The Magic are getting better and better and have no plans for this trend to stop

Orlando magic

Last season: 47-35, losing to Cleveland in first round of playoffs.

COACH: Jamahl Mosley (4th season, 103-143).

SEASON OPENING: October 23rd in Miami.

DEPARTURES: G Markelle Fultz, F Joe Ingles, F Chuma Okeke.

ADDITIONS: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Cory Joseph, F Tristan Da Silva, G Ethan Thompson.

BetMGM Championship Betting Odds: 40-1.

What to expect

Paolo Banchero is an All-Star, Franz Wagner is probably on his way to becoming one, and the Magic have kept most of their young and promising core intact while adding two key veterans – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cory Joseph, both of them NBA championships have rings. The Magic won 22 games in the 2021-22 season, then increased that total by 12 in the 2022-23 season, and increased that total by another 13 last season. And it’s entirely possible the Magic could win even more this season win. Defense was the calling card last season, and if the Magic find a way to score a little more, be on the lookout.

Strengths and weaknesses

The good: Banchero is complete, one of only six players who averaged at least 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists last season. (The others: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.) The Wagner brothers Franz and Moritz are getting better, and Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac are two of the better defenders in the league. The Magic went an NBA-best 40-1 last season when leading after three quarters, managed seven fourth-quarter comebacks (tied for ninth in the league) and were 38-10 when leading 110 points or less held (in comparison). with 9-26 when submitting 111 points or more).

The not-so-good: There were just a few nights where the Magic couldn’t score (8-24 when they scored 107 points or fewer), and in today’s NBA, that’s not enough. And the second night of back-to-back games was painful for Orlando, which lost 10 of 15 such games last season. Orlando also made an NBA-low 903 three-pointers last season, although with the addition of Caldwell-Pope, that number is expected to increase significantly.

Players to watch

The Wagner brothers are full of energy and have already played for the German national team two summers in a row, helping them win the 2023 World Cup and reach the medal round of the Paris Olympics this summer. Caldwell-Pope and Joseph provide the experienced leadership the team needs, Banchero is a bona fide star, but the most underrated part of the Magic may be what Isaac and Suggs bring to the defense. This is a playoff team with room for growth.