Did the Orlando Magic blow a golden opportunity to take a big step forward during the offseason?
It’s clear the Orlando Magic have tremendous young talent and have done an excellent job in the past couple of years in moving on from NBA purgatory.
Rookie of the Year winner Paolo Banchero showed the potential to be the next star and face of the franchise for the Magic this past season. Franz Wagner has also made strides in his game and has the chance to be an All-Star in the future. There are still big questions in the backcourt, but Markell Fultz and Cole Anthony have both shown they could be productive contributors to the team.
This past season, the Magic went 34-48. They had a sour end to the season in which they lost four games and finished six games out of the Play-In Tournament, but the steps forward this franchise made were pretty evident throughout the year.
The Orlando Magic didn’t take the bait this offseason
Heading into the offseason with plenty of cap space, the Magic’s front office could’ve decided to add some veteran talent to their young promising core – Orlando was linked to Fred VanVleet, who would’ve been a stopgap answer at the point guard position. In the end, the team decided to continue to lean into the youth movement, drafting Anthony Black and Jett Howard with their two lottery picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Questions about the future of Jonathan Issac remain. Issac has shown tremendous potential in the early phases of his career. However, there are questions about his health as he’s played so little since the bubble season.
The decision to keep building young could be the right one, as Banchero is only entering his sophomore season. Although considering how well Orlando played in the second half of the year last season, it’s worth wondering if the Magic could have taken steps to add players who understand winning at the NBA level.
With the Eastern Conference looking significantly weaker this year, the Magic may be able to take a leap anyway. However, teams that missed the playoffs last year are looking to make a jump in the standings as well, like the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and the Charlotte Hornets.
A successful season for Orlando will need to be competing for a play-in spot, being that they weren’t far from it last year. Although, with those other teams looking to compete as well, will Orlando’s inexperience derail them?
It’s great to have young talent, but too much of it can also bring issues or stunt progression. The retort would be adding as many young pieces as possible is a good way to trade for stars. With Jalen Suggs’ rocky start to his career, Black could be the Magic’s franchise point guard.
The Magic have a bright future, but their fans eventually deserve a season of expectations. Eventually, Orlando will need to capitalize on that.