The Magic ended their short-lived playoff run with a 120-89 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the first round. On the surface, it may seem like the Magic aren't close to reaching the next level, but that is not the case.
The injuries the Magic faced and the lessons learned during the first-round matchup highlight the roster's shortcomings, but also give a glimpse of hope for the 2025-2026 season.
Magic missed Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner
The Magic dealt with injuries all season, but the absence of Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner was felt during the first-round series. The Magic have a shooting problem, and Suggs isn't the whole solution, but it is the start of it. In the first five games of the season, before the injuries began, Suggs shot 42.5 percent from three on eight attempts per game. It is a small sample size, but Suggs shot 39.7 percent from three last season. Suggs is turning into a volume three-point shooter and also averaged 16 points per game.
Suggs is the heart of the Magic for what he provides on defense and the energy he brings to his teammates and the crowd at the Kia Center. To the point that Suggs' value on offense has gone underrated.
While Suggs is the heart of the Magic, Mo Wagner is the soul. Wagner brings the same energy and intensity that propels the team. Wagner's offensive output seems to have been forgotten. Wagner was in the Sixth Man of the Year conversations early in the year before tearing his ACL. Wagner averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 36 percent from three. Wagner and Suggs were at least respectable 3-point shooters that would've helped against the Celtics.
That being said, the Magic still had opportunities to extend the series against the Celtics. The Magic had no margin for error and could not withstand large runs against the Celtics.
That was clear in Game 2. In a game without Jayson Tatum, the Magic allowed the Celtics to go on an early third-quarter run and played from behind the rest of the game. The Magic were down only seven points with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. An outstanding performance by Jaylen Brown and an 11-0 run in the third quarter ultimately was too much for the Magic to overcome.
In Game 4, the Magic found themselves in a tie game with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics ended the game on a 16-7 run. The Celtics baited the Magic into shots and allowed Boston to get in transition and score easy buckets. In a game where the supporting cast played well, the Magic could not make enough plays down the stretch.
Game 5 was a different story. The Magic played a strong first half having two nine-point leads throughout the half. The third quarter was a disaster. The Magic lost the third quarter 36-13. Paolo Banchero picked up three fouls in two minutes leaving him with five fouls and sitting the rest of the quarter. The Magic did not have enough to stay attached to the Celtics without Banchero.
Games 2, 4, and 5 all provided chances for the Magic to make a couple of more plays and extend the series. Ultimately, the Magic came up short and lost in 5 games.
On the surface, it looks like the Magic lost to the better team and still have a lot of work to do. However, the Magic are closer than we think. The Magic were missing arguably their third and fourth-best offensive options and still had a fighting chance against the best team in the NBA. The Magic's front office still has work to do, but the franchise's time is coming sooner than we think.