Can the Orlando Magic’s Young Core Lead Them to a NBA Finals in 2026?
Can the Orlando Magic’s Young Core Lead Them to a NBA Finals in 2026?
If there is one NBA team that you could argue who would make the biggest jump next year in the NBA, you can make a strong case for the Orlando Magic. Now, I understand last year was tough for them. Boner went down early in the season. France Wagner got hurt late in the season. Jaylen Suggs got hurt, I believe, after January for the rest of the season. They also lost Morris Vagw Wagner, which is Fran’s brother, for the rest of the season. They were decimated by injuries. Now, some of the bright spots for Orlando Magic was Anthony Black getting a bigger role. I like the fact he played 78 games. I know they took a shot on his development, but I thought defensively he was great. I thought he was very disruptive, great perimeter defense. Um, KCP was a disappointment shooting from three. So, they brought in Desmond Bane this coming up season. I like that because as you’re building around your core roster, you’re trying to figure out which other pieces fit around Suggs, Wagner, Boner. We can’t forget even though Jaylen Suggs didn’t shoot as well from three last year. The year before that he was over I believe 40%. So he can definitely shoot much better from three than 31%. I think he will. And then Desmond Bane, he’s a career 41% from three. He adds another scoring output for them. He can put the ball on the floor. Another ball handler for the Magic and you get more offense out there and you can help space the floor for Bon Carro and France Wagner. Now I do think your two best players have to shoot better from three. 29% is not good. I think you need to be at 34 to 36 if you’re France Wagner. Bonuro, same thing. 36 to 38% because yes, you can be great at driving the ball to the basket, but in the playoffs, you will be scouted even more heavily and if teams decide to pack the paint and dare you to knock down open shots from three and you can’t be consistent where your offense is going to struggle. Defensively, the Magic are elite. They’re so good on that end. They’re tough to deal with. We even saw in the Celtics Magic series, Boston had their moments where they struggled to score. However, on offense for Orlando, it was a bunch of Bon Carro and France Wagner. That was it. Now, I understand Suggs and Mort Wagner didn’t play, but they definitely needed more scoring points. Now, bringing in Desmond Bane was a good pickup. Tyus Jones, I think, was solid as well, just as another point guard, another ball hander who could take the pressure off of um Anthony Black. You moved off KCP and Cole Anthony. I think it was a good idea. So, you’re hoping for a couple things. Boner, France Wagner to shoot better from three. And then you’re hoping Jaylen Suggs continues to develop and hopefully get his assist numbers to like six a game. And Anthony Black, he’s a big X factor. If he can get any type of jump shot down, it doesn’t have to be from three, but even that 31.8%. I know it’s running around 2.5 attempts, but if he can get that to 34 35, he’s a decent shooter and he can shoot about 46 47% from the field. He’s a little bit better on offense. Your defense is still really good, but Tazzy was awesome last year. I loved I loved watching him. And you can shoot better from the three. They were at last season 31%. You got to 35 36 your defense is hellacious. It’s causing havoc. The Mags are going to be very scary. This is a team I expect in the next two or three seasons to be making runs to the NBA finals. That’s how good they can be to me. That’s the ceiling for them because you see the core Suggs, Wagner, Bonerro. That’s your core roster right there for like your, you know, your main pieces. Then you build around those three. I love Batazi. I love Anthony Black. Jonathan Isaac gives you good minutes when he’s healthy. Really good defensively. Last year, Isaac played 71 games. That’s good. He played a lot. He was pretty healthy for the most part. I like the fact they did manage his minutes. Cut him in that, you know, 15 to 20 range just to make sure he can stay healthy. And that was smart of Orlando. The biggest thing for the Magic is taking a leap on offense. If they can get better on that end, this team is going to be a top four in the Eastern Conference. Maybe even in the NBA, they could take that type of leap because the the talent’s there, the pieces are in Orlando and they’re tough. Even when they had guys missing, um Mosy wouldn’t let them play with little to no effort. That’s what I love about their coach. He he wants the Magic always playing 110%. So, if you have that type of effort from your guys on defense and they’re hustling, they’re battling out there, you have the talent match that effort, Orlando is going to be hard to deal with. And there’s no Jason Tatum this year. Damen Lither has left the Milwaukee Bucks. Hallebran’s out for the year as well. The door is wide open the Eastern Conference. I still think New York and Cleveland are better, but you can make an argument for the Magic being the third seed this year. There’s no doubt about it. The door is right there for