The Magic are on track for the playoffs despite injuries, showcasing resilience and potential for the second half of the season.
Right now, they’re sitting at 23-18, which is actually one win better than last year at this time. They snagged their 23rd win against Philadelphia with a 104-99 victory at home. Last season, they didn’t hit that mark until January 21, in their 43rd game.
It’s been a tough road, especially for All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, who’s only played in seven games due to a torn abdominal muscle. But he’s back now and has been averaging 27 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in his first two games back, even with a minutes restriction.
Banchero is optimistic about getting back to his usual form as the season rolls on. He’s also looking forward to having other key players like Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs back on the court. He mentioned wanting to build some momentum heading into the playoffs.
Before diving into the second half of the season, it’s worth noting what’s been working for the Magic so far. They’ve had a lot of lineup changes, but one group has stood out: Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner, Tristan da Silva, and Goga Bitadze.
This lineup has played the most games together and has been pretty effective, going 7-3 when starting. They’ve logged the most minutes together, which has helped them find some stability.
Interestingly, the most efficient lineup isn’t the one that’s played the most minutes. That honor goes to Suggs, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, da Silva, and Bitadze, who had a stellar effective field-goal percentage in their one game together.
The Magic’s chances of making the playoffs look good, with ESPN’s NBA Basketball Power Index giving them a 96.9% chance. Last year, they were at 70% at this point. They’re on track to win 46 games, which should be enough to secure a decent playoff spot.
As they look ahead, the Magic are currently 4th in the East, but they could easily shift between seeds 4-8. If they could choose a first-round opponent, they’d likely want to face the Bucks. Even though Milwaukee has beaten them twice, the Magic weren’t at full strength in those games.
With more players getting healthy, they could have a better shot at matching up with the Bucks later in the season.
And here’s a fun fact: the Magic have the best record on Mondays, sitting at 5-1. They’ve got seven more Monday games left, so let’s see if they can keep that streak going!
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic at Bucks
When: 8, Wednesday, Fiserv Forum
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Florida
