Philip Rossman-Reich here, the host of the daily Locked On Magic podcast, with your daily Locked On Magic newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Magic and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Orlando Magic will prove themselves in third quarter of season
Nov 1, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard/David Richard-Imagn Images
The Orlando Magic are halfway through their season. And there is still a lot they do not know.
Just five games into the season Paolo Banchero went down with a torn oblique, forcing the team to reconfigure roles and responsibilities and go from growing mode to survival mode. The Magic successfully navigated that until Franz Wagner went down with a torn oblique.
That Orlando is still sitting in fifth and ahead of schedule at 23-19 as the team prepares to face the Boston Celtics on Friday is a minor miracle. The team was at this same low point of injuries and frustration last year – sitting at 22-20 at Game 42 last year and eighth in the East. The team powered its way through the second half of the season and earned the 5-seed.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. The season’s third quarter may finally answer those questions about how good this team is. It better with the opportunity in front of them to cement their place in the Eastern Conference.
One way or another the next 20 games will determine where the Magic’s season ends. It will determine whether they look back at their season as one of success or one that requires major changes. It may bring some of those major changes early.
It will set the team on its path in the near future and the path it will take to contention.
First and foremost, the Magic are on track to be healthy for the first time since the start of the season at some point in the next 20 games.
Banchero returned from his oblique injury last week and is already making an impact in limited minutes as he works his way back. Franz Wagner was upgraded to return to competition reconditioning suggesting his return will come within the next two weeks (likely next weekend before the team goes on its West Coast road trip).
Jalen Suggs is still working his way back from a low back strain, but the prospect of having the team’s two stars back in the lineup is enough to get fans excited.
After a busy first half of the schedule, the Magic’s schedule also softens. While the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons have used long win streaks to catch up to the Magic in the standings, the Magic have not had that opportunity to build wins.
They will face a host of teams with losing records and have a healthy amount of home games to boot. The Magic have done well in these games, going 14-7 at the Kia Center, the second-most wins in the Eastern Conference and fourth-most in the league. Orlando has 11 of the next 20 games at home.
The Magic are also 13-3 against teams with records with below .500, the third-most wins in the Eastern Conference. And two of those losses – to the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers – came when their best player tore their oblique at some point in the second half.
Orlando plays eight teams with records below .500 in the next 20 games. Even going 7-1 in those games would set the team up for a successful third quarter of the season. Positive Residual rates the Magic as having the third-easiest remaining schedule in the league.
Of course, the future looms too. The Magic play their final two scheduled national TV games against the Boston Celtics tonight and Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 25. This team still has much to prove in the bigger picture.
The trade deadline presents an opportunity to address some long-term needs and shore this team up for the Playoffs ahead. It is unclear when the Magic will make the move, but even through all the injuries it is clear the Magic will need more to jump into title contention.
Orlando still has to prove it can step up onto a bigger stage. And the next 20 games will help prove the Magic’s intentions too.
By the time the Magic reach March, we will know exactly what this team can accomplish this season. The path is open for Orlando to cement its place in the 4/5 matchup at least and give themselves back control over homecourt advantage. They have done a lot of work to create that cushion.
Jan 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives for a shot past Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. | Bill Streicher/Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the rest of the NBA season could just be various instances spent listening to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go WOOOO to varying decibels and degrees of excitement? It would be, to borrow from a master gone too soon, Lynchian.
If not that, then to watch the Thunder and Cavaliers play each other, over and over, until April 13th. I suspect we still wouldn’t have our fill of these two teams but don’t fret, we’d have a riveting seven game series. Each game a competitive and tight feast for the eyes.
To really get an understanding of how, though relentless pressuring and seamless switching, the Thunder have run away with the first overall defensive rating. That even against a team like Cleveland who pride themselves on the way they’re able to take care of the ball, and their communication skills, OKC can pluck the ball out of the hands of an opponent on a fastbreak, a drive, as if they were walking right up to a kid and taking candy from their hands.
Of course, this all makes it sound like watching these two teams in perpetuity is going to look heavily lopsided for the Thunder. The matchup last night was a wallop for the West, for sure, but Cleveland showed why they’ve been coolly leading the East and the entire league. Rainbow threes from Mitchell, light lobs over the heads of every Thunder player — just then upturned to watch — between Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and fadeaway shots from the corner care of Max Strus.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Injury The Orlando Magic have released their injury report for the game against the Boston Celtics, detailing which players are in and out for the Friday night matchup. (Sports Illustrated)
Fans Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have ranked in the top 10 of the third 2025 All-Star fan vote returns, reflecting strong support from the fanbase. (Sports Illustrated)
Ranking The latest NBA power rankings place the Orlando Magic in a critical position, emphasizing their performance in a statement week for the league. (Bleacher Report)
Preview The Magic square off against the Celtics in Boston at 7:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball News Roundup: The Tanking In Utah
Jan 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) looks on against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale/Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers are taking tanking to a whole new level. The Jazz have been sitting players like John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler for various reasons. While I understand the incentives for tanking, the odds of getting the number one pick are not high. The NBA has been cracking down on teams resting healthy players, but these two franchises seem to be pushing the boundaries.
As a fantasy analyst, I’ve been advising people to avoid high picks from these teams due to the risk of shutdowns and reduced playing time. It’s frustrating to see this level of blatant tanking, especially when it impacts fantasy basketball managers.
The Memphis Grizzlies are another team to watch, with Ja Morant constantly appearing on the injury report. While they’re not tanking like Utah and Portland, Morant’s frequent injuries are concerning for fantasy managers.
In other news, Donte DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain for the Knicks, which could lead to increased minutes for Mike Conley. However, I wouldn’t rush to add Conley in most leagues.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Magic podcasts.
Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks: What went wrong? Energy reveals their weaknesses The Orlando Magic seemed overwhelmed by their mounting injuries and could not find their footing in a 29-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Their energy simply was not there.
Franz Wagner’s coming return gives hope to Orlando Magic’s offense Franz Wagner’s rapid recovery from his injury is a beacon of hope for the Orlando Magic as they navigate the NBA season. With the team ranking 27th in offensive rating, the return of key players like Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero could be game-changing and lift their biggest weakness.
Why Jamahl Mosley is Orlando Magic’s First Half MVP The Orlando Magic have spent the first half of their season trying to hold the boat steady. Major injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner threw the season for a loop and forced the Magic to adjust quickly.
