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Season Sequence: Tonight in Miami; Dec. 21 in Orlando; Dec. 26 in Orlando; Jan. 27 in Miami
2024 Season Sequence: Warmth 115, Magic 106 in Orlando on Dec. 20; Warmth 99, Magic 96 in Miami on Jan. 12; Magic 105, Warmth 87 in Orlando on Jan. 21; Warmth 121, Magic 95 in Miami on Feb. 6

Our 2024 File: 57-32/43-46 ATS

The primary recreation of the season is at all times filled with the unknown. The preseason is just useful for a lot. Gamers know the best way to tempo themselves and put together for the common season. The query is whether or not they can activate the change. Or, extra appropriately, can they discover their footing particularly when all of the vitality goes towards them on the street.

In reality, the Orlando Magic haven’t received a gap recreation on the street since 2004 when Tracy McGrady led the Magic to an extra time win over the New York Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard. That could be a five-game opening evening street shedding streak.

That also needs to let you know how little the opening recreation can imply. The Magic received that recreation after which misplaced their subsequent 19 video games. Conversely, Orlando began 0-2 in 2009.

The purpose is don’t put lots of inventory into one recreation.

Historical past doesn’t predict future outcomes although. These groups aren’t this workforce. And the Magic hae much more they’re assured about than the Warmth do.

Nonetheless, that is the Warmth. They’re wholesome and have some stellar gamers in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Each have quite a bit to show this season and loads of motivation. It ought to make for an intense opening recreation on Wednesday.

3. All about turnovers

The largest query dealing with the Orlando Magic this yr is, after all, centered on their offense. They had been twenty second within the league in offensive ranking, the worst offense from any workforce that made the postseason. And everyone seems to be attempting to determine how the Magic enhance.

Higher taking pictures will, after all, go a good distance. However the obsession for the workforce all through coaching camp was to cut back turnovers. That’s the normal obsession for each coach within the preseason.

For the Magic, it’s an particularly acute downside. The workforce had a 15.0 % turnover fee final yr, rating twenty sixth within the league. The Magic misplaced lots of bites on the apple by ending lots of possessions and not using a shot. That’s the baseline of what they want—extra pictures.

An enormous key to early season video games is how is sharper offensively. It’s about who will run their stuff and look nearer to their last type. There may be clearly a protracted option to go till everybody reaches that. However the Magic have to point out progress with their turnovers. And that’s the greatest query mark contemplating they left their level guard points unaddressed with anybody exterior.

2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s debut

Opening evening is at all times an opportunity to start getting aware of the brand new gamers. For the Orlando Magic, with solely two new gamers on the roster primarily, they didn’t get the prospect to see their new gamers play very a lot earlier than the video games rely. Not less than, the general public didn’t.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope performed solely 32.6 minutes in two video games preseason video games. Even when the Magic tried stretching out their starters’ minutes within the last preseason recreation towards the Philadelphia 76ers, they might not get him again in after an prolonged interval and not using a stoppage.

It’s secure to say the Magic didn’t see Caldwell-Pope absolutely unleashed. He scored 5 complete factors and made simply 1 of 6 3-pointers. He’ll clearly be quite a bit higher than that. And the specter of his taking pictures already creates house.

The common season ought to see Caldwell-Pope unleashed extra and fitted extra to his position. This opening recreation may very well be the primary time the Magic actually see him.

1. Paolo and Franz’s leap?

The Orlando Magic have made it clear their aim is to earn homecourt benefit and attain the second spherical of the playoffs. There are a ton of things that can decide whether or not that occurs. However no issue is greater than their stars taking their acceptable leaps.

Paolo Banchero has to grow to be extra environment friendly and a greater decision-maker. He confirmed indicators of having the ability to try this all through the preseason. He appears poised for an enormous third season that would vault him towards All-NBA consideration.

Usually discussions of what the Magic can do stops on the query of what Banchero’s final ceiling is. That is the yr he begins mapping it out.

Franz Wagner has to take one other leap too. He has to proceed discovering methods to diversify his recreation. Regaining his 3-point shot would go a protracted option to elevating his scoring and effectivity. It’ll all make the workforce higher.

One recreation is not going to decide their futures, after all. However quite a bit is resting on their shoulders to hold this workforce. And so they should set a tone towards a troublesome Warmth opponent off the bat.