Orlando to walk through. Now, when it comes to expectations, can this team make the NBA Finals? Depends how well they’re jelling and what the young talent looks like. If they’re taking that massive lead, Orlando could surprise a lot of people. They could be a number one seed. It wouldn’t shock me because of the talent they have. But I think realistically for expectations, I think this team could make a second round playoff appearance, maybe at Eastern Conference Finals, if they get the right matchups. Like, I would love them against Cleveland. And I think they match up very well and they match up well against New York as well. But experience matters. The Knicks have that right now. So do the Cavs. I understand Cleveland has been getting knocked out early in the playoffs in the second round. But as you play more together as a unit, you deal with the playoff adversity and the losses year in and year round. We saw it with the Celtics before they broke through last year. And I think you could still see that with the Knicks and the Cavs. So for the Magic, I still think they’re a year away. But would I be surprised if this team makes an NBA Finals run? No, I would not. I just think they need to develop some more. They need to continue to go through the journey of the playoffs as a unit, experience those ups and downs because every team goes through it. I understand OKC was the exception, but they’re just so loaded and talented. Their defense was historic. You couldn’t find any mismatches on that roster. Offensively, they did struggle in the playoffs at times, but they were just so good at defense and generating those cleaner looks, especially in the mid-range area. SJ is so good at just getting to his spots drawing free throws and hitting those mitties. So for Orlando, I think they’re not on the same level as OKC, but they’ve got a lot of potential here. And the ceiling is it’s going to be a second round playoff appearance for me. That’s should be the expectation. That’s a huge win. If the Magic get to the second round, they should get there. But you never know. Matchups are going to matter. Matchups are going to matter. Of course, you got to look at teams such as the Atlanta Hawks. I’ve like what they’re building in Atlanta. They’re a not a champion contender, but just a intriguing team in the East and you have to see what the Pistons are going to do. There’s some competition. Don’t want to forget about the Sixers. They can put it together, but Orlando should be the third best team in the Eastern Conference. I don’t think you’re going to get an argument from me about that. And they have the potential to be that number one seed. I thought last year they had a good shot of taking that leap. Injuries definitely derailed them to start the season, but I like the addition of Desmond Bane. People going to talk about you gave up all these picks. Look, if you’re trying to contend, you’re going to try to put the best roster around your core pieces, and you’re going to have to give up something. You know, Desmond Bane right now, his age, just want to look it up again. Desmond Bane at the moment is 27 years old, so he’s still in his prime years. He’s got experience, and it’s does help the roster to have an experienced guard, play alongside Suggs, Wagner, and Boner. Suggs is a phenomenal leader. I really believe in Jaylen Suggs and his leadership ability. They’re just still young. The Magic have a long way to go when it comes to playoff experience, but I still think they will make that leap very soon. The next two or three seasons, and there’ll be a juggernaut out east. They are the next team coming up as long as they continue to build a roster correctly and they experiment. That’s the thing. If KCP didn’t work out this past season, what do they do? They moved the off for Desmond Bane. I like that because you’re realizing, okay, this is not a good fit. That might happen again with this roster, but as long as you’re trying to build, I’m fine with that. Look, it doesn’t always work every year with your roster. Maybe there’s a player on on there that isn’t the best fit. You thought it’d be good. Like KCP looked like a great pickup. His three-point shooting went down. No one saw that coming. It happened. So, you moved off of him. We don’t know exactly what happened behind the scenes. I’m not trying to start any rumors, but there’s different factors going on with roster fit. I just like the fact that Magic are trying to compete and improve this roster so they can eventually get to a point where they can try and win a championship. That’s where they’re heading. They just got to continue to build it, right? And I really like them a lot. I’m not going to be surprised if they can take a leap. If they don’t, they’re not that far away. Hope you guys enjoyed this video today. Love to hear your thoughts about the Orlando Magic ceiling. Do you think they can make the NBA Finals this season? Are they a year or two away? Don’t forget to like and subscribe to the channel and I’ll catch you guys in the next one. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]
Can the Orlando Magic’s Young Core Lead Them to a NBA Finals in 2026?
