The Orlando Magic are not typically a team to watch out for in the East, but Paul Pierce is a believer in their potential. In a chat with his former teammate Kevin Garnett, Pierce opened up about the Magic and labeled them as a threat to the reigning NBA champions.
“I think Orlando is going to be better," said Pierce. "I think they got something down there because I think that they got the best player out of those three teams [Pacers, Magic, Cavaliers]. It's close, I like Donovan Mitchell a lot but Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and his brother. They young, they confident, they understand how to play together... they got a team down there. They're the only team in the last couple of years that gave the Celtics problems.”
In today's game, everybody knows that the Celtics rule the East. With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White, they made a run through the playoffs and captured their first championship since 2008. With mostly the same roster set to return next season, the Celtics are heavily favored to win it again in 2025 and there are few teams who can even hope to challenge them.
According to Pierce, one of those teams is the Orlando Magic. After years of struggles, they struck gold in the draft over the past few years and have managed to build a competitive young team that includes talented athletes like Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., and Jalen Suggs.
Last season, the Magic finished 5th in the East with a 47-35 record. It was their best campaign in years and they were able to make the playoffs for a first-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite their lack of experience, the Magic nearly won the series and took the Cavaliers to seven games before being eliminated.
During the season, the Magic gave the Celtics serious problems, and their combination of size, talent, and depth might have really challenged them during a 7-game series. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be and the Magic will have to wait until next season for another chance.
With the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer, the Magic were able to add experience and perimeter shooter to the backcourt, two areas of great need for the organization. They also signed forward Tristan Da Silva to a rookie contract.
Of course, the biggest x-factor for the Magic is Paolo Banchero. He broke out into a star last season with averages of 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 45% shooting. It was his first of many All-Star campaigns.
If Banchero can continue his rise and take his game to another level, it will make the Magic more dangerous than ever and might put them in a position to threaten the Celtics as champions of the East. However, with such a long and extensive history of failure, there are still major doubts that the Orlando Magic can actually pose a real threat in the title race.
Only time will tell how they stack up, but the Magic are certainly in a better place now than they've been for most of their recent franchise history.
