'That's Incredible For Their Main Lineup': What Are Magic's Expectations Next Season?
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ORLANDO - A 22-win campaign last season is one the Orlando Magic hope to soon forget heading into training camp.
And while the team didn’t make any blockbuster trades, spend a gaudy amount on big name free agents, or make a major coaching hire, there is still a feeling around the organization that this is a different team.
With No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero’s NBA debut less than a month away, second-year forward Franz Wagner recently ending an incredible EuroBasket run, and Wendell Carter Jr. coming off a career year, the Magic appear to have a core foundation to build on.
With that being said, The Athletic’s Zach Harper recently graded all 30 NBA franchises and the offseasons they ended with.
For the aforementioned pick of Banchero along with No. 32 pick Caleb Houstan and re-signings of center Mo Bamba and guard Gary Harris the Magic received a B-.
“We saw some surprising fight out of a young starting lineup, but it rarely gave the Magic a real chance to win most nights,” The Athletic said.
Along with head coach Jamahl Mosley entering his second season at the helm, the Magic have begun to put the pieces together for a franchise that is desperate for a postseason appearance.
“The lineup of Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, [Carter Jr.] and [Bamba] played the eighth-most minutes in the NBA and was only outscored by 1.1 points per 100 possessions. For a team that finished with a net rating of -8.1 last season, that’s incredible success for their main lineup. It defended well, but it wasn’t able to score.”
Orlando begins its season on October 19th against the Detroit Pistons.
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