5 Burning questions as the Orlando Magic prepare for the 2025 postseason

Final 12 months, the Orlando Magic entered the season’s remaining week because the 3-seed within the Jap Convention and one win away from clinching a playoff berth.

Everybody knew the highway house can be troublesome with a three-game highway journey. However confidence was flowing, and the Magic have been on the doorstep of clinching their playoff spot.

An sudden three-game dropping streak put all of that in jeopardy. The Orlando Magic wanted a win on the ultimate day of the common season at house in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was one remaining check for this younger group attempting to interrupt via to the playoffs. A check that the younger group stumbled via however finally handed. It was one thing they put of their reminiscence banks.

Orlando clearly realized its lesson. For a group with playoff expertise and going via the season wanting to return to the playoffs, they needed to focus and rally to seize their spot.

The Magic completed 12-6 within the remaining 18 video games. They confronted the Atlanta Hawks in a important matchup to win the Southeast Division and got here out on prime. They’d three video games to safe the 7-seed. They took care of that enterprise by defeating an undermanned Boston Celtics group at house, making the ultimate two video games inconsequential.

The Magic are nonetheless a younger group. They’re nonetheless taking their scars as they attempt to develop right into a title contender. There are a number of areas this group nonetheless should develop and enhance. Simply as there are nonetheless loads of areas the entrance workplace should enhance this offseason.

The return to the postseason, although, is one thing. The Play-In is just not but a return to the playoffs. Orlando nonetheless has work to do to safe its spot within the playoffs.

The Magic’s season has not turned out how anyone hoped. As an alternative, the group was pressured to benefit from what they’ve remaining. They did that by successful the division and getting a house sport within the Play-In Match.

The group was all the time going to be judged by how they carried out within the postseason. That is the place the group will determine what it wants and the way good its younger gamers are.

And so there are a ton of questions the Magic should reply to benefit from their postseason run.

5. How a lot has the offense recovered?

When you see any previews for the upcoming playoffs, they’re undoubtedly going to say the Orlando Magic’s offense. The Magic have the worst offense amongst groups that made the postseason and completed the 12 months taking pictures a league-worst 31.8 % from three.

That may be a narrative that has been set in stone. And for nationwide writers parachuting in for takes on the Magic, that is the narrative that prevails. Can Orlando rating sufficient?

That may be a truthful query, truthfully.

The Magic are nonetheless due for a dud on occasion. The photographs don’t fall and the group’s offensive ground is way decrease than about any group that’s within the postseason.

However this isn’t how the Magic have performed for the previous month. Because the group went on its 12-6 run to shut the season, the Magic’s offense has been . . . league common. And with this group’s killer protection, league common is greater than sufficient.

Since March 7, Orlando has an 113.6 offensive score, good for twenty second within the league. That’s nothing to write down house about, however it isn’t horrible both. The beginning group is a couple of factors per 100 possessions higher. The group is best offensively in that point with both Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner on the ground (and fairly horrible when they’re off the ground).

Much more encouraging, the Magic are taking pictures 35.2 in that timeframe. Merely being barely under common adjustments the Magic’s outlook fully.

These are small samples. And it’ll not change the Magic’s want to seek out offense within the offseason. However Orlando is just not some offensive pushover anymore.

And if the Magic are merely OK on offense, their protection will carry them a good distance. Definitely far sufficient within the Play-In Match.

4. What postseason tendencies from final 12 months have been actual?

Final 12 months, no one knew how the Orlando Magic would react to taking part in within the postseason. So few gamers on the roster had been put beneath the microscope and the check the postseason brings. It was an attention-grabbing check of their mettle.

Whether or not it was teaching choices—beginning Jonathan Isaac at middle in opposition to Jarrett Allen was a bit an excessive amount of—or how function gamers stepped up or did not or how Paolo Banchero shined on the playoff stage, the Magic realized so much about themselves in these seven video games in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There have been a number of questions on it although. What was actual? What might the Magic depend on for the subsequent season? What was going to occur the subsequent time they have been within the postseason?

Banchero shined the brightest, averaging 27.0 factors per sport and pouring in massive performances. He had three 30-point video games, together with 39 in Recreation 5 and 38 in Recreation 7. Within the largest video games of the 12 months for the Magic, Banchero stepped up and crushed a protection geared to cease him.

That ought to have been sufficient to anoint Banchero the subsequent massive younger star within the NBA. As an alternative, we bought one other 12 months of questioning his effectivity and questioning if his stats have been “empty calories.” His accidents and his gradual restoration from the indirect tear solely fed that drained argument.

Since March 7, Banchero is averaging 29.3 factors per sport and taking pictures 47.7 % from the ground and an honest 34.3 % from three. Banchero is anticipated to show in these sorts of performances within the postseason once more.

