The Orlando Magic's season last year looked like it was careening off a cliff during a 1-6 homestand in February.
It was not that they lost, it was who they lost to at the end of the homestand the accumulation of those defeats. Back-to-back losses to the Toronto Raptors that came on the last possession and a dispiriting blown lead in a loss to the Chicago Bulls turned a potential winning homestand into a complete disaster ahead of a five-game road trip.
Those losses felt the furthest the Orlando Magic had been form their dreams and aspirations after their breakthrough 2024 season. It was the furthest because of how dominant they were in taking care of teams like the Raptors and Bulls in the 2024 season.
A big part of the Magic's breakthrough in 2024 was their 28-7 record against teams with records worse than .500. Only the top two teams in the conference that year -- the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks -- feasted on bad teams like the Orlando Magic did.
Even with that much good eating, the Magic nearly lost their playoff spot because of a late season loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Those losses do happen, but they do not hurt any less. And they can be the difference for homecourt advantage -- as it was that season.
In 2025, the Magic were doing fine and banking up wins against the worst teams in the league before the injuries hit. Orlando was 12-2 against teams that finished worse than .500 before Franz Wagner's injury. And those two losses came in the games Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner got hurt.
The Magic should be good enough to continue feasting on the worst teams.
But they should still beware. They cannot afford to drop games against the worst in the East especially.
Now that they are considered among the best teams in the East, those teams surely will view the Magic as a good notch in their belt and a stepping stone to growing this season.
As we did with the East contenders, even though the teams at the bottom of the East may not have the same level of talent, they still present something to make the Magic give pause.
8. Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the bigger wild-card teams in the Eastern Conference. They undoubtedly have the top-end talent with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid. They have some interesting role players, including third overall pick V.J. Edgecombe, still-unsigned restricted free agent Quentin Grimes and sophomore guard Jared McCain.
There is a lot more talent on this team than their record would indicate. It is just all about their health. Everything centers on Joel Embiid's health.
Embiid is still an MVP-level player when he plays. He just played only 19 games (and just 58 in the last two years).
Still, Joel Embiid has had his way with Orlando despite Wendell Carter's best efforts. He scored 20 points and eight rebounds in his lone game against Orlando last year (it came in November). He scored 68 points and 20 rebounds in two games against the Magic in the 2024 season.
Embiid is still a handful that every team has to prepare for... if he plays.
9. Indiana Pacers: Pace
The Orlando Magic are expected to do something new on offense this year -- play faster.
The Magic finished last in the league with a pace of 96.5 possessions per 48 minutes. Orlando should pick up its pace simply with Jalen Suggs' return and more ball-handlers on the roster. But Paolo Banchero and the Magic will likely still prefer a more methodical tempo.
That leaves them vulnerable to teams that want to push the pace, even if the Magic are typically good at controlling tempo.
The Indiana Pacers will be a fundamentally different team this year with Tyrese Haliburton out likely for the season. They do not have the same engine they have with Haliburton -- the Pacers actually had a higher pace with Haliburton off the court last year.
Orlando was good at slowing Indiana down. The Magic had the kryptonite for Haliburton it seemed during the last two years -- the Pacers had a 100.8 pace last year but 99.9 against the Magic. But controlling tempo still matters. And that will still be a huge challenge.
10. Toronto Raptors: Fast Break Points
The Orlando Magic's defense is pretty difficult to crack. The last thing anyone wants to do is face the defense when it has time to set up and prepare for a team to initiate offense. The best bet for most teams is to try to beat the defense before it gets in transition -- the Magic were sixth in the league, giving up 13.9 fast break points per game.
That is not a good bet, but it is still the best bet that most teams have. And it remains one of the Toronto Raptors' biggest strengths.
Last year, the Raptors were fourth in the league with 18.1 fast break points per game. They were third in transition possessions per game at 25.0 per game (although only scoring 1.05 points per possession).
It might be a small thing, but being able to get out on the break can bother the Magic and put their defense on the back foot.
11. Chicago Bulls: Defensive Intensity
The Chicago Bulls came out of nowhere last season.
They were dead in the water and then suddenly found their rhythm and became an offensive juggernaut that could storm through any team. Coby White looked like an All-Star.
Is that something sustainable? That is the ultimate question. The Bulls have a lot of capable players who can play at the NBA level. And Billy Donovan is a great defensive coach.
Chicago continues to collect interesting defenders -- this year it was Noa Essengue in the draft and Isaac Okoro in a trade. And the Bulls will continue to competitive even if their ceiling is not high.
12. Washington Wizards: Length
The Washington Wizards are still a long way from contending. They are not going to be competitive this year.
However, they have some interesting veterans in CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton to add to a strong group of young players, including Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington. There is the start of something.
The Wizards will be interesting to watch develop. They are starting to collect some intriguing and lengthy defenders. They will prove to be a tougher out throughout the season.
13. Charlotte Hornets: 3-point threat
The Charlotte Hornets are still a team hunting for an identity. LaMelo Ball's injury history and play style has often prevented the Hornets from taking a major leap. There is no one defining trait about them, except for Ball.
It may be some scar tissue, but Brandon Miller's 32-point, five-3-pointer game at the end of the 2024 season still rings in my head. The Hornets are a potentially powerful offensive team when they are on a roll. And the threat of their shooting remains big, especially with Ball's willingness to shoot from extreme range.
14. Brooklyn Nets: Rebounding
The Brooklyn Nets are going to struggle this year. They are simply too young and lack a clear number one player who can drive the team (all due respect to Michael Porter). It is going to be a lot of growing pains for them.
The one thing the Nets were OK at last year was rebounding. Brooklyn was 16th in the league in offensive rebound rate at 29.4 percent but 22nd with 13.0 second-chance points. They have Nic Claxton to anchor the middle as their likely best player, a big body that Wendell Carter could possibly struggle with.
There is not much for the Nets to challenge the Magic with.