If you were writing the script for the Orlando Magic’s season, it is hard to imagine how things have gone so far would have been on the page.
Yes, the Magic saw Paolo Banchero seemingly take a leap and drop a 50-point game. But the excitement over that individual achievement quickly dissipated. In the next game, he tore his right oblique and will likely be out until around Christmas.
At least, everyone has that Christmas gift to look forward to.
This week though is about Thanksgiving. Everyone will join their Magic family at the Kia Center on Wednesday to see the Magic take on the Chicago Bulls. Then they will hopefully be with family, friends and loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday (the Magic will be off but traveling to New York City for a five-day, three-game stay in the Big Apple).
As the Magic approach Thanksgiving, they are breathing some sighs of relief. The injury to Banchero instead of sinking the season has seemingly unlocked something inside of them. Orlando has won nine of its past 10 games and sits at 12-7, third in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic can still accomplish all of their goals to get home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference. They have done more than survive.
This upcoming five-game road trip to New York City and Philadelphia will be a major test for them as will the homestand beyond it. We will learn a lot about the Magic before the next holiday.
But this week is about Thanksgiving. It is time to go around the table and say what the Magic are thankful for to start this season. And what will feed them heading into the rest of the season.
The best young duo in the league
Everything for the Orlando Magic starts with their two young players and budding stars. They are the buzz of the league. Even in Paolo Banchero’s absence, everyone is excited to see what the Magic become.
Even before Banchero’s injury he seemed like he had made a leap, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor. He seemed to put to rest the questions of his inefficiency as he led the Magic early in the season.
Banchero’s injury though opened the door for Franz Wagner to emerge as a star in his own right.
Wagner is averaging 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while maintaining his efficiency at 47.4 percent shooting and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. Since Banchero’s injury, Wagner is averaging 25.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game on 46.5/34.4/82.4 shooting splits.
Banchero may not make the All-Star team this year because he will not have played enough games. But Wagner will make the team. And both of the Magic’s young forwards should be in All-Star games for years to come.
Home Sweet Home
Coach Jamahl Mosley loves to talk as much as he can about the energy his team gets from the home crowd. He is complimentary of the home crowd. Indeed, the Kia Center has been a bundle of energy supporting the Magic all year.
Orlando is simply a different team at home than it is on the road. And it is not just about the perfect 8-0 record entering Wednesday’s game. The Magic are a significantly better team at home.
The Magic have a league-best +16.6 net rating at home this year – a 115.5 offensive rating against a 98.8 defensive rating. The Magic even shoot a respectable 33.0 percent from three at home (still 27th among teams at home, but not abysmally bad like on the road).
Orlando has not lost a home game since March 29, when the team lost a close game to the LA Clippers. The Kia Center has truly become a fortress for this Kingdom on the Rise.
A culture of defense and togetherness
When Jamahl Mosley arrived in Orlando, the franchise was lifeless. The team went through years of rebuilding seeking an identity. They collected talent without vision or togetherness. It was not working.
The seeds of the Magic’s defense were laid in those early years. But more importantly, a culture of togetherness was built in those early years. With careful tending, the right people, some smart draft picks and complete buy-in, that identity is starting to grow into something devastating.
It is most easily seen in the team’s 104.6 defensive rating, third in the league at the moment. It is the second straight year the Magic are ranked in the top five in defensive rating. It is an identity that seemingly goes beyond the team’s freakish inability to shoot.
But it is seen everywhere else too. The Magic are as tied together as any team in the league. And that has endeared them to the fan base. It is the big reason they can push each other so hard.
And it is as much a reason as any that the Magic are where they are with a bright future ahead of them.
