3 Realistic goals for the Orlando Magic this season

The Orlando Magic have a player make the All-Star game.

It would be asking too much to expect Banchero to leap all the way into All-Star contention in year one, but there are other realistic candidates on the roster. Anthony was a fringe (fringe…) possibility last year, as his personality shone through and was infectious for the group. It didn’t hurt that he picked up some of the slack in the absence of Fultz.

And although the Eastern Conference is as loaded as it has been in some time, stranger things have happened. The introduction of studs like Donovan Mitchell and Dejounte Murray does not help, and as the Nature Boy Ric Flair once said, “If You Want To Be The Best, You Got To Beat The Best.”

The more obvious choice is Wagner. He is going to see a lot of the ball, and next to Banchero, he will be tasked with being an offensive creator. More than that, he showed in his rookie season a willingness to finish at the basket as well. He can do a little bit of everything and is going to get better this coming year.

Perhaps Wagner has a slightly easier job getting in as a forward if the backcourts of many Eastern Conference teams are crowded with talent. Nevertheless, it is still going to be very hard for the Magic to get a player into the All-Star game, but they should be attempting to do so because of what that will mean for the team.

Chances are, if Wagner makes the All-Star game, it is because the Magic have overachieved and made some people take notice of them in the process. What that looks like is not clear at this point. But, as we’ve seen with Vucevic in the past when the Magic are in contention for the playoffs, recognition follows. This is why it is important to aim to have an All-Star.