The Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero says his squad can match up with anyone in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic, who made the postseason for the first time since 2020, are on an upswing after going 47-35 for their best regular-season record since 2011.
“We feel like we are right there,” Banchero said Friday during an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“We’re right there with all those teams. I remember last year we started off as a top-three, top-two seed, and everybody thought it was a fluke. Everybody thought we were going to be a play-in team and drop out the top of the East. But we finished strong and got the fifth seed, and had a chance to really grab the two seed at the end of the season.”
Banchero is one of the best young players in the NBA. In his second year in the league he became an All-Star. So when he looked around at the Eastern landscape, he sees his team should be in the mix with the likes of Boston and New York, the top two seeds of the 2024 playoffs.
“We were right there last year, and we got better this year, like I said. I got better, all of us got better. We got some new pieces that’s going to help a lot. We’re trying to make some noise. We should easily be a top-four, top-three team and have a chance to win the East.”
Is Banchero’s statement totally out there? Perhaps not.
The Magic eventually lost in the first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a grueling seven-game series. The young squad blew an 18-point lead in that game, an experience the Magic hope they can learn from. With an average age of 24.3, the Magic were the second youngest team in the playoffs.
So when they were presented with the opportunity to sign two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they jumped at the chance. Caldwell-Pope brings championship experience and shooting, something the Magic sorely lacked last season. Orlando ranked 26th in the league in 3-point percentage and struggled creating from the perimeter in the Cleveland series.
Additionally, longtime NBA vet Cory Joseph also signed with Orlando. A champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, Joseph can be a valuable mentor to the younger guards on the team like Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony.
Outside of free-agent additions, Orlando re-signed many of its rotation players like forward Jonathan Isaac and rising star Franz Wagner. It also drafted Tristan Da Silva, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Colorado who projects to get minutes with his high IQ and perimeter shooting.
How did Magic’s offseason stack up with the rest of the East?
When looking at some of the moves other teams in the East made, Orlando’s moves seem marginal at best.
The Philadelphia 76ers overhauled their roster in free agency, picking up veterans such as Paul George, Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin and Reggie Jackson, all players who have deep postseason experience and in the case of Jackson, an NBA championship. George was one of the biggest acquisitions in free agency. He is a career 20.8 points per game scorer, and will be the third option on Philly’s roster behind the All-Star duo of Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, giving Philadelphia an incredibly formidable and arguably the No. 1 threat to Boston in the conference.
The Knicks, coming off a season as the second seed in the East, have improved as well. Mikal Bridges, 27, is coming off a season averaging 20 points a night and is recognized as one of the best perimeter defenders in the game. Beyond that, the chemistry between him and the other former Villanova Wildcats on the squad can only help.
Also re-signing OG Anunoby is expected to pay dividends for the Knicks. Having him and Bridges will no doubt warrant considerations for the Knicks having the best defense in basketball.
Outside of those teams, the Milwaukee Bucks with a healthy Damian Lillard and Giannis Antentokunmpo will always be formidable. Similarly, the Indiana Pacers are also another young team who will be a year better after a deep playoff run. Same with the Cavaliers, who can rest easy knowing that Donovan Mitchell is committed to them long term.
So while Banchero and the Magic certainly have improved, it remains to be seen how far they can go in what is shaping up to be the deepest the East has been in quite awhile.
