3 Realistic goals for the Orlando Magic this season
By Luke Duffy
The Orlando Magic enter the 2022–23 NBA season with as much optimism as we have seen in recent years. Though fans of other teams and media members (with the exception of Zach Lowe, who always gives them credit when it is warranted) continue to overlook them, the core of a group that will be relevant in the not-too-distant future now exists.
In some ways, the timing is a tiny bit unfortunate. The Magic have now reached a point where they are not among the four worst organizations in the league, just as Victor Wembanyama comes on the scene as the expected first-overall pick in next year’s draft. You can’t be bad forever, though, and it feels like this franchise is about to turn a corner.
With several high lottery picks in place, and first overall pick Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic are ready for their next phase.
It will not be all about Paolo Banchero, however. Markelle Fultz (despite another annoying injury setback) continues to show why he is so important to the group when he plays. His point guard abilities are on full display in how he calms everybody around him down. Additionally, the tempo and defensive instincts he brings on a nightly basis will be crucial once he returns.
Jalen Suggs may have had a tough rookie year (that is continuing), but like Cole Anthony before him, the best is yet to come. Franz Wagner was one of the summer’s rising stars, leading Germany to victory in the FIBA EuroBasket competition. Meanwhile, coach Jamahl Mosley is back for his second year as well, and that continuity will begin to bear fruit as the campaign progresses. With all of that in mind, here are three realistic goals for the franchise this coming season: