Orlando Magic Among Top East Teams in Latest NBA Power Rankings

The Orlando Magic are coming into the season with incredibly high expectations in the Eastern Conference.

As the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers deal with injuries, the Magic swooped in so they could potentially take the top spots in the conference to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.

The Magic clocked in at No. 3 behind the Cavs and Knicks in NBA.com's recent power rankings for the Eastern Conference.

"[Desmond] Bane is a terrific addition, and not just because he’s shot 41% from 3-point range over his five-year career. He’s also seen an increase in playmaking duties over the last few seasons, and can take some of the offensive burden off the shoulders of [Franz] Wagner and Paolo Banchero. The Magic were the only team that had two players with a usage rate of 30% or higher last season. Additionally, Banchero also ranked second in isolations per 100 possessions, per Second Spectrum tracking," NBA.com wrote.

"Even if he’s creating more catch-and-shoot opportunities for Wagner, Bane can’t fix Wagner’s shot. Since the 2024 All-Star break (and including postseason), Wagner has shot a brutal 137-for-520 (26.3%) on 3-pointers. Last season, he wasn’t any better off the catch (58-for-198, 29.3%) than he was off the dribble (44-for-151, 29.1%).

"If Wagner can get back to around 34% (not even league average) from deep, the Magic can finally climb out of the bottom 10 on offense and be a real threat to the best teams in the league."

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner warms up before game four of first round for the NBA Playoffs. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Magic have to rely on Bane, Wagner and Banchero to be their top trio this season. While none of them have been part of the top of a championship core yet in their careers, the Magic hope to have the trio together for many years to come.

All of them have signed long-term contracts, but the Magic should be looking to compete as soon as possible.

With the East as wide open as it has ever been, the Magic's top-tier defense and newfound offensive nucleus could be enough to get the job done.

The Magic are set to begin training camp late next month.

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