Are the Orlando Magic Currently Being Underrated in the East?

The Eastern Conference has become a juggernaut over the offseason. While the West may still sport the best two teams, the Eastern Conference is loaded. The Miami Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Raptors brought back Kawhi, the Pacers will be healthy, the Wizards have a solid squad, the Knicks just came off the finals, there is still the Pistons, and then wait.

This is what everyone has been saying about the Eastern Conference, all while forgetting about the Orlando Magic. So I'll answer the question right away, yes they are being underrated.

Discussing the Orlando Magic choosing San Antonio's Sean Sweeney as their new head coach for NBA Today with @malika_andrews: pic.twitter.com/5hnwTmsb8z
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Their core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane is among the best in the Eastern Conference, the emergence of Anthony Black was critical, and Wendell Carter Jr's healthy season were key to last seasons, success, even if it fell short of expectations.

Now with a new coach, who can maintain their defensive culture, while hopefully unlocking the offensive capabilities of their "big three" yes, they are being underrated. Last year they had a record of 45-37 while dealing with numerous key injuries, hurting their continuity.

The Magic's ceiling hasn't changed from last year, they can still be one of the East's best teams, but the hiring of Sean Sweeney and the growth of their young assets have raised their floor, all while falling under the radar in the Eastern Conference.

Now for the opinions of others in our network.

Amir Motameni

No, I don't think the Magic are being underrated right now. I think the Magic will fall anywhere between 6-9 in the Eastern Conference. Several teams in the east have made major trades this offseason. The Miami Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Toronto Raptors added Kawhi Leonard, and other Eastern Conference contenders are still making moves to strengthen their rosters. The Magic are a solid team and you have a talented young core but they are not a contender in my eyes. As things stand today, they need to make a few more moves to become a top tier team in the conference.

Ethan J. Skolnick

We have arrived at the point where the pendulum may have swung too far. While the hopes for the Magic last season may have been too great, considering the lack of shooting on the roster and the propensity of key players to suffer injuries, many of the prognostications now seem a little too sour. Yes, the East appears improved overall, with Kawhi Leonard back in Toronto, Giannis Antetokounmpo now in a place (Miami) that can better maximize him, and Philadelphia looking promising on paper (even if Boston takes a corresponding hit with the loss of Jaylen Brown). But many are forgetting that Orlando did squeak out an 8th seed even with Franz Wagner missing more than half the season, and a fresh coaching voice (Sean Sweeney) should get more out of the existing roster. And Nikola Vucevic does upgrade the center rotation, so long as last season's steep second-half decline can be reversed. Still, though, the team needs shooting and backcourt playmaking to be taken seriously as a top-4 candidate.

Alex Golden

I think Orlando is getting lost in the shuffle a little bit because of their lack of offseason moves. Clearly this is a talented roster and with a more modernized system under new coach Sean Sweeney, I think they have a better chance to be more of a force in the East than they’re currently getting credit for. However, from a talent standpoint, saying they’re a play-in team shouldn’t feel like a knock. Boston is still going to be a really good team, Philly has clearly gotten better with trading for Brown, Atlanta has a strong core in place, Miami is getting a massive upgrade from last season with Giannis, Toronto getting Kawhi makes them more dangerous, and Indiana with a healthy Haliburton and the addition of Zubac makes them a threat in the East also. The Magic are a much better team when Franz is healthy, and with the growth of Anthony Black, this is a core that should get fans excited. However, they still feel a piece or two away from being able to win the East.

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