So Close, Yet So Far 🎩
The Magic need lasers, not mere laser pointers found at the dollar store…
There was a point during Sunday’s NBA games where I was mentally ordering a hotel in Orlando for the Magic-Celtics second-round series. Orlando was up 18 on a Cleveland team that looked like they were looking for their hotel rooms in Cancun.
Get your daily dose of sports spice. Follow us on Telegram. 🔥
Then the second half happened. Pain.
Perhaps fellow lifetime Magic fan Kevin Clark summed things up best.
“The greatest lie sports ever told is that they are fun,” the ESPN analyst noted on X after the Magic’s second-half collapse.
I could spend these next couple hundred words being in my feels, but we got Kendrick Lamar and Drake battling in the streets. I’m not here trying to get hit by strays by talking about Joe Ingles.
Instead, I am going to pretend to be a rational human and examine how the Magic can improve this offseason.
First, let’s consider Paolo Banchero’s stats in his first seven NBA playoff games: 25.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 38.2% from long range. Fair to say the Magic have found their franchise player.
Paolo gave it his all in his first Game 7, becoming the second-youngest player in NBA history to drop 30 Pts and 15 Rebs in a playoff game 🔥
The future is bright 👏 pic.twitter.com/i388RbXV8a
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 5, 2024
The Magic Are a Dreadful Shooting Team
The latest NBA news is going to come at you fast, and they’re going to say that the Magic were young. We’re going to talk about things like “bright futures” and “next year.” All this can be true, and yet Orlando was two quarters away from convincingly winning the series in Game 7.
If you’re a shooter ☄️and you’re tired of your teammates being all in the videos, come to Orlando (Suge Knight voice). #MagicTogether #EverybodyIn #Magic pic.twitter.com/oMTNSLp2ER
— Jonathan Adams (@JonDAdams) May 5, 2024
Instead, the same Magic team that struggled to shoot and was stagnant on offense in recent years reappeared. The Magic front office has coveted long, athletic players who are projects offensively.
These are the hoops every Magic player but Paolo thinks they’re shooting onpic.twitter.com/GKipclOIwK
— Insane Asylum Sources (@hmfaigen) May 5, 2024
Orlando has consistently been one of the worst shooting teams in the league. The Orlando front office has continuously passed on adding bonafide shooters. It turns out even Orlando’s “elite” defense could not slow down the Cavaliers when it mattered most.
Magic Rumors: Could Orlando Make a Run at Klay Thompson or Paul George?
Yes, we see the sprinkles of Ingles and Jett Howard. This is like going on a diet by ordering a large diet Coke alongside your Big Mac and fries.
The Magic need lasers, not mere laser pointers found at the dollar store. According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Magic could have as much as $66 million in cap space.
To reach this number, it would require tough decisions like moving on from Jonathan Isaac who has a partially guaranteed deal for 2024-25. The smarter move could be to keep Isaac and see if there is a trade market for the big man. Not as tough, the Magic need an upgrade from Gary Harris in the starting lineup.
When Isaac is rolling, he is one of the best defensive players in the league, but it might be time to sell high on the fan favorite. Isaac’s injury history concerns me, and the big man looked lost defensively through the Cavs series. Could the Magic turn Isaac into a wing player who could shoot?
Franz and Paolo Have Been a Clunky Fit
Regardless, the Magic need to add another scorer and shooters. The front office might be able to cross off these needs with one big addition. NBA rumors have linked the Magic to potential star-free agents like Klay Thompson and Paul George.
The Orlando Magic are interested in Paul George, per @ramonashelburne
“There’s two teams that are paying very close attention to Paul George: the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, because both of them have the money to throw at him and have a need for a wing just like… pic.twitter.com/sIMK9eCaHg
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2024
Questions are going to surround Franz Wagner throughout the offseason. I’m not ready to give up on the 22-year-old just yet, but there are questions on whether Wagner and Banchero are the best duo to build around. Let’s give these two stars some more shooters on the roster before we rush to judgment.
If you’re a shooter, please send your resume to Magic president Jeff Weltman.
Once the Magic signs some shooters, then (and only then) can you play the song.
Paolo Banchero in his first playoff series 🔥
🔷27.0 PPG
🔷8.6 RPG
🔷4.0 APG🔷46 FG%
🔷40 3P%
🔷76 FT%The 2nd youngest player in NBA history to average 25+ PPG & 5+ RPG in a playoff series (LeBron James in 2006)
(via @StatMamba) pic.twitter.com/3vZTeBqnRF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 5, 2024
Comments (0)