The Orlando Magic were the talk of the league throughout June and July.
The team loudly proclaimed itself among the elite teams in the Eastern Conference with the acquisition of Desmond Bane. In one fell swoop, the Magic addressed a critical need with their shooting and elevated the overall talent level on the roster.
Orlando was the first actor in the offseason. Since nobody can remember anything anymore, the June trade for Bane feels like a lifetime ago. Everyone has settled into the familiar narratives.
The Magic indeed are among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. They are widely predicted to finish third in the East. But nobody considers them as anything more than a dark horse to win the Eastern Conference or even reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
I mean, they acknowledge it is a possibility, but the notion is often quickly dismissed. There is a bit of a feeling that the Magic must prove themselves as a potentially elite team.
It feels that is the prevailing national narrative. The Magic have the potential to be a great team and they have the players who could lead them to a championship. But nobody is quite sure.
That should be the takeaway from ESPN's NBA offseason survey.
ESPN's panel of writers was asked several key questions -- including who will win the Eastern Conference, who had the best offseason and who will be the best American player in the next five years.
There is no greater sign of how unsure everyone is of the Magic's ceiling than the fact that the Magic are only on the periphery of these conversations. Orlando still has a lot to prove.
A strong summer, a small window
Undoubtedly, the Orlando Magic had a strong summer. They went from an up-and-coming team that could break into the upper echelon in the Eastern Conference to a surefire Eastern Conference playoff team and homecourt advantage team.
Orlando had the appropriate response to its disappointing season. The team understood it did not need wholesale changes, but it needed more.
The entire league recognizes the steps the Magic have taken. They are in these conversations now, even if there are still questions about how far they can go.
The Magic received two votes for which team had the best offseason. The Atlanta Hawks won the vote in this category after acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. Orlando will indeed have competition atop the Southeast Division.
However, the Magic's trade for Bane was voted the second-best move of the offseason, trailing only the Kevin Durant trade.
Still, the Hawks got more votes to win the Eastern Conference than the Magic. And that would be a major problem.
Everyone can recognize the window to contend is open now because of the step back the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will take with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton out. Both teams made cost-cutting moves in addition to losing stars to major injuries, but they both will jump back into the contender class when those players are healthy again.
There is a bit of fear that contenders in this year's East will be a bit hollow. The Magic need to prove they have staying power. Right now, it seems like the national media mostly doubts the Magic's ambitions.
That inevitably turns to the improvement and play from one player who is still on the periphery of ESPN's poll and the national consciousness.
The Lead Player
Ultimately, the question of whether the Orlando Magic will be a title contender comes down to how people view its best player, Paolo Banchero.
That is one of the bigger questions left to answer this season. Is Banchero the kind of player a team can build a championship team around?
The Magic clearly believe so.
They gave him the max contract with the Rose Rule and player option, the kind of contract that is reserved for the top young players in the league. It would be silly for the Magic to make that deal and not plan to give Banchero the 30 percent max for making All-NBA this coming season.
The rest of the league? It still has its doubts.
Among the questions about who will be the best player in 2030, Banchero is not yet on the list. Victor Wembanyama, drafted a year after Paolo Banchero, was named the best player in 2030.
It continues to speak to how underrated Banchero's body of work to this point is and how little Banchero is thought of in the grand picture.
Further, Paolo Banchero received only a single vote for the best American player in five years, trailing this year's No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg (he finished second) and the winner, Anthony Edwards. Banchero will almost certainly return to Team USA for the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
But Banchero is a bigger presence than these give him credit.
Banchero will need to answer some of his critics. He will need to become more efficient and have a clearer impact on winning for those who do not watch a lot of the Magic. The Magic need to be in the spotlight more for him to get seen.
As important as anything else, for this project to work, Banchero needs to be considered one of the very best players in the league. That might be the glass ceiling the Magic need to crack.
It all leads to the big conclusion here: The Magic need to win to get the attention they deserve. And that is what this summer has set up.
There are still questions and doubts surrounding this Magic team. They still have a lot to prove.
That is what this season will be about. They will need to prove they are championship contenders -- particularly with their growing payroll.
Orlando will be out to prove they will be part of the bigger picture and the bigger story.