The Orlando Magic will be heading to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for just the second time in the last 13 years this weekend. They didn't get to this point under perfect conditions, as a season full of injury trouble derailed what would have otherwise been a fantastic follow-up on a year where they came one win away from securing home court in the first round of the playoffs in 2023-24.
Instead, the Magic settled for 41 wins and a Play-In berth against the Atlanta Hawks this season. Those that tuned in on Tuesday night saw Orlando take a close contest and turn it into a blowout, winning 120-95 against their divisional rivals at Kia Center. Now they will face the defending champion Boston Celtics in the two-versus-seven seed matchup, with Game 1 on Sunday.
Of course, there is not a high likelihood Orlando wins this series. Boston is still the team to beat in the East, and a banged up Magic squad is unlikely to pull off the impossible. But those that are thinking this series will be one that the Celtics can walk into blindfolded and win 4-0 may have the wrong perception of the situation.
The Magic's wings match up well with Tatum and Brown
Had Boston drawn the Atlanta Hawks as their first round opponent, one would have to think that would be a series the defending champs could win just a bit more easily, given that the Hawks' injuries are even more significant than the Magic's. But Orlando presents a more serious challenge to the Celtics considering the strengths of their stars.
Led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic boast one of the best wing tandems in the Eastern Conference, and one that can physically match up with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. In fact, Paolo and Franz are significantly bigger than Boston's stars — Banchero is around four inches taller and 27 pounds heavier than Brown, while Wagner is around two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than Tatum.
Yes, the Celtics' offense is dynamic. They obviously have the positional talent to make their offensive philosophy extremely effective, and even the Magic's strong defense will have a hard time slowing them down. But even still, the size of Paolo and Franz will be able to create just a few more matchup problems than Boston would encounter with other teams.
It's not enough to reasonably pick Orlando to win the series. But calling this matchup some sort of cakewalk for the Celtics is misplaced, and don't surprised if the Magic are able to take a game or two off of Boston because of this factor.