When the Orlando Magic met the Sacramento Kings in early November, nobody knew what was in store for either team.
The Magic were 2-7 and still trying to find their way with such a young team. The Sacramento Kings were a disappointing 2-5, having just gotten a big win over the Miami Heat the night before.
What unfolded on the floor at the Amway Center that night would, in a way, set the table for both teams’ seasons. The Magic got a big game from Paolo Banchero and played a spirited game, fighting to the end but falling short because of their inexperience, particularly in late-game situations.
The Kings? They started to show what would make their season special.
They rallied and fought. They hit 3-pointers and took every punch. They overcame their mistakes. And in a bit of true magic, De’Aaron Fox drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from mid-court at the buzzer.
That was a win that turned the Kings’ season around in many ways. It set the table for who they would be for much of the season. Both their ability to keep their poise and stay on the attack late in games. But also the flaws that befell a young team.
De’Aaron Fox had the heroics with the 3-pointer but that only came after the Magic tied the game on a steal and a Chuma Okeke layup.
The Kings had a great season in going 48-34 and ending a 17-year playoff drought. They were the feel-good story of the NBA’s season.
But like any inexperienced team, they found growing pains in the playoffs. They had plenty of strong moments and looked better than the typical debuting playoff team. But going up against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings saw they still had a lot of growing up to do.
The Sacramento Kings were the feel-good story of the NBA season. They carved an identity but found their flaws in the playoffs as their inexperience led them to fall short.
This was not the year for Orlando to make that leap. But the Magic are going into next year looking to make the same jump. They would be wise to learn from the lessons that the Kings just learned.
The Kings were a young team with no expectations who had a great season and finished with the third seed in the playoffs. Led by young stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis with strong surrounding pieces, they surprised the league and created their own narrative.
However, in the playoffs the Kings fell short due to a lack of depth. Or at least experienced depth.
The Kings came to rely heavily on their starters as they faced the superstar heroics from Stephen Curry, who recorded the first 50-point Game 7 in league history.
Sacramento’s biggest struggle during the team’s first-round series was the lack of depth and versatility in the front court, especially the center position.
Sabonis struggled against the Warriors on both ends of the court, falling off his All-Star numbers from the regular season. Sabonis scored 16.4 points per game but only shot 20 percent from three and 57.1 percent from the free throw line.
Sabonis also was constantly in foul trouble averaging four fouls a game the Kings had nowhere else to turn to. In turn, Kevon Looney was able to average 15.1 rebounds per game and gave the Warriors’ offense plenty of room to operate.
The Magic have done a good job of acquiring versatile size in the frontcourt with Wendell Carter and Paolo Banchero. But with Jonathan Isaac’s health being called into question, the Magic will need to find another piece who can be versatile on the defensive end in case of foul trouble or injuries.
There is an added physicality to the playoffs that the Magic will have to meet. And right now, it is still unproven whether the magic can meet it.
The other problem Sacramento faced was the fact Golden State had the best player on the floor.
Curry was the best player on the court and displayed his stardom in Game 7 scoring 50 points and demoralizing Sacramento with each point. The Kings needed both their stars to play well.
De’Aaron Fox was limited once he hurt his hand but still played well but with Sabonis struggling, Curry was able to put away the Kings. Fox scored 16 points on 5-for-19 shooting in Game 7. Sabonis had a solid 22 points and nearly turned a triple-double with eight rebounds and seven assists.
To be a contending team, you need stars.
The Magic are hopeful Banchero can be the answer to that question but still have to make certain the team in its entirety is well built in order to withstand runs from other great players. Whether Franz Wagner or anyone else on the roster is the answer to that question, the Magic need to find the player to stand next to Banchero.
There is still time and Orlando will make mistakes and will learn from their own mistakes but with other young teams starting out a blueprint to success, Orlando should learn and add to it and make it their own as their time is coming.
In the end, the Kings’ season came down to experiencing the playoffs for the first time. And there is simply no substitute for experience.
Sacramento stepped up to the plate in many ways. And there is no sense this team is going anywhere, even if it cannot completely recapture the magic of this 2023 season.
The Kings now know what playoff basketball feels like. And they will see if their players can step up the next time around.