Orlando Magic could have one of the league’s most elite duos soon

After some initial struggles once Paolo Banchero was injured, the Magic look like one of the better teams in the NBA again.

In the NBA, the second scoring option is normally more prone to experience on-ball pressure when the best player on the team goes down with a significant injury. It's an experience that all the best players in the league go through at some point in their careers. It is also an opportunity to show your franchise that you can lead your team to victories.

The Magic initially lost the first four games (against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Indiana Pacers) without Banchero, and those losses backed the team in a corner. They were either going to fight their way back to the top of the Eastern Conference standings or go backward and become one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Franz Wagner was pushed into a leadership role as the team’s best player with Banchero on the sidelines. And my God, has he delivered for a team that was on the verge of throwing the year away. The Magic have won their last four games against the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Indiana Pacers without their best player. It was Wagner's improvement in this most recent stretch of games has ultimately propelled the Magic to victories.

In the last five games, Wagner has averaged 26.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. This is one of the best five-game spans in his career, and he's doing it without Banchero on the court. He's taking over games and often looks like he's the best player on the court. This is something that fans in Central Florida have been looking forward to.

But can Wagner keep that same aggression and energy once Banchero returns?

That is the million-dollar question that will be answered once the Magic's All-Star recovers from the torn oblique suffered in a loss against the Chicago Bulls. The Magic could potentially become a dark horse contender this season if Wagner can keep up his pace or get even better once Paolo returns to the starting lineup. If Banchero can play like he did to start the season and Wagner keeps up his production, they could look like one of the best duos in the league. It would take some time and chemistry between the two, but it's possible.

Who are some of the other best duos in the NBA?

Banchero and Wagner have plenty of competition, though. The NBA already features some elite duos. One of those duos are Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the Boston Celtics. This is the best duo in the modern NBA: two wings that can shoot, drive to the hoop, and defend at elite levels. It is also the only duo that can basically do it all. Last year, they proved to be better than Dallas' Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Minnesota's Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.

When talking about elite duos in the NBA, you cannot leave out Nikola Jokic and his running mate Jamal Murray. Jokic is still arguably the best player in the league, and Murray was the co-star he needed to win a championship.

During that run, they beat two other top duos. In the Finals, Jokic and Murray took on Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo before beating LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers’ star duo is so elite because it features arguably the best player of all time and a proven rim protector who can average 30 points and 10 rebounds per game. This duo took their team to its first modern-day title without Koby Bryant on the roster and took down the Miami Heat in five games.

LeBron James has been part of many elite teams, and one of his former running mates is now part of a different duo. Since Kyrie Irving joined Luke Doncic in Dallas, the two have been an offensive horror for opponents to deal with. The two shocked the world last year but fell three games short of their ultimate goal of an NBA title. Now, they have had a full year to get acclimated and comfortable with each other, and it paid off in short order.

Not all of the best duos in the NBA have to come close to winning a title, though. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, for example, have all the potential in the world but have not realized it yet. Neither had Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Last season, Durant and Booker lost to the rising Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs but never was healthy all year. They left a lot of meat on the bone in 2024 but look to show fans why they were predicted to go far.

The Memphis Grizzlies are in a similar situation. A few seasons ago, they had the Western Conference in a chokehold and looked like the next team up. Then, they took some time off from being competitive but are now back in full forCe. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are looking to put the Grizzlies back into the playoff mix.

Some duos have not even achieved much playoff success together yet but have the potential to do great things. One of those duos is the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Fox, known for his explosiveness and his relentless pursuit to attack the basket, combined with Sabonis' nightly triple-double effort has this duo in the top 10 for sure.

Considering how this season is going, it is impossible to not mention the only duo that has their team undefeated at the beginning of the season. The Cleveland Cavaliers (13-0) are off to their best start ever, led by the perimeter duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. These two have grown together beautifully and are a perfect complement to each other.

Looking at some of these duos, it is clear that Banchero and Wagner have work to do if they want to join the list of the top duos in the NBA. But they are on the right track to make some noise once Banchero returns and are still much younger than most of these duos.