3 Underrated Eastern Conference rivals the Orlando Magic must watch out for

The top of the Eastern Conference seems pretty set. The Boston Celtics are still clearly the best team in the conference and probably the entire league. New York, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee are in the next tier if their stars can stay healthy. Next in line are the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers. The playoff race and battles for homecourt advantage will be close. 

Because of that closeness, the Magic cannot afford many losses and the other projected playoff teams are not the only threats in the conference. The East may not be as deep as the Western Conference with the Pistons, Wizards, and Nets tanking, but there are still some underrated teams the Magic need to look out for. 

3. Toronto Raptors 

The Raptors have officially dismantled their 2019 championship team, sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks and Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. And yet, the Raptors won’t be starting over completely. They already have a young centerpiece in Scottie Barnes and were able to surround him with interesting young players they acquired via trades. 

Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett could make for an intriguing trio in the future. The Raptors may not be on the same level as the projected top teams in the Eastern Conference but they could offer some challenges for the contending squads. Every win matters in a close playoff race and every loss could make the difference between having homecourt advantage and having to go to a hostile arena in the playoffs. 

The Raptors could hand out some costly losses, so the Magic need to watch out for them. Orlando learned the hard way how important homecourt advantage can be in the playoffs and the Magic do not want any losses that could have been avoided.