Orlando Magic: 5 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 NBA season

5. Cult heroes worth rooting for

There’s no doubt that the Orlando Magic roster as it is currently constructed is a likeable team. Most fun and up-and-coming units that fly under the radar usually are, but now that the Magic have made the next step and are legitimately good, they are still easy to root for.

Nikola Vucevic’s story of being an afterthought in the Dwight Howard trade to making a run at being a top-15 all-time franchise player hasn’t been without its frustrations, but to see him become an All-Star last year provided serious vindication.

He has also endeared himself to fans off the court as well, even during the offseason.

Away from the starting five though, the Magic have the kind of players that opposing fans can’t help but like either. Khem Birch fought his way back to the league after playing overseas and he was buried behind Vucevic and rookie Mohamed Bamba to start last season.

Once Bamba went down with injury, Birch got his chance, and he took it.

https://twitter.com/YahooCASports/status/1169261473203412992

His defensive play off the bench helped power the Magic to the postseason and he held it down for Canada at the FIBA World Cup as well. Terrence Ross is another who is a joy to watch and support, the ideal sixth man off the bench who is nicknamed “the human torch” for a reason.

They play hard, defend well a a unit and typically try every night, which is all you can ask of them.

This is true of essentially everybody on the roster, which is why it will be fun to once again get behind them this coming season. Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac fall into this category as well, and Wesley Iwundu may be the hardest working guy in the rotation period.

Likeable guys who play hard, have shown they work well together and are capable of winning games? What’s not to like and be excited about that?