Orlando Magic: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
By Luke Duffy
1. Orlando exceeds expected win total and makes the playoffs
The boldest prediction of all, and one that is twofold and which goes hand in hand together. If the Magic exceed their win total, they’re likely to make the playoffs.
ESPN has them winning 32.2 games this season, not much to cheer about when you consider the minor facelift this team has undergone. Should they pass that mark, there’s every reason to believe they’ll be in within a shout of making the postseason for the first time in six years as well.
A new wrinkle to the schedule may help them achieve this goal. The Magic’s core is a young one, and with no more four-games-in-five-days, they can play at a high tempo more frequently.
Their veterans will also benefit from this, and this will definitely result in a couple more unexpected wins along the way, and fewer “scheduling losses” too.
The team is flying under the radar when early playoff candidates get spoken about, and yet with the Eastern Conference still lacking real depth, it’s kind of puzzling to see the Magic dismissed so easily.
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If two of the first four predictions come together, you can bet it will turn this fifth, most important one, into a reality.