It was a different time for the Orlando Magic when Aaron Gordon played there in the first seven seasons of his NBA career. During his time in Florida, Aaron Gordon had only sniffed the postseason twice, which ended in first-round exits against the Toronto Raptors (2019) and the Milwaukee Bucks in the bubble (2020).
But, fast forward to today, Aaron Gordon now has one NBA championship under his resume after joining the Denver Nuggets in 2021, while the Orlando Magic are now one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. So, when asked about his former team, Gordon had nothing but good things to say.
“They finally have some stability and consistency,” Gordon said about the Orlando Magic’s progress via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “They got Mose signed a contract , they’ve had Mose for 3 or 4 years now. They’ve had the same core for 3 or 4 years. Paolo is really, really good. The Franz kid is really really good. You got Jonathan Isaac back healthy. Cole Anthony is a beast. Markelle Fultz is a beast. Gary Harris is really good. Joe Ingles is really good for them. They got (Mo) Wagner off the bench.”
“They have a really good team, man. They’re built very well. They’re big. It seems like they know what they want to do and they have a direction now,” he added.
Aaron Gordon is right about the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are on the cusp of making their first NBA postseason appearance since 2020 because they are currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 45-32 record.
Their resurgence can be attributed to the fact that they’ve drafted well in the past few years, hitting on the likes of Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, in particular, have been able to kick things a notch, as the two of them improved their averages this season. Banchero is averaging 22.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, while Wagner is posting 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. With their current core, they are capable of consistent playoff appearances in the future.
The Orlando Magic have won three of their last four games and are looking to finish the regular season strong with potential wins against the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Milwaukee Bucks (twice).
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