The Orlando Magic were one of the most talked-about teams in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Even though they didn’t end up going far in the playoffs, they proved they are back in fine form and might be a true threat in the years ahead.
Speaking on Friday’s “First Take,” Magic superstar Paolo Banchero revealed his expectations for the upcoming season.
“I think we should easily be a top four, top three team and have a chance to win the East,” Banchero said, via NBACentral.
Paolo Banchero says the Magic are up there with the Celtics, Knicks, and Sixers
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“I think we should easily be a top 4, top 3 team and have a chance to win the East.”
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@FirstTake / h/t @ClutchPoints )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 16, 2024
The Magic posted a 46-35 record last season, which was good enough to give them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
They started off the season strong and climbed higher than the fifth spot before coming back down to earth.
Even though they weren’t a top-three team, they were still quite impressive, and Banchero was consistently fantastic.
He averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, which was a step up from his rookie season.
The Magic showed off a lot of ability but were just a bit too young and inexperienced to make it far in the postseason.
With that being said, they did push the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the opening round, which was admirable.
Now that the Magic are officially back in a big way, they will be closely watched in 2024-25.
They have gotten better but the rest of the East has as well.
Can they keep up with teams such as the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and others?
Some fans are worried the Magic will slip up in the new season, but Banchero promises they’ll only get better.
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