OPINION: NBA Finals trip for Orlando Magic not out of the question

The natural progression for a team on the rise is to go further than they did the previous season. The Orlando Magic took the Cleveland Cavaliers to an intense seven games in 2023-24, but couldn't take the next step last year because injuries wrecked their crew. They will be making up for lost time in 2025-26.

The Magic have high expectations because defensive hound Jalen Suggs and top-grade backup up big man Mo Wagner are expected to make a full recovery; they signed Tyus Jones, a reserve guard logging 41.4 percent from deep with a 4.71 assist-to-turnover ratio; and they made a huge splash with the trade for Desmond Bane, one of the league’s dependable snipers off the bounce.

The aforementioned pieces will feast because of the gravity Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both standing at 6-foot-10, create when attacking the lane. Help usually comes from the corners, a gamble that can only work against poor marksmen. Yet trying that with Bane or Jones will be like playing a roulette game with four live rounds. On top of that, Bane’s addition adds the possibility of developing one of the most lethal pick-and-pop combos, using him as the screener for Banchero and F. Wagner.

The Magic had the second-rated defense in 2024-25 and the third-ranked a year earlier. Their ferocity at guarding, similar to prison ball, will not change owing to their sharp coaching and the players being long, versatile and strong. One of the edges a team needs in the playoffs is strength, and the Magic have plenty of muscle.

Presumably, the Boston Celtics will be in a gap year as Jayson Tatum recovers from his Achilles tear, and the Indiana Pacers will likely be in one, too, as Tyrese Haliburton heals from the same injury. It’s easy to be skeptical of the Philadelphia 76ers because Joel Embiid‘s deteriorating health is a factor every time he gets to the playoffs. And the Milwaukee Bucks, despite snagging Myles Turner from the eastern champ Pacers, are still too thin for prime time. 

Although, the serious opponents include the more motivated, embarrassed Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons. With a smaller pool of contenders, and the Magic being the best they’ve been in a long time, a Finals trip is not out of the question. Aside from Orlando’s tough defense, Orlando is a good rebounding unit as well, being sixth in defensive rebounding and 12th for offense in 2024-25. Defense and rebounding are the two most important ingredients to win a championship. .