NBA: Resetting the East team rosters heading into the restart
By Kyle Craib
7th: Orlando Magic (↑ 1)
Currently sitting in the 8th and final playoff spot, the Orlando Magic will have a tough road ahead if they hope to do any damage in 2020. Even if their seeding games go flawlessly, Orlando will be forced to face off against either Toronto or Milwaukee in the first round.
The Magic have gone 0-7 so far this season against either competitor.
As the only “home team” coming into the bubble, the Magic are looking to build off of their first-round playoff exit last season and still make an impact on the competition in the Eastern Conference.
There are some bright spots for Orlando coming into the restart. After injuring his left knee on January 1st, Jonathan Isaac finally made his return to the floor in Monday’s scrimmage against the Denver Nuggets. Isaac was impressive in his comeback, putting together 13 points and seven rebounds in limited minutes.
If he can get back to his form on the defensive end and continue his dominance on the glass, the Magic will have a solid foundation in Isaac to work around. Prior to going down, he was a premier rim defender in the NBA averaging 2.4 blocks and adding 1.6 steals per game.
Alongside him, Magic center Mohammed Bamba has made significant changes, adding 20 pounds of muscle to his frame and looking noticeably stronger in scrimmage action so far. This should allow Bamba to compete with the biggest rim protectors in the NBA, finally adding some strength to match his length.
On the injured list, Al-Farouq Aminu is the only player not currently with the team, still rehabbing a torn MCL from back in November of 2019.
The Magic are going to need a lot of help, but with a healthy lineup and the offense working, Orlando still makes for a tough matchup for Eastern opponents.