The Orlando Magic should have some measure of revenge in mind when they open their season on Oct. 21 against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks swept the Magic for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2021 season. And three of the four games were not particularly close -- the one that was not saw the Magic lose a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of an early-season game.
Those two early-season losses to the Hawks were likely the first sign of trouble for the Magic. A streak-busting loss to the Hawks in March came in a blowout. An embarrassing 29-point loss at home a few weeks later ended with "Fire Mosley" chants and the team being booed off the floor.
On the floor, there was a ton separating the Magic and the Hawks. The Hawks played together and with intensity and passion. They played with a chip on their shoulder and rode that to the Southeast Division crown.
In the standings, though, there was not a whole lot separating the two teams. Atlanta finished only a game ahead of Orlando in the standings, boosted by a 20-6 finish to the season after the All-Star break. Orlando still could have easily won the Southeast Division, even with everything that went wrong.
In many ways, the Magic and the Hawks are the same.
They are teams that nobody has really taken note of this offseason but are plenty capable of making noise in the Eastern Conference.
That is about where the similarities cease. Yet, these two teams are competing for the same spot in the East.
Only one team is likely to rise.
A quiet summer
The Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks are expected to be traveling in the same circles again this season.
Neither team made earth-shattering changes this season. And so both teams have been discounted -- although they are largely in the mix in the tier below the contenders fighting to avoid the Play-In.
Both teams bet on themselves. The Magic virtually kept their roster the same, banking on better health. They addied only veteran center Nikola Vucevic.
The Hawks caught lightning in a bottle last year to close the season and surge to the top of the Southeast Division. They retained CJ McCollum on a reasonable deal and then acquired key defensive additions in Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins.
The Hawks are seemingly positioned to strike for the next big move, but are perfectly content to see the team repeat last year's success after trading Trae Young. Why mess with a good thing?
They played fast and together with versatility on defense and a good stabilizer in CJ McCollum and a flamethrower in Nickeil Alexander-Walker. And that is not to mention the steady play of Jalen Johnson.
They are a more egalitarian attack with offensive weapons at all sides. Adding some great wing defenders on top of Dyson Daniels makes the Hawks dangerous.
Last year felt like the upper bound of their potential. Whereas the Magic felt like they hit the bottom end of theirs. That was the confluence that brought these two teams together.
Someone is going to show the league who they really are this season. That was the point of sticking largely with the same rosters.
Projected Depth Chart
PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CJ McCollum | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Dyson Daniels | Jalen Johnson | Onyeka Okongwu |
Kingston Flemings (R) | Aaron Wiggins | Luguentz Dort | Mouhamed Gueye | Jock Landale |
Devin Carter | Buddy Hield | Corey Kispert | Asa Newell | Henri Vasaar (R) |
Ryan Nembhard | Keshon Gilbert (2W) |
| Zuby Ejiofor (R) | |
RayJ Dennis (2W) | Jalen Wilson (2W) |
Something different
The Atlanta Hawks are clearly trying to build something different or position themselves for something different.
Their building philosophy is almost the opposite of the Orlando Magic's building philosophy.
The Magic are a top-heavy roster with big salaries weighing them down. They have two potential All-Stars anchoring their team. Their role players make sense when those two stars are at their best -- and make less sense when Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner have to miss time.
The Hawks are banking on their balance.
In the apron era -- the Hawks are $3.8 million beneath the luxury tax -- the Hawks are testing whether a more balanced salary approach is what can succeed in this league. They are looking to cash in for that last pick.
That only works if they have quality players in place and solid coaching. And the Hawks have both.
Nobody is projecting the Hawks to win the title. They are lacking the top-end star, even with how good Jalen Johnson was last year -- 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game in the regular season, but only 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the series with the New York Knicks.
But the Hawks offer a different path. They built the system and the role players and are looking to make stars. It is a brilliant recovery from moving off a ball-dominant and flawed star in Trae Young.
The Hawks should be making a lot more noise.
Magic vs. Hawks This Season
Date | Location |
|---|---|
Oct. 21 | Orlando |
Dec. 19 | Atlanta |
Feb. 28 | Orlando |
March 13 | Atlanta |
The Big Debate: Paolo Banchero vs. Jalen Johnson
Paolo Banchero has been an Internet punching bag for much of his career. His impact stats do not match his counting stats. And he has the pressure of being the No. 1 pick attached to it.
Everyone always wants more from him.
He has found a foil in Jalen Johnson -- another big 6-foot-10 playmaker.
Johnson was a player who overcame injuries early in his career to have his breakthrough as an All-Star last year. He had 13 triple-doubles last year as a do-everything forward.
What the Orlando Magic think Banchero can be is what Johnson was last year.
As far as this matchup goes -- Johnson averaged 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game against the Magic last year (again, there were three blowouts) -- the central debate in the Magic vs. the Hawks is Banchero vs. Johnson -- and even Wagner vs. Johnson.
Whoever has the best player is the team that is likely to be the most successful. The individual's success is a reflection of the team success and vice versa. It can be reductive, but it is true in the fight for perception.
Banchero and Wagner are probably more gifted scorers. They are certainly more established. But Johnson seems to do all the fill-the-gap things that lead to winning. Atlanta had a +3.2 net rating with Johnson on the floor and +10.6 after the All-Star break.
Johnson has all the tools and a lot more shooting around him.
What Johnson has not proven is his ability to step up in the Playoffs. Banchero looks and plays more like the traditional star. And Banchero consistently shows up in the Playoffs. Those playoff showings are why it is hard to quit on Banchero.
In all of the top 100 lists, Johnson will be ranked ahead of both of the Magic's young stars. If Orlando wants to be successful, that part needs to change. It is hard to argue against it.
The Magic want to fry bigger fish and compete for a championship. The Hawks seemingly have a ceiling unless Johnson makes another leap -- and some other role players elevate their play. Atlanta seemed to focus on adding defenders to supplement CJ McCollum.
The first step for Orlando is beating Atlanta. Something the team did not do once last year.
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