Can the Orlando Magic’s Young Core Lead Them to a NBA Finals in 2026?
If there is one NBA team that you could argue who would make the biggest jump next year in the NBA, you can make a strong case for the Orlando Magic. Now, I understand last year was tough for them. Boner went down early in the season. France Wagner got hurt late in the season. Jaylen Suggs got hurt, I believe, after January for the rest of the season. They also lost Morris Vagw Wagner, which is Fran’s brother, for the rest of the season. They were decimated by injuries. Now, some of the bright spots for Orlando Magic was Anthony Black getting a bigger role. I like the fact he played 78 games. I know they took a shot on his development, but I thought defensively he was great. I thought he was very disruptive, great perimeter defense. Um, KCP was a disappointment shooting from three. So, they brought in Desmond Bane this coming up season. I like that because as you’re building around your core roster, you’re trying to figure out which other pieces fit around Suggs, Wagner, Boner. We can’t forget even though Jaylen Suggs didn’t shoot as well from three last year. The year before that he was over I believe 40%. So he can definitely shoot much better from three than 31%. I think he will. And then Desmond Bane, he’s a career 41% from three. He adds another scoring output for them. He can put the ball on the floor. Another ball handler for the Magic and you get more offense out there and you can help space the floor for Bon Carro and France Wagner. Now I do think your two best players have to shoot better from three. 29% is not good. I think you need to be at 34 to 36 if you’re France Wagner. Bonuro, same thing. 36 to 38% because yes, you can be great at driving the ball to the basket, but in the playoffs, you will be scouted even more heavily and if teams decide to pack the paint and dare you to knock down open shots from three and you can’t be consistent where your offense is going to struggle. Defensively, the Magic are elite. They’re so good on that end. They’re tough to deal with. We even saw in the Celtics Magic series, Boston had their moments where they struggled to score. However, on offense for Orlando, it was a bunch of Bon Carro and France Wagner. That was it. Now, I understand Suggs and Mort Wagner didn’t play, but they definitely needed more scoring points. Now, bringing in Desmond Bane was a good pickup. Tyus Jones, I think, was solid as well, just as another point guard, another ball hander who could take the pressure off of um Anthony Black. You moved off KCP and Cole Anthony. I think it was a good idea. So, you’re hoping for a couple things. Boner, France Wagner to shoot better from three. And then you’re hoping Jaylen Suggs continues to develop and hopefully get his assist numbers to like six a game. And Anthony Black, he’s a big X factor. If he can get any type of jump shot down, it doesn’t have to be from three, but even that 31.8%. I know it’s running around 2.5 attempts, but if he can get that to 34 35, he’s a decent shooter and he can shoot about 46 47% from the field. He’s a little bit better on offense. Your defense is still really good, but Tazzy was awesome last year. I loved I loved watching him. And you can shoot better from the three. They were at last season 31%. You got to 35 36 your defense is hellacious. It’s causing havoc. The Mags are going to be very scary. This is a team I expect in the next two or three seasons to be making runs to the NBA finals. That’s how good they can be to me. That’s the ceiling for them because you see the core Suggs, Wagner, Bonerro. That’s your core roster right there for like your, you know, your main pieces. Then you build around those three. I love Batazi. I love Anthony Black. Jonathan Isaac gives you good minutes when he’s healthy. Really good defensively. Last year, Isaac played 71 games. That’s good. He played a lot. He was pretty healthy for the most part. I like the fact they did manage his minutes. Cut him in that, you know, 15 to 20 range just to make sure he can stay healthy. And that was smart of Orlando. The biggest thing for the Magic is taking a leap on offense. If they can get better on that end, this team is going to be a top four in the Eastern Conference. Maybe even in the NBA, they could take that type of leap because the the talent’s there, the pieces are in Orlando and they’re tough. Even when they had guys missing, um Mosy wouldn’t let them play with little to no effort. That’s what I love about their coach. He he wants the Magic always playing 110%. So, if you have that type of effort from your guys on defense and they’re hustling, they’re battling out there, you have the talent match that effort, Orlando is going to be hard to deal with. And there’s no Jason Tatum this year. Damen Lither has left the Milwaukee Bucks. Hallebran’s out for the year as well. The door is wide open the Eastern Conference. I still think New York and Cleveland are better, but you can make an argument for the Magic being the third seed this year. There’s no doubt about it. The door is right there for Orlando to walk through. Now, when