Paolo Banchero, Magic take slight power rankings dip despite win over Pelicans

Orlando is in the middle of the pack in the NBA.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is guarded by Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic are 7-7 in their last 14 games, which is keeping them in the middle of the pack in the NBA power rankings.

NBA.com writer John Schuhmann placed them at No. 15, a spot lower than last week's edition.

"The Magic have now alternated wins and losses for an amazing 14 straight games, a streak that was in serious jeopardy before Paolo Banchero banked in a buzzer-beating game-winner on Wednesday," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Magic are without both Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, but alternating wins and losses against this stretch of schedule isn’t great. One of the wins came against the Nuggets (before Nikola Jokić’s injury), but eight of the Magic’s last 11 games have come against teams with losing records, and they’ve lost to the Hornets, Bulls and Wizards in the last 17 days."

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is guarded by Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Magic take slight hit in power rankings

The teams ranked out of the Magic in the power rankings are the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Magic have dealt with injuries, but players have stepped up in the meantime. Desmond Bane and rookie Noah Penda earned praise from Schuhmann.

"Desmond Bane has averaged 23.4 points on a true shooting percentage of 62.7% over the seven wins and just 15.9 on 49.3% over the seven losses. With their win over the Pelicans on Sunday, the Magic are 14-3 when he’s scored more than 20 points," Schuhmann wrote.

"Rookie Noah Penda (the No. 32 pick in the 2025 Draft) has been in the rotation for the last four games and got his first two career starts over the weekend. He’s totaled seven steals and five blocks over this four-game stretch, with a big block on Day’Ron Sharpe in overtime in Brooklyn on Wednesday."

The Magic are getting healthier, as Moe Wagner made his debut against the New Orleans Pelicans in the team's last game. There is also a good chance Franz Wagner could end his 16-game absence when the Magic play against the Memphis Grizzlies in his hometown of Berlin.

The Magic are back in action against the Grizzlies on Thursday at 2 PM ET inside Uber Arena in Berlin. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on Amazon Prime Video.