Apr 23, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley talks with referee Brent Barnaky (36) during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Magic coach remains grounded amid shocking season projections

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Bryan Townes | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Following their most aggressive offseason in recent memory, the discourse and overall expectations for the Orlando Magic have drastically changed. With consensus top 10 odds to win the championship, they are no longer underdogs.

In the annual NBA GM surveys , the Magic were the heavy favorites to be the most improved team in the league for this upcoming season. They were voted ahead of the next closest team, the Atlanta Hawks, by 27 percent. When asked about the high expectations, Jamahl Mosley emphasized that it’s their job to ensure they live up to their own expectations before listening to what others believe.

I asked #Magic coach Jamahl Mosley about the NBA GM survey results saying Orlando will be the most improved team:

“Great that they think that, but now the other side of it is we’ve got to go out and put a product on the floor that we can be proud of every night.”

Full remarks: https://t.co/IikRsIpJ26 pic.twitter.com/PHSOARCZqJ
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) October 9, 2025

“I look at it as everybody’s undefeated right now,” Mosley said. “So, statistics can say one thing, opinions can say it’s one thing. We’ve got to get on the floor. And that’s why our job is just to get better every day and not think about the outside voices of what they say and their opinions of what we’re doing. Great that they think that, but now the other side of it is we’ve got to go out and put a product on the floor that we can be proud of every night.”

The addition of Desmond Bane is projected to be such a great fit in the rotation. This will be the first time Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will have a player as dynamic as Bane alongside them to help boost their production on both ends of the court. Due to several teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, and Indiana Pacers, all dealing with injuries to their best players, there are very few teams in the East that can be viewed as better than the Magic.