Why Paolo Banchero, Magic aren't living up to preseason expectations

Orlando is 22-18 through 40 games so far this season.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero moves the ball in front of New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic are approaching the halfway point in their season, but their 22-18 mark so far this year isn't quite matching the expectations they had before the campaign began.

Some members of the Orlando Magic On SI staff spoke about the reasons behind the team's struggles in the first half of the year.

Jeremy Brener

The Magic have been hampered by injuries all season long and 90 percent of the team's struggles can be traced back to that. There have been a number of games the team has played where it would have one if Jalen Suggs or Franz Wagner were healthy on the court.

The Magic are just 3.5 games back of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, so if they had seen four of these close results flipped in their favor, the aura and vibes around the team would be completely different.

These injuries may have exposed certain aspects of the team that could be better, but the Magic have proven they need all parts of the whole in order to succeed. This is how every team is, so there shouldn't be panic if everyone can get healthy by the end of the season.

It's a big if, however, and injuries could ultimately be the reason why the Magic never get over this proverbial hump they are trying to cross. That being said, injuries are always part of the sport. The best teams figure out how to navigate these problems.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner drives to the basket past Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Matt Hanifan

What’s kept the Magic in games each of the last three seasons was their ferocious defense. Even on their worst nights offensively, they were able to fall back on making an opponent’s life difficult defensively. Now, regardless of how the team is playing offensively, its connectivity and grit on the defensive end have been inconsistent, at best. That’s an issue.

Tony Mejia

Orlando hasn't been healthy all season, so making any significant change would be rash until we see everyone together without limitations for at least 10 games. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane haven't played together without one of them being banged up, dealing with a minutes restriction or getting acclimated to a new environment.

Now that Anthony Black has emerged, ensuring he remains a significant contributor when everyone is healthy will also be a priority. That would be a fun bridge to cross from the Magic's standpoint and undoubtedly one they're eager to get to.