Most pundits would largely view the Orlando Magic as taking a step back last season.
They went from 47 wins and the 5-seed in the East to 41 wins and the 7-seed with a Play-In Tournament victory last year. They were described as a team that failed to live up to expectations. They were at something of a crossroads.
The crossroads the team was at would have come anyway. The Orlando Magic saw that they were not good enough to defeat a championship-contending team like the Boston Celtics. Orlando needed to take a step up.
They did that with the acquisition of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. It was the kind of move that has elevated the team into higher discussions. There may be a general belief that the Magic are still one more move away or that they have to prove themselves on the court. But Orlando accomplished a key goal this offseason.
But maybe that is starting from a faulty premise. Maybe the Magic are much closer to being very good and are starting from a higher platform than anyone might believe externally.
The Magic are and always were closer to the version of the team that won 47 games in 2024 than the team that won 41 games in 2025. And it seems like everyone has forgotten that.
Orlando could be a lot better than anyone anticipates. And the expectations are already pretty high.
The Magic were far better than their 41-41 record
This is certainly a league that asks what you have done for me lately. And the Orlando Magic lost a lot of their sparkle as the next up-and-coming team, thanks to their injury-filled 2025 season.
But injuries were a huge part of the season. The Magic missed their top four scorers for extended periods throughout last season.
Paolo Banchero missed two months with a torn oblique. Franz Wagner missed 20 games with a torn oblique. Jalen Suggs was limited to 36 games thanks to back and knee injuries. Moe Wagner tore his ACL and was lost for the season in late December.
The Magic's main trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs played only 97 minutes in six games together. That was a consistent talking point throughout the offseason. Orlando played the majority of its season without its top three players. That completely changed roles and forced the Magic to make major adjustments.
Despite that -- and finishing last in 3-point field goal percentage and 27th in offensive rating -- the Magic still finished at .500, six games worse than their 2024 mark; won the Southeast Division; and finished with the 7-seed. Orlando overcame many obstacles and still accomplished a lot.
When the Magic were healthy last season, they were as good as they were during their breakthrough 2024 season.
In those 97 minutes, the Magic had a +8.1 net rating with an other-worldly 100.5 defensive rating and a 108.5 offensive rating. A +8.1 net rating would rank fourth in the league, behind the league's three 60-win teams. That defensive rating would be the best in the league by more than five points.
It is a small sample with most of it coming at the very beginning of the season. But the Magic were on track to take a leap this season.
Banchero, often criticized for his inefficiency, averaged 29.0 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game with a 58.1 percent true shooting percentage after the All-Star Break.
Even the Magic's woeful offense made key strides after the All-Star Break. Orlando went 12-9 after March 1 with a +4.5 net rating, ninth in the league overall. That included a 113.8 offensive rating that was 20th in the league.
When things settled down for the team, the Magic were able to function at a pretty high level. And that includes Franz Wagner's continued shooting struggles, even though he still averaged 22.7 points per game after the All-Star Break.
The Magic's season was defined by the injuries. When Orlando was healthy, the team was as competitive as it was throughout its 2024 season.
The problems still existed
Still, it is easy to see why the Orlando Magic felt the need to be aggressive this offseason.
They exited their season knowing Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were All-Stars in the making. They both looked like max-level players throughout the season. And they are young enough to stay invested in.
But even at their best, the Magic's offense simply was not good enough. If the team needs a top-10 offense along with a top-10 defense to compete for a championship, the Magic still had a long way to go on offense.
Despite the belief that the Magic were far better than their .500 record and 7-seed last year, they knew they needed more to compete at a higher level. That was evident, despite their strong finish to the season, in the Playoff series against the Boston Celtics. Orlando did not have the offense to sustain itself against another title contender.
The Magic were going to attack this offseason aggressively regardless. Their needs and shortcomings were abundantly clear even when they played their best. And the struggles to address those needs entering the 2025 season were apparent quickly, too.
Orlando's hopes still rest on the continued improvement from players like Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black. But the addition of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones is certainly a big shock and a potentially huge step forward.
What the Magic hope is that the step forward the team is making from a 47-win team that was flirting with contention to a title contender, rather than a step up from a .500 team to a 50-win team.
That is the part nobody knows quite yet. But if last year was any indication, what the Magic showed on the floor is not quite where they are actually at.
And the Magic hardly saw their team at full force at all last season. They are starting from someplace better.