Magic will meet higher expectations; 5 predictions
By Luke Duffy
1. They return to the playoffs
It is the main goal for this season and it is one which the Orlando Magic should achieve as well. Looking for homecourt advantage for the first round by finishing in the top four would be a fantastic bonus and it is what they should be aiming for.
But simply getting back to the postseason and having an even better showing than last year is where the Magic are at right now.
We’ve already spoken about how other organizations around them improved as well, but the Magic’s ceiling has the chance to be really high depending on how their younger players develop over the course of the year.
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Evan Fournier is an X-factor at this point. He’s become something of a forgotten man in Orlando with the new and exciting youngsters that have been drafted or traded for in the last couple of years, and his style of play goes against the culture that is being built there. However it is also true that he is still probably the best, and in some ways only, closer on their roster currently.
He is coming off a strong showing at the FIBA World Cup, one in which he was selected to the All-Star Five after the tournament. If the Magic are a good bet to make the playoffs, and right now they have just over a 60 percent chance according to ESPN, then if Fournier turns in the best season of his career, that number could be bumped up a fraction.
Even if this doesn’t happen, another All-Star campaign from Nikola Vucevic, as well as Aaron Gordon maybe getting in too and Jonathan Isaac improving, should see them safely through to the NBA’s second season. Markelle Fultz would have been the X-factor at this point, but given that he is actually back playing right now, he is a little more of a known commodity.
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There’s been things to like about his performances, but it is still clear he will need time to get back to being a consistent performer. The great news is that he is back at all, and before the regular season has even tipped off. All of this, and more, means that this will be a year where the Magic continue building towards being considered true contenders.