The NBA has undergone changes. Everyone is dreading the day household names like LeBron James,
Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant retire since they were the faces of the game for years. Nonetheless, a
fresh batch of celebrities is vying for attention at the same moment.
Young clubs are often surprising the league and creeping into the postseason picture. Even though they
had to take a gap year the previous season, the Memphis Grizzlies established themselves as one of the
youthful teams poised to contend for the league’s top spot two seasons ago. The Oklahoma City Thunder
were vying for the top spot in the Western Conference in their place.
Who will be the next is the question at hand. With young cores that are immensely intriguing and the
potential to succeed the Thunder, Orlando, Houston, and San Antonio all have excellent opportunities.
Michael Pina of The Ringer believes it will be Magic.
Could the Magic finish as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference next season?
There are many similarities between the Grizzlies, Thunder, and Orlando Magic. They have a lot of
indigenous talent, a tough defensive identity, and a rising superstar in the making, though not quite to
the same level as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ja Morant.
The Magic’s fan base has always been upbeat about the team’s development, particularly in the wake of
Paolo Banchero’s All-Star campaign. Like the majority of Magic fans, Pina anticipates hearing from
Banchero shortly.
“Primed for a significant third-year leap that could end with him as one of the league’s 15 best players,
Banchero is a 6-foot-19, 250-pound brutish wrecking ball with handle and touch, who averaged 22.6
points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in his second season,” the writer adds.
Banchero will play a major role in any potential success the Magic may have. They will go as far as he
will, particularly in terms of aggression. But as of right now, the Magic’s strongest suit is defense. Pina
made a big prediction about Orlando’s potential on that end of the court, saying they might be the
league’s greatest defense at the end of the following season. Though there is a lot of competition for that
title, the Magic have a strong argument.
The club still has a lot of offensive development and work ahead of them before they can be considered
serious contenders for the Eastern Conference title. Pina did, however, venture a daring forecast for the
Magic’s 2024–25 campaign.
“The Magic are built to contend a few years from now, but they can also be a top-three seed this season,” he states.
Orlando finished fifth in the East the previous season, thus they were already close. It’s not impossible,
but it would require a big offensive leap, particularly if the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and
Philadelphia 76ers are all healthy. It is encouraging to see the national media treat the Magic with some
respect, even if they are not able to secure a top-three seed in the upcoming season.
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