Welcome to Orlando, Florida; in the central part of the state. Home of the most famous resident known around the globe in Mickey Mouse. For a NBA franchise whose dark days and punching bag of mockery, it was enough where nobody would show up to games. Unless the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks; bigger brand of teams would make a stop on a road trip. Orlando had nothing to offer but Walt Disney World.
For the young Magic, they’ve been the one team nobody has uttered about. A young core of talent including Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero; Orlando is off to a 14-7 start for 2024; competing every night and going about it the right way. Coming off a 29-28 second half surge from 2023, Orlando has shown promise to bring the Magic back to being respectable around the NBA.
With the guidance of third year head coach Jamahl Mosley, Orlando had plenty of dialogue to fix their shortcomings. Meetings and dinners with one another this past summer to win as many games as possible early on and make a playoff push come March and April. Since last season, Orlando has made strides in improving their defense. Coach Mosley spoke on this with Banchero to help him understand how to be a leader and the driving force for overall success. His rookie year saw a lot of highs and lows; but with being the face of Orlando, Banchero will have to lead on and off the court. His ceiling is very high and more room to evolve his game. If the Magic can stay afloat, they could be the most exciting team with momentum going into the postseason.
Owning up to the losses in 2023 was a crucial moment for the Magic. Everyone on the team felt the lack of preparedness and mindset to play as a team. Youthful legs and supreme talent can lead to success; they’ll need to sacrifice and lean on each other. With Banchero being the head of the snake, Orlando has the makings of being a top five team in the Eastern conference.
Orlando has been in the draft lottery and stockpiled their picks. Building a young team through the draft and hoping for future success. Just like the nostalgia Magic teams of the early 1990s, the vibe of something magical is arriving sooner than later. Orlando can give their top heavy conference foes a run for it. To say “title contender” is gullible, but anything is possible.
A very tough Eastern conference will test the young Magic and measure their talent against the competition. As it stands today, fourth in defense, allowing 109.3 points per 100 possessions. Even without starters Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr, Orlando can set the tone with their defense. Offensively, they’re 15th in the league but will regain firepower once guys get healthy and back into the rotations.
This would make Mickey Mouse proud knowing his beloved Magic is respectable again. For a franchise whose dark and gloomy seasons look to be moving out of the region, a new day is here in Orlando and it’s just beginning. Time to let the most magical place on Earth be more than Disney; let the Magic have their shine as well. Mickey and the Magic can thrive together in the same city.
Stai tuned…
