(Photo by Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences )   After years of being one of the worst teams in their conference, the Orlando Magic are dazzling fans. They have now won nine games in a row, hold a 14-5 record, and are the second-best team in the East. Speaking on SHOWTIME Basketball, NBA legends Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce talked about the magic brewing in Orlando. They both agreed that Orlando was once a destination where NBA players could rest: they’d fly in for their game, have some fun, kick back, and not worry about the Magic. That isn ..read more

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)   With the majority of the league approaching 20 games played in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, there have been a few surprises in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. The Oklahoma City Thunder (11-4) and Minnesota Timberwolves (11-3) have been dominating the competition in the West, which has turned a lot of heads thus far. However, the Orlando Magic (11-5) have been arguably the biggest surprise of the season, with Paolo Banchero and company playing some impressive basketball ever since the season began a few weeks ago. One of the most impress ..read more

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)   The start of the NBA regular season is always a feeling-out process, with the league not really coming to form until the Christmas Day games get underway. A lot of teams can have a lot of success at the beginning of the season and then come back down to earth in the second half of the season as they begin to get exposed by the true playoff contenders around the NBA. One team that is getting that kind of buzz to begin the 2023-24 campaign is the Orlando Magic, who are arguably the hottest team in the league right now, along with the Oklahoma City Thu ..read more

(Photo by Manuela Davies/Getty Images)   After the Oklahoma City Thunder made a leap with their young core, the Orlando Magic are widely viewed as the Eastern Conference equivalent given the talent they’ve assembled in the past few drafts. The Magic have a future bonafide superstar in Paolo Banchero and a worthy number two who could be an All-Star someday in Franz Wagner. Those two forwards will be the pillars of the franchise for years to come, though they’ve also got other high-level prospects worth watching. Orlando selected Anthony Black and Jett Howard in the lottery during the 2023 ..read more

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)   The Eastern Conference in the NBA looks a little different than it did a year ago, with some of the best teams in the conference making some blockbuster moves over the summer in order to take one step closer to winning a championship. With the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks stealing all the headlines in the East, with the two heavyweights acquiring big-name players like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard, a lot of the other teams in the conference have been overlooked ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. One team in the East that no ..read more

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)   The Orlando Magic found a true gem in Paolo Banchero. While some were somewhat shocked to see that he went No. 1 over Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr., it didn’t take long before he proved it was the right decision. However, as promising as he looked since his days in high school, he wasn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess. Clearly, the former Blue Devil has been putting up a lot of work on that end of the floor, as he held his own against Zion Williamson on three straight possessions in their preseason game (via Welt Gawd). Zion is unable ..read more

(Photo by Manuela Davies/Getty Images)   Over the course of the NBA offseason, quite a few top-tier teams around the league made a splash in one way or another to upgrade their roster in preparation for the 2023-24 season. Two teams in the Eastern Conference made the biggest impact on the league over the summer, with the Boston Celtics bringing in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis while the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. With so many moves being made, a lot of teams in the league haven’t even been mentioned during the offseason, nor will ..read more

(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)   The Orlando Magic have a bright future in front of them. Their record from last season may not reflect it, but they were one of the most entertaining teams to watch. And they figure to be just that for many more years to come, as they recently announced that they picked up their third-year option on Paolo Banchero, as well as their fourth-year team options on Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. We have exercised our third-year team option on forward Paolo Banchero, as well as our fourth-year team options on guard Jalen Suggs and forward Franz Wagner. pic ..read more

(Photo by Manuela Davies/Getty Images)   After drafting Paolo Banchero as the number one overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic finally seem to have the franchise building block they’ve been in search of since Dwight Howard left town. Banchero’s size and scoring ability make him tailor-made for the modern NBA game and with another budding star in running mate in Franz Wagner the Magic have to feel good about their long-term prospects. Once again, the Eastern Conference is loaded with top-tier teams vying for a championship so Orlando projects to be in the lottery again. How ..read more

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)   In his first year with the Orlando Magic, Paolo Banchero did a lot of great things. He averaged 20 points a game, earned a spot on the 2022-23 All-Rookie Team, and also became Rookie of the Year. It is very clear that the future could be very bright for Banchero. His head coach, Jamahl Mosley, thinks that Banchero is a mix of some phenomenal NBA talent. “Paolo [Banchero] is a combination of Carmelo [Anthony], LeBron [James], and [Jayson] Tatum… The passing skills. The ability to score in different areas. The power that they possess,” Mosley said, a ..read more