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Orlando Magic Finally Get Out of Mediocrity After Decade-Long Wait

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated 3/31/24

For the longest time, the Orlando Magic have languished in limbo for not being bad enough to get draft picks and not being good enough to attract stars to join. This year, though, All-Star Paolo Banchero has led the current lineup to its best season in years.

The last time Orlando was a relevant team in the NBA was during the 2010-11 season . During that run, the Magic had Dwight Howard anchoring the team’s defense and offense by averaging 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.

Joining Howard in that iteration of the Magic were Gilbert Arenas, Vince Carter, Jason Richardson, JJ Redick, and Rashard Lewis. Together, the team managed to rank third in defense while placing 14th in offense. This resulted in a fourth place finish in the Eastern Conference for Orlando. Unfortunately, the team fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round in the playoffs of that year.

Since then, Orlando has gone through drafting players who became stars in different teams, such as Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, and Tobias Harris. The result was an extended period of being mediocre in a league that already evolved and left the Magic behind.

Paolo Banchero Leads Orlando Magic to its Best Season Since 2011

That doesn’t seem to be the case this season, as the Magic have showed signs of building a roster that can play together for years. Led by All-Star forward Paolo Banchero as the team’s primary building block, Orlando has clinched a playoff spot and on its way to having the best regular season since 2011.

According to ORLmuse’s post on X:

“With a win against the Grizzlies, the Magic have clinched their winningest season since 2011. #MagicTogether,” ORLmuse tweeted.

At this point in time, the Magic are in fifth place with 43 wins and 31 losses. They are projected to make the playoffs without going through the Play-In Tournament.

If things go well, the Magic will get to build a team that can contend in the coming years. With Banchero leading the charge, it’s not hard to imagine them making consistent playoff appearances in the future.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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