NBA

Inside the Magic: Banchero Sparks Orlando’s East Push

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

This summer, the NBA saw many changes. Paul George joined the Philadelphia 76ers, while Mikal Bridges was traded to the New York Knicks. The Boston Celtics won the championship and kept their whole team together. The Milwaukee Bucks brought in Gary Trent Jr. on a cheap deal and will have a full offseason with Doc Rivers as their new coach. Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen each signed new deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Inside the Magic, the team focused on their developments amidst these major league shifts.

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The Eastern Conference teams have all made big moves to secure their futures. With so much change, nothing set in stone, and the competition expected to close as last year, where playoff spots decided on the last day of the season.

Despite the buzz around other teams, the Orlando Magic are not getting much attention. Even though they have scheduled five national TV games this year, and nine including NBATV, they still getting less national focus compared to other teams.

The Magic’s national TV appearances tied with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Utah Jazz. This shows that while they are getting some visibility, they are still not in the spotlight.

Overall, the Orlando Magic remains a team looking for more recognition and considered an underdog in the national conversation.

However, there is one player who might quickly shift how people view the Magic, and that’s Paolo Banchero. His potential to make a big impact was clear when he appeared on First Take at the Fanatics Fest in New York City on Friday.

Banchero Brings Confidence to the Magic’s 2024-25 Season

While Stephen A. Smith and Mike “Mad Dog” Russo talked about other teams’ big moves and the Magic’s quieter summer, inside the Magic, Paolo Banchero confidently stated the team’s goals for the upcoming season.

Banchero believes the Magic are ready to make a big impact this season. He said we were right there last year. We got better, and we should be a top team with a chance to win the East.

It’s worth remembering that the Magic were in the 2nd seed and fighting for homecourt advantage late in the season. They only fell behind due to a rough finish and a late three-game losing streak.

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The Magic secured their playoff spot and ended up as the 5th seed with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on the last day of the season.

This offseason, the Magic made some important changes to their team. One key addition is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a veteran player who highly regarded. His shooting skills are expected to help the young Magic team.

David Aldridge of The Athletic praised the Magic’s thoughtful offseason, ranking them third in his power rankings. While the Magic didn’t make big headlines, they focused on strengthening their young team with smart additions that fit well together. This approach might not grab casual fans’ attention, but it’s a solid strategy for building a strong foundation.

Banchero noted that the Magic were one of the youngest teams last year. Gaining playoff experience and improving individually should help them compete for homecourt advantage again. Inside the Magic, Banchero, with a strong 2nd season in which he averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, can be key to their success. In the playoffs, he improved his stats, averaging 27.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

Banchero’s sturdy performance in the playoffs stuck national interest. He had three 30-point games, including a standout 38 points in Game 7, even when the team seemed exhausted.

This playoff experience will help both Banchero and the Magic. He learned how to manage the game’s pace and stay focused, which will benefit him throughout the long NBA season and tough playoff series.

By applying these lessons, Banchero is expected to become an even better player and lead the Magic effectively. Orlando may have intentionally left some roster needs unaddressed to give Banchero more room to grow and take on more responsibility.

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The Magic have focused on improving themselves rather than chasing headlines. This approach has worked well, making it easy to overlook how talented and young the team is. They feel ahead of schedule and are optimistic about the 2025 season. Even after their playoff run ended in May, they believed they could earn home-court advantage for the next season.