it comes to expectations, can this team make the NBA Finals? Depends how well they’re jelling and what the young talent looks like. If they’re taking that massive lead, Orlando could surprise a lot of people. They could be a number one seed. It wouldn’t shock me because of the talent they have. But I think realistically for expectations, I think this team could make a second round playoff appearance, maybe at Eastern Conference Finals, if they get the right matchups. Like, I would love them against Cleveland. And I think they match up very well and they match up well against New York as well. But experience matters. The Knicks have that right now. So do the Cavs. I understand Cleveland has been getting knocked out early in the playoffs in the second round. But as you play more together as a unit, you deal with the playoff adversity and the losses year in and year round. We saw it with the Celtics before they broke through last year. And I think you could still see that with the Knicks and the Cavs. So for the Magic, I still think they’re a year away. But would I be surprised if this team makes an NBA Finals run? No, I would not. I just think they need to develop some more. They need to continue to go through the journey of the playoffs as a unit, experience those ups and downs because every team goes through it. I understand OKC was the exception, but they’re just so loaded and talented. Their defense was historic. You couldn’t find any mismatches on that roster. Offensively, they did struggle in the playoffs at times, but they were just so good at defense and generating those cleaner looks, especially in the mid-range area. SJ is so good at just getting to his spots drawing free throws and hitting those mitties. So for Orlando, I think they’re not on the same level as OKC, but they’ve got a lot of potential here. And the ceiling is it’s going to be a second round playoff appearance for me. That’s should be the expectation. That’s a huge win. If the Magic get to the second round, they should get there. But you never know. Matchups are going to matter. Matchups are going to matter. Of course, you got to look at teams such as the Atlanta Hawks. I’ve like what they’re building in Atlanta. They’re a not a champion contender, but just a intriguing team in the East and you have to see what the Pistons are going to do. There’s some competition. Don’t want to forget about the Sixers. They can put it together, but Orlando should be the third best team in the Eastern Conference. I don’t think you’re going to get an argument from me about that. And they have the potential to be that number one seed. I thought last year they had a good shot of taking that leap. Injuries definitely derailed them to start the season, but I like the addition of Desmond Bane. People going to talk about you gave up all these picks. Look, if you’re trying to contend, you’re going to try to put the best roster around your core pieces, and you’re going to have to give up something. You know, Desmond Bane right now, his age, just want to look it up again. Desmond Bane at the moment is 27 years old, so he’s still in his prime years. He’s got experience, and it’s does help the roster to have an experienced guard, play alongside Suggs, Wagner, and Boner. Suggs is a phenomenal leader. I really believe in Jaylen Suggs and his leadership ability. They’re just still young. The Magic have a long way to go when it comes to playoff experience, but I still think they will make that leap very soon. The next two or three seasons, and there’ll be a juggernaut out east. They are the next team coming up as long as they continue to build a roster correctly and they experiment. That’s the thing. If KCP didn’t work out this past season, what do they do? They moved the off for Desmond Bane. I like that because you’re realizing, okay, this is not a good fit. That might happen again with this roster, but as long as you’re trying to build, I’m fine with that. Look, it doesn’t always work every year with your roster. Maybe there’s a player on on there that isn’t the best fit. You thought it’d be good. Like KCP looked like a great pickup. His three-point shooting went down. No one saw that coming. It happened. So, you moved off of him. We don’t know exactly what happened behind the scenes. I’m not trying to start any rumors, but there’s different factors going on with roster fit. I just like the fact that Magic are trying to compete and improve this roster so they can eventually get to a point where they can try and win a championship. That’s where they’re heading. They just got to continue to build it, right? And I really like them a lot. I’m not going to be surprised if they can take a leap. If they don’t, they’re not that far away. Hope you guys enjoyed this video today. Love to hear your thoughts about the Orlando Magic ceiling. Do you think they can make the NBA Finals this season? Are they a year or two away? Don’t forget to like and subscribe to the channel and I’ll catch you guys in the next one. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]
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