East Notes: Magic, Paolo Banchero, Knicks, Pacers, projections

Magic

According to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the Magic may not quite reach their lofty Vegas projection — but that doesn’t mean he’s down on them. In fact, Pelton’s model places Orlando just a fraction behind Cleveland for the best record in the East.

For the record, he has Orlando at 49.9 wins.

He notes that the gap between his number and the sportsbook line likely comes down to schedule adjustments, which his formula doesn’t weigh heavily.

Orlando also landed Desmond Bane this summer in a blockbuster trade, giving Paolo Banchero a proven perimeter scorer to play off of.

“If anything,” Pelton wrote, “my projections are probably more bullish on the Magic.”

Banchero, for one, really seems to like the addition of Bane.

“It’s a great fit for who we are as a team,” he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “He adds what we’re missing, and he also adds to what we already have. It’s like the perfect match. We don’t have anybody who can make shots like him, who can kind of leverage the way he is able to make shots, then make plays for others and get downhill and create. He’s a Swiss Army knife just as a player, as a guard.”

Knicks

Pelton expects a small regression from the Knicks, who dramatically outperformed projections last season. New York’s health was exceptional — only Jalen Brunson missed more than nine games among the starters — and that kind of durability is tough to count on two years in a row.

He also anticipates a slight stylistic shift under new coach Mike Brown, predicting fewer minutes for the team’s stars than they played under Tom Thibodeau. Still, Pelton doesn’t see the Knicks slipping far.

“I’d expect New York to finish somewhere between these two marks,” he wrote, “ending around 50 wins.”

Pacers

Pelton’s biggest surprise might be Indiana, where he projects a significantly higher win total (45.9) than oddsmakers. Even without Tyrese Haliburton, who’s out for the season with a torn Achilles, Pelton believes the Pacers have enough depth and shooting to stay competitive.

Though the loss of Myles Turner (now with Milwaukee) hurts, Pelton sees promise in the frontcourt rotation — especially from stretch big Jay Huff.

“I’m not confident Indiana can finish in the same spot in the standings as last season,” he wrote, “but I like the Pacers’ chances of being better than .500.”