcourt minutes in the Magic Kingdom; what no one can tell you at this juncture is how Jalen Suggs and the rest of the guards on the roster will develop."
The guard rotation may have several question marks still, but given the fact that there are multiple paths to success from Jalen Suggs to Cole Anthony to Markelle Fultz to the inevitable high pick Orlando will receive in the future, one of these projects will pan out the way Orlando intends it to.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.
Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.
