3 Questions that will determine the outcome of the Magic's 2024-25 season

2. Can the Magic score enough? 

While the Magic were an excellent defensive team last season, they did not look quite as great on the other end of the floor. Orlando finished the regular season 22nd in offensive rating with a rating of 112.9. That was the worst offensive rating among all playoff teams, and even lottery teams like the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz fared better offensively. 

Offensive production was not what won the Magic most games last season. Paolo Banchero was the only Magic player averaging 20 or more points per game last season, followed closely by Franz Wagner with an average of 19.7 points per game. The Magic do not have a lot of go-to scorers, and it might come back to haunt them. 

The Eastern Conference got better. New York added Mikal Bridges, who vastly expanded his offensive arsenal in Brooklyn, and the Philadelphia 76ers added a top two-way wing with Paul George. Meanwhile, the Magic added a 3-and-D wing, who is not a volume scorer, and a role-playing rookie. 

Can they score enough to keep up with the other top teams in the East? Being a great defensive team means you have to score fewer points than most teams to beat opponents, but will that be enough in the 2024-25 season? 

Right now, the solution to that problem has to come in the form of internal improvement. If Jalen Suggs, for example, can become a 15-17 points per game scorer while Banchero and Wagner continue to increase their output, the Magic's offense might look much different.