Everyone's attention to the NBA Cup will vary.
But the NBA Cup means something to a young Orlando Magic team. They have watched their progress grow steadily in that competition, and each time it felt like something meaningful for a young team finding its way.
Making the trip to Vegas last year for the semifinals against an established New York Knicks team felt like a moment of arrival.
But the Orlando Magic fell short to the New York Knicks that afternoon. Without Franz Wagner and a still-recovering Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs could not go shot for shot with Jalen Brunson to keep the team in the game. Brunson put in a final barrage in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Much like the previous year, when the Magic nearly failed to advance to the knockout round with a blowout loss to the Knicks in the final group play game, the Magic were not up to snuff against a serious contender.
There both seems like a major divide between the Magic and the Knicks, but not much space between the two. Perhaps that slim gap is the most difficult to close between being a good team and a great team.
Everyone is looking up at the Knicks right now. They are the champions. Their perseverance and faith after two straight disappointing playoff defeats together are the model for all teams trying to grow and climb the ranks.
They remain a measuring stick for the Magic. But one the Magic have often risen to defeat in the regular season.
If the Magic need proof that their type of team building has some weight, look no further than how they match up with the Knicks. That is at least a place for them to start.
The Paolo/Franz matchup
The Orlando Magic's philosophy is quite simple.
They believe in having size at every position and length to allow their defenders to switch and stay in front of their man. Length makes them hard to get through and allows them to close down on mistakes. Teams must react to the Magic's size.
The New York Knicks also rely on their size. Josh Hart is versatile and can guard players bigger than him. OG Anunoby is as strong a defender as there is. Mikal Bridges has unusual length for a shooting guard.
But the Magic are bigger.
As the Orlando Magic showcased during its playoff series with the Detroit Pistons, they are really difficult to match up with in the Playoffs when both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are on the floor together. They make opponents make difficult decisions.
In the Playoffs, Orlando had a +15.0 net rating with Banchero and Wagner on the floor together last year. The team had a -7.9 net rating in the series with the Boston Celtics (it was -13.7 overall for the series). It was +6.4 in the series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There are so many questions surrounding this duo. But this remains proof that what the Magic have can work.
That much is clear against the Knicks.
In 13 minutes across two games last year against the Knicks, the Magic had a +13.8 net rating (117.2/103.8) with Banchero and Wagner on the floor. Both of those games were interrupted by injuries, with Banchero straining his groin in the first meeting and Wagner suffering a high ankle sprain in the third meeting.
The Magic are one of the few teams with the size to deal with Anunoby, Bridges and Hart. They make the Knicks choose who to use Anunoby on, leaving the other forward open to go up against a smaller defender. Banchero can overpower Hart just as Wagner can dance around him.
It is why the Magic have gone 3-2 against the Knicks when both Banchero and Wagner play in the past three years. And one of those losses was when Wagner suffered his high ankle sprain.
They are 6-6 overall since the Magic in those three years. This is a much tighter series than most would think.
Projected Depth Chart
PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Brunson | Mikal Bridges | OG Anunoby | Josh Hart | Karl-Anthony Towns |
Jose Alvarado | Jordan Clarkson | Landry Shamet | Mohamed Diawara | Andre Drummond |
Tyler Kolek | Miles McBride | Pacome Dadiet |
Will of a champion
What separates the Orlando Magic from the New York Knicks then? How does a team that the Magic seemingly match up really well with still come out and blow the doors off the Magic on occasion?
The answer is nothing anyone can quantify. It is about will and determination. It is about confidence and identity.
Jalen Brunson is the perfect example of what a champion looks and feels like. He is someone who never seems bothered by anything going on and has supreme confidence.
That is on display throughout the Finals, when he would struggle through the course of the game and come up with every big shot down the stretch to deliver his team the win. He is confident and ruthlessly efficient.
What the Orlando Magic are still looking for is for their two forwards to have the confidence to deliver late in games and play with that efficiency. That is the biggest criticism of Paolo Banchero. Orlando needs that kind of calm and composure from a high-volume shooter.
There is a lot for the Magic to learn.
The Knicks last year were 6-3 in clutch situations last postseason with a 105.8 offensive rating. Like most clutch stats, it is more narrative driven. But the Knicks were stout with a +14.1 net rating.
In the regular season, New York 21-13 in clutch situations, but had an astounding +20.5 net rating with a 123.5 offensive rating. That fits the narrative better that if the Knicks get in a close game, they have the ultimate closer in Brunson to lead them home.
That is why the Knicks are so feared. Eveyrone believes Brunson will be the difference in a close game. He makes a huge difference.
Magic vs. Knicks This Season
Date | Location |
|---|---|
Oct. 25 | New York City |
March 28 | Orlando |
March 30 | Orlando |
The Big Question: Could Jalen Suggs be the Brunson stopper?
That is a silly question, because there is no such thing as a stopper for a player of Jalen Brunson's quality.
But if there is anyone who is close, it is Jalen Suggs. His intensity and unrelenting energy is the kind of thing that bother the smaller Brunson. It is one of the reasons the Magic have had some success against the Knicks the last three years.
Suggs can get into Brunson and make his life extremely difficult.
And Suggs makes loads of energy plays that fire up the crowd at the Kia Center. It should be a key factor in a playoff series -- as it was in 2024 when he got into Darius Garland for most of that series.
But Brunson is something different. And if the Orlando Magic were to meet the New York Knicks in a playoff series, they would need a great series from Suggs on Brunson specifically.
Last year, Brunson averaged 33.5 points and 8.5 assists per game on 51.1-percent shooting in four meetings with the Magic. He had more than 30 points in all four meetings, including 40 in the NBA Cup semifinal.
But going up against Suggs directly, Brunson shot 61.5 percent from the floor with 13 free throw attempts in four games. Suggs could not do much with him. Even if Orladno can make his life difficult.
When Brunson wants to score, he will score. That is why the Knicks are champions.
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