3 goals for the Orlando Magic to make their focus in 2023

It is fair to say the Orlando Magic have had a memorable 2022, for both the right and wrong reasons. On the one hand, they got the first overall pick and snapped up an amazing rookie in Paolo Banchero.

But on the other hand, there have still been plenty of losses. And Wednesday night’s brawl with the Detroit Pistons is not how coach Jamahl Mosley will have wanted to end this calendar year.

That story and subsequent suspensions making news on the other side of the ocean is not something that can be attributed to the Magic often over this last decade.

Yet despite suffering back-to-back losses at a bad time, the Orlando Magic are still in the hunt for the play-in and have fans firmly onboard.

What then should be their goals for 2023? Just when it felt like the organization had perhaps turned a corner, regression to the middling play we have seen far too much of returned once more.

Here is where the Magic should be focussing their efforts as the calendar flips, armed with the knowledge that this is the best the franchise has looked collectively and in terms of their future in a long time.

3 goals for the Orlando Magic in 2023

3. Be above average in a key category

This should be the base layer of any progression for the group. And as we have seen already, it is more than achievable. If you look at offensive and defensive rating each year, there is a correlation between who tops these charts, and who does well in the postseason.

There are anomalies, but for too long the Magic have languished in the bottom 10 in the league in both of these categories. So far this season, they rank 24th in offensive rating (110.7) and 26th in defensive rating (114.4).

In other words, it has once again not been good enough and the recent losses to the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers highlighted this. A poor effort defensively compounded by a lack of sharpness on the offensive end.

It is likely no coincidence these were the two worst games Banchero has had in a Magic uniform so far. But it is not fair to expect him to carry this roster for an entire season as a rookie. He has done an amazing job so far.

In the Magic’s last 10 games, however, they have ranked 13th offensively (115.5) and an impressive seventh defensively (112.9). Broaden that to 15 games (to account for the poorer play before their win streak), and it is 22nd offensively (112.4) and 14th defensively (113.4).

All of which is to say, the Magic are capable of being an above-average team in both categories. That seems to be asking for too much, so prioritizing the defensive end (where they are fairing better anyway) should be an achievable goal to work towards. There is no reason not to do this.

3 goals for the Orlando Magic in 2023

2. Decide what to do with Jonathan Isaac

Despite encouraging talk from the franchise earlier this season, Christmas has come and gone, and we have still not seen Jonathan Isaac suit up for the Orlando Magic. Which has thrown up the astonishing stat that already Franz Wagner has played more games for the team than Isaac.

In fact, on Sunday it will be three years since Isaac last started a game for the Magic. It has been a long time since Isaac saw the floor and at some point, the team has to throw away some caution and let him go out and play.

He has been assigned to the Lakeland Magic twice now, and he will be back sooner rather than later. When that happens, it will go a long way to defining the direction of the roster, and how it shapes their chances of competing in 2023.

If Isaac hits the ground running, does that make Mo Bamba expendable? How much will it impact the minutes of Bol Bol and Moe Wagner, two players who have been important to the success of the organization this season?

If it goes badly, how little will the Magic be comfortable with getting in return for the former lottery pick? A player with tremendous defensive upside. A first-round pick? A young player in the same category as R.J. Hampton (raw, with upside) and two picks? A similar haul to Aaron Gordon?

It is likely the Magic will not be rushed into any decision right away. But what if a third scenario raises its head, and that is that a fringe contender rings about the availability of Isaac if he plays reasonably well upon returning?

Will the team then have to think about cashing in on a player who we have not seen in nearly two and a half seasons, when his stock may be as high as it ever will? Whether he stays or goes, the return of Isaac and what to do with him should be a major focus for the Magic in 2023.

3 goals for the Orlando Magic in 2023

1. Continuing aiming for the play-in tournament

The last two games have been disappointing, and closing out the year against the Washington Wizards is an important moment for the Magic. Two teams next to each other in the standings, making this a proverbial “six-pointer” for the organization.

Whether the Wizards decide to blow it up and attempt to get a high lottery pick, we can all agree that when the Magic are rolling. They are too good to be as bad as the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets.

We should add the Detroit Pistons in there as well, but having beaten the Orlando Magic twice this season they appear to have their number. So aiming for the still achievable play-in has to be the goal here, so that this young group can gain valuable experience and maybe one day attract a star.

Even if they fail, they will still have a lottery pick of some kind, as well as the protected top-four pick coming from the Chicago Bulls as part of their disastrous Nikola Vucevic trade. This front office has drafted extremely well with the picks they have been given, nailing the Wagner selection with the eighth pick last year.

They picked up Chuma Okeke with the 16th pick in 2019, far from a bust, and identified distressed assets in Markelle Fultz and Bol Bol and brought them to Orlando for less than they are worth now.

Another high lottery pick would be great, but the truth is the Magic will be fine wherever they land, because this front office has constantly steered them in the right direction. So they should continue aiming for the play-in and beyond in 2023 because they have the talent to do this.