This may be an opportunity for redemption.

Franz Wagner turned in a stable postseason, together with a 34-point effort in Recreation 4 and a 26-point displaying in Recreation 6. However everybody remembers his irritating 1-for-15 displaying in Recreation 7. Wagner has had a robust season to place that behind him. However the playoffs are the place a number of narratives get set. Wagner is on the lookout for redemption and consistency within the postseason this time round.

There are many different gamers who want a little bit of redemption because the Magic set up themselves. However Orlando remains to be figuring itself out as a group beneath these circumstances. One sequence is just not a sample. Two teaches you numerous.

3. How a lot of a spot have the accidents left to the highest groups?

The Orlando Magic entered the season with ambitions of competing for homecourt benefit. Early within the season, they have been preventing for that spot and a spot among the many Jap Convention’s elite. However the Magic most likely even knew then they weren’t in teh similar degree because the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics.

The Magic can rightfully place their Play-In seeding on the accidents. Orlando couldn’t overcome the huge quantity of accidents they confronted this season. That they completed .500 and within the 7-seed is a minor miracle that everybody can acknowledge.

However even when wholesome, the Magic know they need to climb one other degree to compete with the highest groups within the convention. The query is how a lot increased should they climb? Is that this a small tweak on the margins or a much bigger overhaul?

That’s the largest query. And the Magic would most likely desire to reply that query within the second spherical of the playoffs after a sequence victory.

That isn’t within the playing cards. As an alternative, assuming the Magic can win one of many subsequent two video games, they’ll get to see these groups straight within the first spherical.

To make certain, the Celtics and Cavaliers are most likely not thrilled on the prospect of dealing with a extra in-rhythm Magic group. Orlando is just not going to be the standard 7- or 8-seed within the playoffs.

For the Magic, although, this direct matchup ought to give them a way of how far they’re from competing at that degree. A superb sequence might even catapult them into subsequent season with some added confidence that the group is just not that far.

Orlando will be capable to do this side-by-side straight when the group performs within the postseason. It’s simply getting there to get that have.

2. What did Jamahl Mosley study from his first playoffs?

Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley has been praised for his capability to maintain the group collectively and preventing all through this typically irritating season. Mosley appears to have all of the intangibles of teaching right down to handle an extended 12 months and hold the group engaged and acquired in.

Everybody on this Magic group believes and there have been a couple of shaky moments this 12 months when issues might have fallen aside.

However Mosley is just not free from criticism. Followers typically query his sport administration, when he calls timeouts to cease runs, how he subs out and in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, his 10-man rotations and even who he chooses to stay with amongst his many restricted choices.

Mosley had a very good displaying in his first playoff sequence. However he additionally made a ton of errors. The choice to begin Jonathan Isaac in Video games 1 and a pair of didn’t work out. His determination to go to a 10-man rotation damage the group early within the sequence.

There is not going to be the identical feeling out for what a sequence shall be like this time. The Magic appear extra assured and understanding of their group now. And Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner had taken to all of the added accountability. He additionally has so few choices he can belief.

Nonetheless, there shall be issues he should do tactically to work round his group’s shortcomings and a few robust choices that he could should make.

Mosley goes to be beneath the highlight beginning with the playoffs because the Magic take into account easy methods to take their subsequent step. He’s nonetheless rising and creating as a coach. It is a massive sequence to indicate he can benefit from his roster and see if he may be peskier with fewer sources in opposition to the elite within the league.

1. What wants will turn into evident for the offseason?

Exiting final 12 months’s playoffs, it felt apparent what the Orlando Magic wanted. They wanted taking pictures most of all. The group’s taking pictures was so unreliable however was sufficient to push the Magic to a number of playoff wins once they have been making sufficient of these photographs.

The opposite want was additionally apparent. They wanted one other creator to assist ease the burden on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They seemed like they wanted some group and simply one other participant to place stress on defenses, so Banchero and Wagner weren’t banging their heads in opposition to the wall.

The Magic opted to attempt to repair the 3-point taking pictures by including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope—the model of the final six weeks is actually higher than what they bought total. They didn’t deal with the opposite creator want, hoping to broaden Banchero and Wagner’s roles. They guess on Jalen Suggs taking a step as a playmaker and a shooter—maybe he would have earlier than accidents modified his function and minimize Suggs’ season quick.

This Orlando group wants a major offensive improve this summer time. Simply how massive and the place the group wants that improve might be nonetheless evident. However the playoffs will reveal how main of an improve and the place else the Magic would possibly want to enhance.

How aggressive Orlando is addressing clear wants will possible come right down to how the group performs within the postseason.

Whatever the end result, the playoffs will play a serious function within the Magic and their subsequent steps.